National Football League

Cruz: Giants' new offense will be 'extremely explosive'

Published Jan. 24, 2014 2:19 p.m. ET

Ross Jones

The Giants offense was turnover prone and lacked some spark last season. That won’t be the case next year if it’s up to Victor Cruz.

While longtime offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride decided to retire earlier this month, the team’s most dangerous weapon believes the offense could look much more potent in 2014.

“I think this new offense is going to be extremely explosive,” Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said on The Peter Schrager Podcast. “I think you’re going to see some guys come to life like Jerrel Jernigan and Rueben Randle. I think you’re really going to see these guys come to life and we’ll come together as receivers. I think we’re going to be that explosive offense.

“On defense hopefully we’ll be able to keep everyone together and we can be that same defense that we were a year ago that was stopping people and creating turnovers.”

The Giants hired Packers quarterback coach Ben McAdoo to fill in for Gilbride. McAdoo has received ringing endorsements from Aaron Rodgers on how he prepared him each week.

In Cruz’s first encounter with McAdoo, he shared similar sentiments.

“I got to meet him earlier this week,” Cruz said. “He’s a great guy. I think he understands the type of football that we want to play and the way we want to be playing with the Giants and that we’re accustomed to winning. I think he’s going to bring that attitude and that culture back to us from an offensive standpoint. We’re excited, man. We’re excited for a fresh new take a fresh, new offense and something new for us to learn so we’re excited about it.

McAdoo’s first order of business should be to limit Eli Manning’s league-leading 27 interceptions.

Manning will need to learn a new system, but the 10th-year quarterback expressed some eagerness when he was asked about it on Thursday.

“In a way it will be exciting,” Manning said, via Tom Rock of Newsday. “You have to come in and you have to learn some new things. Obviously, what the changes will be — if it will be completely changed with the terminology and formations or if we’ll keep some of those things and bring in all of his concepts — I don’t know if the coaches have all figured that out yet as well.”

Cruz has spent some time this offseason rehabbing a knee injury, which caused him to be sidelined for the last two games of the regular season.

“I feel great,” Cruz said. “Rehab is going extremely well. The knee is responding beautifully. Now it’s just strengthening the knee and getting it back to form 100 percent and getting back to the Victor Cruz that everybody is familiar with.”