Season Opener Was A 'Wake-Up Call,' A 'Rude Awakening' For Victor Cruz
NEW YORK (WFAN) - Wide receiver Victor Cruz struggled at times in the Giants' season-opening loss to the Cowboys last Wednesday night.
The second-team All-Pro selection in 2011 caught six passes for 58 yards, but had some drops in key situations.
"For me, personally, I guess (there were) a couple of first-game jitters," Cruz told WFAN's Mike Francesa on Tuesday in his weekly spot. "I was thinking that the game was just going to come to me naturally, and I probably didn't have to work as hard. But I got a nice little wake-up call, a nice little rude awakening that teams are going to be prepared for us and we're going to get every team's best effort."
LISTEN: Victor Cruz speaks with Mike Francesa
The Paterson native added that part of the issue was that he was trying to do too much.
"On a few of the catches I was just trying to make something happen for my team," Cruz said. "We were down and I usually provide the spark whenever I get the ball in my hands, and it was just a matter of trying to make my move before I actually caught the football. This weekend I'll make sure I catch it before I make the move, because I obviously can't go anywhere without the football."
The six-foot-0, 204-pounder acknowledged that with the sensational season he had last year -- the 25-year-old set the single-season franchise record for receiving yards with 1, 536 -- he's going to be a marked man in every football game in 2012. And though he may be double covered and will likely have to deal with opposing team's top corners, the undrafted UMass alum is ready to take on the challenge.
"It's definitely going to take some getting used to, but I just have to understand that I'm going to get every defender's best effort," Cruz admitted. "Everybody's going to be out there to stop me, so I just have to come prepared and come with my 'A' game. Hopefully I can just go out there and play my best, and good things will come."
Cruz caught 82 balls and found the end zone nine times for Big Blue in 2011.
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