In the first game in the new meadowlands stadium the Giants defeated the Jets 31-16. The problem for the Giants is that the final score of the first preseason game is not always the most important measuring stick for a team’s performance. In the first half the Giants starters were outhustled and outplayed by the Jets starters. The Jets played a more physical game, they sustained longer drives, ran the ball effectively, stopped the Giants on the ground (Bradshaw and Jacobs netted only a yard on the ground), and even bloodied Eli Manning. Manning’s first half injury was one of the scarier moments for Giants fans. He had his helmet knocked off and cut his head on a Jets player’s facemask. Manning received 12 stitches for the gash on his forehead, though he said after the game that he could have returned if the Giants needed him.
There were positives for the Giants from this game. Undrafted rookie receiver Victor Cruz caught three touchdowns and had 145 receiving yards in the second half alone. Backup quarterbacks Jim Sorgi and Rhett Bomar led productive scoring drives. The Giants first round draft pick Jason Pierre Paul sacked Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez on an athletic move in the first half. Also, the Giants free agent safety acquisition Antrel Rolle intercepted Sanchez on the first defensive series of the game.
