Today’s Giants’ receivers:

Part 2: Is it a golden age in Big Blue or just a passing league?

Manningham, Nicks, and Cruz: could it be a Giant "Posse?" No, because Manningham went to the 9ers. BUT...there is another...

After the 1990 season, the Giants competitive tenure began to weaken as the stars and leadership of the era retired or went to other teams. However, the tradition of a wide receiver deficit continued as strong as ever. Even though Mark Ingram made one of the greatest plays in Giants history in Super Bowl 25 and Amani Toomer—drafted in 1996—would eventually become the Giants all-time leading receiver, Ingram wasn’t making plays “all day” in Super Bowl 25 and Toomer was a model of consistency and dependability, but never dominant. In the 2000 season the Giants went to the Super Bowl. Their offense was crushed by the Ravens defense; a bad day in Giants history. Two weeks prior, Sean Payton’s offensive scheme lit up the fireworks and took advantage of the Vikings defensive weaknesses in a 41-0 blowout at Giants Stadium.

There were Killers on the field at the wide receiver position that day, but they were wearing purple. The Vikings’ Randy Moss and Chris Carter were one of the League’s most feared receiver tandems at that time. They are arguably two of the top ten receivers of all-time. Nonetheless, you could say the Giants’ defense played pretty good too. It also seems like Moss took plays off after the Giants took a very early and large lead. In many ways, it was just one of those games no one expected. The point is that Giants’ receivers Toomer and Ike Hilliard were doing their part and they did a good job. I rooted for them like they were Randy Mosses or Chris Carters. But 41 points for is not as impressive as 0 points against. Like in years past the Giants’ defense ruled the day. Perhaps they always will.

Enter (and exit) Plaxico Burress

Things stated to change at the receiver position for the Giants when they traded for Plaxico Burress in 2005. Burress, a 6’ 5” 220-some odd lb man, was originally drafted by Pittsburgh out of Michigan State in 2000. By his second season he was a Killer and continued killing defenses when he played with the Giants—even when playing hurt. He scored the game-winning touchdown against the then undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl 42—arguably one of the greatest Super Bowls ever (who can forget David Tyree’s catch?)—and, frankly, embarrassed Green Bay’s all-pro corner back Al Harris in the NFC Championship game two weeks prior. Defenses had to game plan for Burress. He stretched the field. I think he helped make good running backs look like Jim Brown and opened up good match-ups for the other receivers to exploit. For example, the Giants in 2008 had two 1000 yard rushers and a great three-headed ground attack called Earth, Wind, and Fire. I believe this was, in part, because opposing defenses couldn’t afford to leave Burress one on one with a corner back. With a fresh back ready in rotation and rarely 8 men in the box, Earth, Wind, and Fire ran all over the League. It was awesome. Well, it was awesome until Burress shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan night club. He took a sabbatical in jail (Burress was let go by the team. He returned to the NFL to play with the Jets this past 2011 season. Who knows where he’ll land next. He’s still good.). That year, after a 12-4 season with home field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Giants were one and done when they got there. But, you couldn’t say they were slouches in the receiver department anymore. 

Zack says I have a man-crush on Hakeem Nicks. I think he's just jealous because Crabtree hasn't worked out like 9er fandom hoped. Take that Zack!

Enter Hakeem Nicks. Nicks was drafted to replace Burress in the first round in 2009 out of North Carolina with an already great play-making resume from his time at school. Not huge, not fast, Nicks is a play-maker of the first order. At 6’ and 210 lbs, he works the field like he’s as big as Burress. He’s tough like Gary Clark used to be. By his third season he has out-gained in yards and catches Burress and Toomer’s own first three seasons. In touchdowns, Nicks has out-gained them by a magnitude of roughly 2 and 4, respectively.  Nicks is number two all-time in the NFL for single-season post season catches, yards, and touchdowns and has a Super Bowl ring this year. He killed in the 2011 post season. He makes one handed grabs with defenders all over him. It almost seems like referees don’t call interference because they feel the defensive backs need as much of an advantage as they can get. He will only continue to get better if he stays healthy.  He’s also become a leader of the receivers. Nicks is definitely primed to challenge Toomer’s career records if he can play his career out with Big Blue. Most of all, though, Nicks has Eli Manning as his quarterback.

The most recent development in the receiver department is Victor Cruz. If Nicks is a thoroughbred, Cruz is a wild mustang. Cruz was an undrafted free agent out of UMass Amherst when he was invited to Giants’ training camp in Albany in 2010. He did really well. He made his first splash in a preseason game on a Monday night against the Jets. He caught 3 touchdowns. His first one was a spectacular one-handed grab over the defender in mid-stride that he ran the rest of the way after the defender fell down. You could just tell by the other catches he made that night that he was a play-maker of the first order as well. What luck? However, Coach Coughlin and the Giants are a conservative bunch and Cruz had trouble in special teams where he was expected like most players to traditionally earn a spot on the roster. He saw little action. Then he pulled his hamstring and, because the Jets wanted him, Big Blue quickly put him on IR for the rest of the 2010 season.

Cruuuuuuuuz!!!

 Cruz still had trouble finding his way into the line-up at the start of the 2011 season and made the fifth spot on the receiver depth chart, not really a stable place to stay. But, as the fates would have it, the Giants would lose their number 2 receiver to their rival Eagles before the start of the season, lose their number 3 receiver to a second consecutive season ending ACL injury in the second game, and gain and lose a free agent at the number 4 spot in the span of a week because he just didn’t fit. Now Cruz was at the number 3 spot. He stepped up big in the third game of the 2011 season against the Eagles like he did in the preseason Jets game a year earlier.

For the next few games he was a bit of a clown. He would provide a big play one moment (touchdown!) then give one away the next (turnover?!). He was still raw. As the season went on, however, he got better. The rest is history. He makes huge plays with 5 catches over 60 yards this season. In two back to back must-win games at the end of the 2011 season against the Jets and Cowboys he had catches and runs for 99 and 74 yards, respectively. Both those plays were early in the game and just about broke the opponent’s backs. It was weird. Maybe they just knew they couldn’t stop him. He only makes a handful of catches a game, but they’re huge when they happen. You can see the opponent’s frustration immediately. Really, it’s weird. He must be good. He absolutely saved the Giants’ season in a very big way. He also broke the Giants’ single season receiving record for yards. The prior record was Toomer’s. Now he’s famous. He does a salsa in the end zone for his touchdown dance. It began in the Week 3 Eagles game. It might be more famous than him. Like Nicks, he is also lucky to have Eli Manning as his quarterback.

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