“Very optimistic, ” he said about Cruz playing Saturday night.
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“I kind of hate that it’s a preseason game”, the Giants defensive tackle said on Thursday. “Obviously it’s been a long time coming …”
“I think the offense as a whole feels that it is important to put a better product on the field”, coach Ben McAdoo said. As a UDFA out of UMass back in 2010, Cruz torched the Jets for 145 yards on six catches with 3 TD in the Giants’ 31-16 preseason win over Rex Ryan and crew.
“I was running a route deep, and I looked back to see where the ball went and it went to 80 (Cruz)”, Odell Beckham told Giants.com.
Cruz could give Eli Manning another option if he can stay healthy, but if the 29-year-old can’t stay on the field, his place on the 53-man roster could be in jeopardy. He will not be the only one to watch, as the Giants have a number of players still trying to move into a more prominent role with the team. “I’m ready. This is more than just a game for me”. “The Jets preseason game has always been some type of landmark situation for me, so here we go again”.
“He got through a good practice on our Wednesday practice on Tuesday”.
“When he first got out there this week, he showed a burst, he showed some acceleration, he could put his foot in the ground”, said McAdoo. “He had a really nice release on a slant, which reminded me of the Houston game a few years ago, so it is encouraging”.
MetLife Stadium in the first half of the Miami Dolphins at the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
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2016 was supposed to be a fresh start for Cruz, but a groin injury early in training camp only lead to more frustration. “Yesterday he got through a three-hour practice in good shape”. While the outcome of the game means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of the 2016 National Football League season, there is still very real hype going into Saturday night because of the cross-town NY rivalry.
