Victor Cruz gave the Giants a late third quater lead, snatching the first of his three touchdowns on a 64-yard score. PHOTO BY BILL MENZEL / LSV

Win Inaugral Game at New Meadowlands Stadium                                

East Rutherford, NJ – The New York Jets drew first blood when they faced the New York Giants in the first football game played at the new Meadowlands Arena.

Literally.  

With the Giants trailing 10-7 and driving on their first possession of the second quarter, Eli Manning goes back to throw a fade pass to wide out Ramsen Barden. Running back Brandon Jacobs thought it was a running play and slams into Manning, who then gets hammered from behind by linebacker Calvin Pace. Manning’s helmet flies off and his head hits the facemask of safety Jim Leonhard opening up a three inch gash that required 12 stitches to close.

Manning walked to the sideline with blood gushing out of his forehead, ending his night. Jacobs did recover the fumble, which lead to a Lawrence Tynes 32-yard field goal. Said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin of the injury to Manning, “Hopefully there will be no swelling. He handled it well.”

Needless to say, the Giants were on “Cruz” control in a 31-16 victory over the Jets.

The evening started out for Gang Green and second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez just like much of last year did: With a turnover.

After kicking off to the Giants and having them punt, Sanchez, on the second play from their own 46 tried to thread a pass to newly acquired LaDainian Tomlinson. The pass hits off his shoulder pad and was picked off by Antrel Rolle, who returns it to the Jets 1-yard line. Three plays later, Jacobs rumbles in, scoring the first touchdown in the new arena.

Sanchez would rebound on the very next series taking the team 68 yards in 14 plays, hooking up with Brad Smith for a 4-yard touchdown pass. The Giants defense was confused (like they were many times last year) leading to a wide open and uncontested Smith.

In fact, they were penalized for having too many men on the field prior to the play. Said Coughlin, “We had miscommunication in terms of their personnel on the field.”

The Jets took a 13-10 lead into the third quarter after a Nick Folk 22-yard field goal with Sanchez ending his night on another long drive. He completed 13 of 17 passes for 119 yards and one score.

The Jets' bone crushing defense got to Eli Manning and the Giants early, but Big Blue would regroup late for a 31-16 win. PHOTO BY BILL MENZEL / LSV

From that point on it was the Victor Cruz show. The undrafted wideout from the University of Massachusetts put on a show that had Coughlin raving about his performance.

With Sanchez’ back-up, Kellen Clemens, extending the lead to 16-10 on another field goal by Folk (36 yards), Manning’s back-up Jim Sorgi connects with Cruz with his very first pass attempt to the local New Jersey product.

The Latin sensation reaches out for the left hand grab, while his right hand covered the facemask of Jets cornerback Dwight Lowry. Sixty four yards later, it gave the Giants a 17-16 lead they would not give back.

Said Cruz of the catch, “I made a move to go outside and he threw it up. I didn’t think I was going to get it because the DB was right on me. The ball came down I kind of stuck my hand out late and it stuck. I just tucked it in and ran.”

Coughlin gushed when asked about the no-name Cruz after the game. “He’s an everyday guy. He does everything. He’s on special teams, on scout teams. He emerged during the week making spectacular catches.”

It was just the beginning for both Cruz and Sorgi as they extended the lead to 24-16, when they hooked up again for a 34-yard touchdown pass as Cruz blew past linebacker Lance Laury catching the ball in stride.

Cruz capped off his night when third string quarterback Rhett Bomar completed a 10 play, 67-yard drive with a 5-yard pass to Cruz.

At night’s end, Cruz caught six passes for 145 yards and three TDs. He beamed afterwards when asked to describe his night. “You never kind of come into a game thinking you’re going to have 3 touchdowns. I just wanted to come in and work hard. I’ve been working hard all camp. I just wanted to come in and kind of show what I can do on the main stage.”

It’s been a work in progress for the wide receiver who only caught all of five touchdown passes in his final year in college. “The DBs are a lot faster at this level,” he said.

In total, undrafted wide receiver Victor Cruz produced three TDs in the victory. PHOTO BY BILL MENZEL / LSV

The Jets with their Hard Knocks series on HBO and Super Bowl expectations came into the game and drew first blood when they knocked out Manning.

Then a wide receiver out of nowhere came and landed his own knockout blows, sending the Jets to their first pre-season loss of the year.

As Brandon Jacobs said afterwards, “We just beat the Jets. The hard knock life, man. It just solidified who this stadium belongs to.”

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