The expectation heading into the season was the Giants possessed one of the top offenses in the NFL, based on the track record of success and all of the playmakers surrounding Eli Manning.
Thus far, it has been a turnover festival, with no trace of a discernible running game and then there was Sunday’s 38-0 loss to the Panthers, when on more than one occasion the Giants barely could get the snap back to Manning without disaster causing the play to misfire. But two of the Giants key offensive weapons said their unit still can be among the best, if not the best, in the league.
“I’ve said I feel we got one of the best offenses in the league and I stand on that,’’ Hakeem Nicks said Wednesday as the Giants got back to work for their next game, against the unbeaten Chiefs in Kansas City. “We got great competitors, I think everything will be good.’’
Nicks’ wide receiver running mate, Victor Cruz, went further in expressing his confidence in the offense.
“Absolutely, as long as myself and Hakeem and our entire offense is on the same page and we’re moving and Eli is giving us the ball and we’re running the ball well I think we’re absolutely the best offense in football,’’ Cruz said. “We have yet to show that on the field, but I think now is the time where we put everything together and get things going in the right direction.’’
The Giants are ranked 20th in the NFL in total offense, based on yards per game, dead last in rushing and sixth in passing. Manning was sacked seven times by the Panthers and Nicks was held without a single reception.
“I think we’re going to come together, you can feel it now,’’ Nicks said. “The spirit of this locker room, we got great, upbeat guys, guys who have been around for a while, guys used to bouncing back. We got a bunch of fighters in here. I think everything’s going to be straight. We just got to come out, practice hard and let it translate to the game.’’
Cruz said he feels the same vibe.
“It was just a different energy,’’ Cruz said of Wednesday’s practice. “We’ve had good practices where guys were catching the ball and things of that nature, but the energy was just different today. It was a different mindset, you could tell guys had a different attitude and a different approach to this practice.’’