Rags-to-riches story has Giants' offense on Cruz control
Football Betting Lines
01/31/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The indelible image from the last time the New York Giants and New England Patriots squared off with an NFL title on the line was left by a seldom-used wide receiver who went from obscurity to permanent Super Bowl hero in one life-altering play.
If you thought David Tyree was a great story, folks, wait until you hear that of Victor Cruz.
The second-year receiver's rise from anonymity to record-setting superstar occurred a bit more gradually than Tyree's sudden placement into Giants' lore via his unforgettable "Helmet Catch" that helped Big Blue cut down the seemingly-invincible Patriots in Super Bowl XLII four years ago, but it's a tale no less unlikely or fascinating.
"I wake up every day and just pinch myself and kind of think about how far I have come and all the stuff I have done," Cruz said.
Cruz had already beaten long odds by making New York's roster as a college free agent following an impressive 2010 preseason, but the playmaking 25-year- old defied all logic when he orchestrated the most prolific campaign by a wideout in club history in helping the Giants reach Indianapolis for another championship bout with New England.
It wouldn't be the first time Cruz has been underestimated.
He was one of the star players of a powerhouse program at Paterson Catholic High School, around a 20-minute drive from the Giants' training facilities in Northern New Jersey, yet couldn't draw the attention of major college recruiters despite a 19-touchdown campaign as a senior. Rutgers had mulled offering the then 5-foot-9, 160-pound prospect its final scholarship, but instead decided to give it to Devin McCourty, now a cornerback for the Patriots who ironically may be lining up opposite Cruz in the Super Bowl.
Cruz eventually landed at FCS-level Massachusetts, but made a minimal impact his first two seasons while struggling with both academic and personal issues. He persevered through those tough times to emerge as one of the subdivision's most productive receivers during his final two years with the Minutemen, however, earning a camp invite from the Giants shortly after receiving his degree.
A head-turning performance in the 2010 preseason opener against the rival Jets, in which Cruz scored three touchdowns and racked up 145 yards on six catches, would land the undrafted long shot a spot on the active roster, though both his rookie season and the outset of this one would be spent buried on the depth chart at a position where the Giants were well-stocked with young talent.
Cruz's big break would finally come in this season's second game, when veteran No. 3 receiver Domenik Hixon tore his ACL in a Monday night triumph over St. Louis. And once again, the local boy made good would make the most of the chance.
In his first game as a full-fledged member of the rotation, Cruz hauled in two long touchdown passes from quarterback Eli Manning to help stake New York to a big win at preseason NFC East favorite Philadelphia. He proved it was no fluke with an eight-catch, 161-yard outburst against Seattle two weeks later, and later totaled at least six receptions and 84 yards each time during a terrific six-game stretch from Oct. 30-Dec. 4.
The stylish youngster, who's gained some additional fame for his patented end- zone salsa dances, capped off his unexpectedly superb regular season with a flair as well, amassing 342 yards in huge decisions over the Jets and Dallas that gave the Giants the NFC East crown. His 99-yard score late in the first half versus the Jets may have been the team's most important play of the year, as the Giants were trailing their fellow Met Life Stadium tenants at the time and were faced with a 3rd-and-long situation deep in their own end.
Cruz would finish the schedule with 1,536 receiving yards, the third-highest total in the NFL this season and the most ever by a Giant in a single year, blowing away franchise icon Amani Toomer's mark of 1,343 in 2002.
I didn't anticipate having this kind of season," Cruz admitted. "I just wanted to come in and hopefully do some things well and find my place, and to now have my place in history is crazy."
So has been all the attention. Cruz was reportedly targeted by the producers of "Dancing with the Stars" to appear in the hit show's upcoming season (he turned down the request) and struck up a friendship with rap artist and noted Giants fan 50 Cent, though that newfound celebrity status hasn't kept him from maintaining an active and positive presence in his native Paterson, a city hit hard by high crime and rising employment that could really use a favorite son.
And with his hometown team just one victory away from capturing a world championship, Cruz can close the book on what's been an absolutely amazing chapter with a storybook ending.
But no matter the result of Super Bowl XLVI, he's already come out a winner.
"I'm just a fortunate guy. It's really starting to sink in -- how rare my story is and how far I've come."
Below is a capsule look at the offense of the New York Giants, with regular season statistics in parentheses:
Quarterback: Manning (4933 passing yards, 29 TD, 16 INT) caused a mini- controversy by stating he considered himself on par with New England counterpart Tom Brady prior to the season, then went out and backed up that claim by delivering easily the best year of his highly-scrutinized career. The levelheaded quarterback set a Giants' season record for passing yards while engineering five fourth-quarter comebacks, including one against the Patriots in November that halted New England's 20-game home winning streak in non- playoff tilts. Manning's play hasn't dropped off this postseason either, with the Super Bowl XLII MVP having thrown eight touchdown passes against one interception over New York's three playoff games while twice eclipsing the 300- yard barrier.
Running Backs: The Giants still have the same two backs that split ball- carrying duties during their memorable upset of the Patriots four years back, though the tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw (659 rushing yards, 34 receptions, 11 total TD) and Brandon Jacobs (571 rushing yards, 15 receptions, 8 total TD) both averaged under four yards per attempt during the regular season and the team ranked dead last in rushing offense (89.2 ypg). New York's ground game has been more effective down the stretch, however, with Bradshaw's health having improved after missing part of the year with a cracked bone in his foot. He sat out the Week 10 meeting with New England due to the injury, with Jacobs gaining a solid 72 yards and a touchdown on 18 totes as the lead man.
Wide Receivers: Manning's rise to the elite quarterback ranks was aided by the work of a wideout corps that really came of age in 2011. Cruz (82 receptions, 1536 yards, 9 TD) was a revelation in his first year as a full-time player and 2009 first-round pick Hakeem Nicks (76 receptions, 1192 yards, 7 TD) turned in a second straight outstanding campaign, with the duo giving New York its first pairing of 1,000-yard receivers in team history. Nicks, who's fully expected to play in the Super Bowl despite spraining his right shoulder in the NFC Championship win over San Francisco, has piled up 335 yards and four touchdowns on 18 receptions in the G-Men's three playoff tests, while fourth-year pro Mario Manningham (39 receptions, 4 TD) has a scoring catch in all three of those games and gives Manning a dangerous No. 3 target that can also stretch the field.
Tight Ends: The Giants were thought to be in dire straits at this position heading into the season following the free-agent defection of Kevin Boss to Oakland, but former practice-squad member Jake Ballard (38 receptions, 4 TD) eased concerns with an unexpectedly solid year. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound undrafted player averaged nearly 16 yards per catch in addition to providing a big body for the running game, and came up with a four-catch, 67-yard effort against New England in November that included the go-ahead touchdown grab in the final seconds. Backup Travis Beckum has made a greater contribution as of late, as his seven receptions in the playoffs were two more than he had during the entire regular season.
Offensive Line: Though three starters from New York's 2007 Super Bowl champion squad remain on the current roster, a combination of age and injuries has taken a toll on what's been the offense's weak link. Left tackle David Diehl and right-sider Kareem McKenzie are both seasoned veterans with considerable big- game experience, but each struggled in protection for much of the year and Manning was sacked six times while facing constant pressure in the Giants' narrow win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship. A season-ending detached retina to the group's best pass blocker, tackle Will Beatty, in November has compounded the problem, with Diehl forced to shift back outside after opening the year at left guard and pedestrian fill-in Kevin Boothe moving into the starting lineup as a result. Center David Baas, a high-profile offseason pickup from San Francisco, also missed considerable time with neck problems in his Giants' debut. The line's stalwart is right guard Chris Snee, a three-time Pro Bowl selection who's sat out just one game over the past seven seasons.
Stony Brook, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former Iowa running back Marcus Coker has enrolled at Stony Brook in one of the bigger transfers of the FCS offseason. As a sophomore last season, Coker rushed for 1,384 yards to finish second to Heisman Tr
<< Clippers cruise past NBA-best Thunder
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chris Paul scored 26 points with 14 assists
and Blake Griffin added 22 points and seven rebounds, as the Los Angeles
Clippers jumped out early and rolled past the Oklahoma City Thunder, 112-100,
at Stap
<< Mavericks pound Suns behind three-point exhibition
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Delonte West drained five of the Mavericks
season-high 14 three-pointers en route to 25 points and six assists off the
bench as Dallas thumped Phoenix, 122-99, at U.S. Airways Center.
Vince Carter also
<< Dixon, No. 4 Missouri edge Texas
Austin, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Dixon's trip from goat to hero took all
of 25 seconds.
After committing an offensive flagrant foul that helped Texas take the lead,
Dixon converted a difficult left-handed floater with 31 seconds le
<< Utah outlasts Portland in comeback win
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Gordon Hayward came up big on the
defensive end late in regulation and hit the clinching free throws in the
waning seconds, as the Jazz came back and defeated the Trail Blazers, 93-89.
Paul
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The wife of former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine reportedly had sex with players. According to the New York Daily News, court papers filed Monday indicate that Bobby Davis, one of t
Hawks finish up road trip in Toronto >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta suffered what seemed to be a devastating blow when
starting center Al Horford went down with a torn left pectoral. Instead, the
Hawks have held up remarkably well without their two-time All Star and will
aim to keep t
Irving, Cavs aim to sweep home-and-home set with Celtics >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers will aim for a home-and-home
sweep of the Boston Celtics tonight when the clubs play the back end of the
set in Cleveland.
The Cavs won a thriller in Boston on Sunday when Irving's layup with
UNC faces off with local rival Wake Forest >>
Winston-Salem, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels
will try to keep up in the Atlantic Coast Conference race as they head to the
Lawrence Joel Coliseum for a league bout with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
This wi
Tigers tangle with Cavs in ACC action >>
Charlottesville, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Clemson Tigers will try to gain
ground in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings as they head to John Paul
Jones Arena to take on the 16th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers.
This will be the 118th meeting
Problem with Bears?
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
Mysportsbook.com online online sportsbook accepts Visa & Mastercard
Will Ohio State continue to run the table in College Football betting odds?
MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.
NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.
Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.
Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Visa needs.
NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
--------------------------------------------------
Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6
For complete NCAA football odds and World Series odds please visit MySportsbook.com