Cruz dances through big hit
Victor Cruz knew it was coming. The Giants wideout had spent much of the first quarter yapping with Jets safety LaRon Landry. And Landry had already told Cruz to expect a hit.
So when Cruz edged past Jets corner Kyle Wilson and caught an Eli Manning pass over the middle, Cruz knew what would happen next. Landry launched himself at Cruz at the Giants 44, and Cruz crumpled to the turf, the most bone-crunching tackle in the Giants’ 26-3 preseason win over the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
“Once they called that route, I was kind of trying to stay away from him as much as possible,” Cruz said. “He got a pretty good lick on me.”
The hit was clean, Cruz said, and shouldn’t draw a fine. “Right in the chest,” he said. “It was a very legal hit. It wasn’t nothing illegal . . . It hit me right in the chest and it was a good shot.”
Cruz instantly got up, then made sure to motion that he’d just gotten a first down.
“I had to get up with a little bit of swagger,” Cruz said. “He was kind of just on top of me waiting, being demonstrative with his own celebration and getting up off of me, so I just wanted to wait for him to get off me and then I’ll do my little thing.”
GREENE DAY
The Jets managed just 128 passing yards and surrendered seven sacks, but tailback Shonn Greene had a solid night, rushing for 36 yards on 11 carries. “It was pretty decent,” Greene said. “We ran the ball pretty well . . . I think those guys up front did a great job.”
HIXON ISLAND-HOPPING
Giants wideout Domenik Hixon started in place of Hakeem Nicks (foot), playing his first game since injuring his right ACL against the Rams last season. Hixon had a quiet evening, until the Giants faced a fourth-and-1 from the Jets 16 early in the second quarter. That’s when the veteran outleaped Darrelle Revis to catch a four-yard pass that kept a drive alive. “I wasn’t sure how I came down with it,” Hixon said. “There was a lot of traffic. It was just a blessing, great, great feeling to be back out there,” he added.
Hixon said his knee felt “fine” after the game.
SHANKS A LOT
Jets punter T.J. Conley shanked consecutive punts of 19 and 23 yards in the fourth quarter, then received a friendly bounce on another poor punt after that. Despite that, Rex Ryan expressed confidence in Conley. Then again, Ryan danced around the idea of bringing in a veteran to compete with Conley. ... Giants LB Mark Herzlich left the game with a hip pointer and DE Adrian Tracy hurt his hamstring. Tracy will have an MRI Sunday and hopes to return to practice in a few days. ... CB Terrell Thomas (knee), LB Jacquian Williams (hip), LB Michael Boley (hamstring), LT Will Beatty (back) and DT Marvin Austin (back) also did not suit up for Big Blue.