WR Victor Cruz
October 12, 2016
Q: After a couple of losses your quarterback is taking some heat. What’s your reaction that people think he’s responsible for what’s going on?
A: Not true. Obviously, it’s a team game and a team sport. It’s something that we all play together. His success is our success and vice versa. We understand that he’s our quarterback and is still playing in great form. You can’t just go off of a couple games and just negate what he’s done in the games that we’ve won and the good things he’s done. It’s easy to harp on the negative things but you have to look at the positives as well.
Q: There are no alarm bells going off, I would imagine?
A: No one is panicking; no one is feeling a way about his performance. Obviously he knows himself what he needs to fix and change. I’m sure the offensive coaching staff are doing their jobs in terms of putting him in a position where he’s comfortable and making reads, things like that. We’ll see where it goes. No one is hitting the panic button on Eli Manning.
Q: Why do you think the offense hasn’t produced so far like you guys have hoped?
A: I think it’s just a matter of continuing to execute. Continuing to see what teams are giving us and being able to adjust off those things. We can game plan off of what we see on film, but until we line up out there and see what they’re giving us, what type of coverage they’re playing us, that’s when we’re able to decipher. That’s when Eli is comfortable and he can see what’s coming, make those changes and get us to the best play possible.
Q: The run game is 27th in the League. How much has that impacted the overall offense?
A: You want balance as an offense with the run and the pass. Obviously, us not being consistent in the run game plays a part in the pass game as well. We have to get that going. I think we know that. I think we understand that. That’s a part of us as well, as receivers blocking in the run game. Making sure that we stay disciplined in that process so it makes it easier when we want to pass the ball.
Q: Through five games, what have you seen overall as an offense?
A: In these five games I’ve seen, I mean, it’s an early season but we’ve seen a lot already. We’ve seen all three of us do great things. We’ve seen Shepard go for over 100 yards, we’ve seen us this past weekend go for sixty something yards total. We’ve seen plenty of ups and downs that we’ve faced in this short season so far. It’s good to have it now so we can get through it. Just understand that adversity, and battle through it. Obviously we’ve seen so many things. I truly feel like we’re on the brink. We have to put it all together for one of these games and remain consistent.
Q: What has to happen to go from ‘on the brink’, to production?
A: Just staying the course. Executing the game plan and understanding what is being asked of us. Taking it one play at a time.
Q: Do you see this game on Sunday as a must-win?
A: Every game is a must-win. Every game in this league is a must-win. You always want to go out there, put your best foot forward and win a ball game. This one is no different. This one is a game that’s next on our schedule and a game we must-win as well.
Q: What do you think accounts for the team’s positivity?
A: Just understanding that it’s very early in the season. Trusting the talent level in this room, trusting in our leadership in this room and trusting in the fact that we understand everyone’s job and everything that we have to do in order to turn this around.
Q: You didn’t have a catch the other day? What was that like?
A: Unfortunate. We’ll leave it at that.
Q: Is it fair to say that plays are there and you’re not making them? Or you haven’t been finding the right plays?
A: Plays have been there. It’s a multitude of things. It’s not just about plays being there and then not being there. I think it’s just a matter of being in unison as a group. Play by play, we’re just not hitting our stride right now. We have to find those plays. They show up on film. The plays that we missed or the plays we dropped. We have to find those on film. During the game, when those opportunities come, we have to take advantage of them. That’s where we haven’t succeeded.
Q: Through five games, how would you describe what you’ve seen from the offense?
A: We’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. We’ve played really well at times. Other times we haven’t played well. It’s not what we want. It’s not the level of football we want as receivers and as an offense as a whole. Everyone is committed to turning this thing around and making sure that our next game we put our best foot forward. Play Giants football.
ex. Are you worried about Eli's play. Ans, no, I worried about how awful the line in front of him is playing.
Ques. Why is the run game struggling. ans. refer to answer one.