It was a “wow” moment on an otherwise dull night. Rashad Jennings took a handoff from Eli Manning and jolted the sleepy MetLife Stadium crowd awake.
Big Blue’s new running back took a simple straight away handoff from Eli Manning, burst threw a canyon-sized hole up the middle and exploded to pay dirt, 73 yards later, showing off impressive breakaway speed, running away from the Steelers’ secondary.
It was quite an introduction to Giants fans.
“I actually put it on social media [before the game], this is the first time as a Giant I get to play in the stadium,” he said after Big Blue’s 20-16 preseason victory over the Steelers. “You only get one chance [to make] a first impression.”
In what was otherwise a lost evening for the Giants’ first-team offense — Manning failed to complete a pass and was sacked once in four possessions — it was the lone highlight. After getting through the line untouched, the Steelers never had a shot at him, Jennings using his speed to get to the outside and find the end zone.
“One-on-one battles in the open field, you got to win those,” said Jennings, who had an 80-yard touchdown Nov. 17 against the Texans. “It’s what I did and the rest was just a race. … I never had any doubt. I’m not a man of doubt. Plus, you got those big screens TV’s up there. You can see where they’re at.”
The Giants spent the offseason bringing in one big-name free agent after another, luring cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Denver, linebacker Jameel McClain from Baltimore and offensive guard Geoff Schwartz from Kansas City.
Jennings, however, seems like the biggest acquisition thus far.
Jennings has brought maturity, versatility and experience to a backfield desperately in need of such qualities, particularly after David Wilson suffered a neck burner and decided to call it quits this week after doctors told him he would be taking a large risk if he continued because he had spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal.
Through four seasons with Jacksonville and Oakland, Jennings started 17 games, never topping the 163 carries he received last season. But he began to show promise last year, running for 733 yards and scoring six touchdowns, and the Giants signed the 29-year-old to a four-year, $10 million deal in March.
Jennings doesn’t like to be pigeon-holed. He strives to be a complete back, and he’s shown it so far.
He ran for 85 yards on five carries Saturday, after he rushed seven times for 23 yards and caught three passes for an additional 20 yards in the preseason opener. Jennings has been an obvious bright spot in training camp, even before preseason games began. He’s run hard, blocked well and shown the ability to be a factor catching the ball out of the backfield, a safety valve Manning has lacked in recent seasons.
“I run around the locker room and say before games, ‘don’t let anyone define you,’” Jennings said. “I always want to be a complete back. That’s what I want to prove in the league, and it’s the only thing I’m going to settle for.”