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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This will be a very different spring and summer for Victor Cruz.

Instead of being a guy fighting for a job in OTAs and training camp, Cruz is a given, after his remarkable 2011 season when he caught 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns.

"It’s a unique situation," said Cruz, following the Giants' first organized team workout of the offseason on Wednesday. "Coming into this year, I was like, 'Wow, I’m kind of one of the older guys now. I gotta keep these young guys in mind.'"

Cruz is still only 25 years old, but he is one of the key cogs in the Giants' offense. He said Wednesday that he expects to continue to play in the slot position in 2012, where had so much success a year ago.

As for talk about a new contract? "I don’t have any information on contract stuff," Cruz said.

The Giants will be depending on Cruz to duplicate his success from 2011, especially now that fellow wideout Mario Manningham has moved on to San Francisco.

Cruz said he still feels like he has something to prove, considering he came out of nowhere and emerged as a star last season, after being undrafted out of UMass in 2010.

"I think every time I step on the field I want to show that I’m the same player I was last year," Cruz said. "The same type of hunger, the same type of intensity that you saw last year, I try to bring that on the field each and every time."

He also thinks there are areas he can improve on -- specifically mentioning "getting to the right depth on a certain route consistently," and also "understanding what your route opens up for other people."

One of the candidates to replace Manningham as Eli Manning's third option at wide receiver (after Cruz and Hakeem Nicks) is Rueben Randle, the team's second-round draft pick out of LSU.

Randle and the other rookies joined the veterans on the practice field for the first time on Wednesday.

"He’s good, he’s tall, he’s lengthy, he covers a lot of ground when he runs," said Cruz, when asked about the 6-foot-2 Randle. "For him, it’s just a matter of getting the offense and getting comfortable to the point where he doesn’t have to think so much, and it’s just natural. So we’re working with him, and he looks pretty good."

Cruz hopes to become more of a leader this season, now that he has defied the odds and is an established veteran.

"I’d like to think I could have an impression on some of the young guys," Cruz said, "and just let them know that through hard work you can reach your dreams."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The defending Super Bowl champions were back on the practice field for the first time this offseason on Wednesday, taking part in the team's first OTA (Organized Team Activity) workout.

Almost every player on the roster was in attendance, despite the fact that OTAs are technically optional -- Osi Umenyiora being the most notable exception. Fellow defensive lineman Justin Tuck was present though, and afterwards he defended the "dynasty" talk that he started last week at the Giants' ring ceremony.

"Why wouldn’t I feel that way," Tuck said. "I don’t need to be playing the game if I’m not thinking about winning a championship every year.

"I feel very confident in this team’s talents and this coaching staff, and I believe we have that shot [at being a dynasty]. Me saying it, is that gonna make it happen? Absolutely not, but we do have a shot at it."

In general, the Giants seemed excited to be back in action, going through a spirited practice (without pads) that lasted a little more than an hour.

"It’s just great to be back on the field, practicing," said quarterback Eli Manning. "Wear a helmet. And competing against a defense a little bit."

"I’m glad to be back out here on this field," said wide receiver Victor Cruz. "Glad to be having this helmet back on, and these gloves, and getting back out there and catching some footballs."

Neither Manning nor Cruz spoke quite as strongly when asked about Tuck's "dynasty" comments, but both sounded confident about the upcoming year.

"I think of trying to get better for next year, that’s the mindset," Manning said. "The season ended up well, but if you look at our regular season, we still lost seven games. There’s a lot of room for improvement."

"Winning the Super Bowl last year, everybody kinda looked around and understood that we have the pieces in place to be a very good team for a very long time," Cruz said. "Dynasty? Too early to tell, but we’ll see what happens as the years come along."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin has high expectations. "I think we’ve kind of raised the bar for our own performance," Coughlin said, "whether it be in meetings, on the practice field, on the game field -- that’s what I want to see."

Several rookies who could play key roles this season got their first taste of action with the veterans on Wednesday, including running back David Wilson and wide receiver Rueben Randle, the team's first- and second-round draft picks.

"The development of these young guys is real important," said Coughlin. "Just to learn the new language is really critical."

Linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka believes the team's relative youth will serve it well in 2012.

"We’re a very motivated team," Kiwanuka said. "There are a lot of guys that even though they’ve had success, they have a lot left to accomplish in their careers. I think that’s gonna work in our favor.

"From the coaching staff on down, everybody’s just hungry to win another one. It doesn’t matter how many we win, we’re always gonna want another one. We’re in a good spot. Yeah, we enjoyed the championship -- we have the rings, and they look nice -- but we’re ready to move on."

Giants wideout Victor Cruz advanced to the third round of the "Madden '13" cover vote.

His new opponent: Niners linebacker Patrick Willis. Vote now!

Victor Cruz is the Giants' representative in the Madden '13 Cover vote tournament, and he's a No. 2 seed.

Cruz beat Jason Pierre-Paul to represent the Giants in the play-in round and now faces the Redskins' 15th-seeded Brian Orakpo in the first round of the 32-man tournament. If Cruz advances, he will face the winner of the matchup between the Jets' Darrelle Revis and Buffalo's Stevie Johnson.

The overwhelming majority of Giants fans want Cruz nowhere near the cover, so as to avoid the Madden curse. The one thing that should benefit those fans is the fact that the No. 1 seed in Cruz's bracket is Carolina's Cam Newton, somebody who could easily advance to the final.

Anyways, if you care to vote -- either for Cruz or for Orakpo -- go here to vote. Tell us who you want to see on the Madden cover below.

New York is in the midst of Linsanity, but don't forget the Big Apple is the home of the Super Bowl champions.

To honor the Giants -- and make your computer monitors look smashing -- we've put together a set of four desktop backgrounds. We're posting one of them a day through Saturday, continuing with today's Victor Cruz Edition.

Here are the direct download links, for the resolution of your choice:

1900x1200 | 1680x1050 | 1440x900 | 1280x8000

1600x1200 | 1280x1024 | 1024x768 | 800x600

Former Giant and current ESPN analyst Antonio Pierce posed this question to his followers on Twitter, so I'll pose it in our Giants and Knicks blogs:

Who is the bigger surprise, Victor Cruz or Jeremy Lin?

Both players were undrafted out of college, overcoming adversity to reach the pros.

Cruz emerged to set the Giants' single-season record for receiving yards. Lin is the first player in NBA history to have 20 or more points and seven or more assists in each of his first five starts. Cruz is famous for his "Silk City Salsa" touchdown dance. Lin is famous for being the second Asian-American player in NBA history and sleeping on his brother's couch.

So who do you think is the bigger surprise? Let us know in the comments section.

Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz salsa'd at the Grammys on Sunday night.

It had to be done, right?

Cruz appeared with fellow wideout Mario Manningham -- he of 38-yard Super Bowl XLVI catch fame -- to present the award for Best Rock Performance to The Foo Fighters.

Cruz tweeted that his favorite part of the night was “Meeting the homie Drake.”

Who would’ve, back at the beginning of training camp, thought he’d end up doing that?

So what’s harder: dancing in the end zone, or on stage?

“Definitely that Grammy stage, man,” Cruz told Access Hollywood. “You don’t have a helmet on, you’re not running around, it’s just people starring at you wondering what you’re gonna do next. So it was definitely a great experience and I’d definitely do it again.”

Tweeted Manningham: “Never experienced anything like @thegrammys b4 in my life. Look at the pic of me and the legendary Stevie Wonder”

“What an amazing night!!”

Cruz and Manningham sat behind Adele, who ended up winning six Grammys.

As a matter of comparison, ESPN Analyst Damien Woody tweeted, "[the late] Whitney Houston won 6 Grammys in her career ...”

• ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted out a link to SI.com’s Peter King’s Monday Morning QB column.

There is a lot of good stuff in there about quarterback Eli Manning, and the progressions he has had to make during his career.

• Freak of nature defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will not be appearing in TNA Wrestling on Monday night due to exhaustion, according to a FOXSports.com report.

Considering the Giants' 7-7 start this season, GM Jerry Reese may need to tweak things a bit. Do you have any recommendations?

Vote here in our Take 'Em or Trash 'Em poll.

A pair of second-year players stole the show.

While Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning elicited the loudest roars during the celebration at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday, he was closely followed by the ovations for sophomore players Jason Pierre-Paul and Victor Cruz. The fans chanted "JPP" for the defensive end and yelled out "Cruuuuz" for the wide receiver during the pep rally.

"It's New York City, baby," Pierre-Paul said of his ovation.

When the Giants arrived on their elevated stage and the players had been introduced, a video was shown highlighting the season and included plenty of big plays from the pair. It showed Cruz's long touchdowns against the Eagles, Jets and Cowboys, as well as his Super Bowl touchdown, while Pierre-Paul's sacks were shown as well as his game-winning blocked field goal against the Cowboys.

The video reinforced the notion that without those two players, the Giants would not have been crowned champions. Pierre-Paul had 16.5 sacks and was the steadiest player on defense while Cruz was third in the league in receiving yards and had a knack for the big play. His 99-yard touchdown against the Jets potentially saved the season for the Giants.

"It was awesome to experience this in just my second year," Pierre-Paul said. "Man, it's a blessing. We just got to say humble as a team and see what the future holds for us."

After the pep rally ended, Cruz, a native of Paterson, N.J., ran around the stadium and slapped hands with fans to reciprocate the love. It was a special moment for the homegrown receiver who went from being undrafted to becoming one of the top statistical receivers in the league almost overnight.

"It was amazing," Cruz said. "To be from Jersey and to come back and celebrate with the people I grew up with, it's something I always dreamed of doing."

Due to his play this season, Pierre-Paul has been compared to many legendary Giants' defensive players like Lawrence Taylor, but the defensive end wasn't that concerned with those comparisons. He's going to continue to play what he calls great football and is going to continue to be himself.

Only next season, he'll be doing it as a Super Bowl champion.

"Honestly, it didn't hit me until today. We are Super Bowl champions," Pierre-Paul said. "It's an honor to be a part of this organization and to play New York Giant football."

Joe Petruccio, our favorite New York sports artist -- heck, our favorite artist, period -- joins Ralph Kramden, New York's favorite bus driver, as he transports Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin and Victor Cruz to their ticker-tape parade in downtown Manhattan.

We'll share Joe's work with you in this space and elsewhere on the site from time to time. (And if you want more, please let us know!)

Here are links to Joe's journals:

Mets | Knicks | Jets

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Giants won their fourth Super Bowl because of patience, fourth-quarter mettle and, yes, some luck. They caught some huge breaks in their 21-17 win over the Patriots. They also got some help from Bill Belichick, who made a couple of questionable tactical decisions.

Let's break down the Xs and Os, with help from ESPN Stats & Information:

PATIENCE: Belichick was determined not to get beat by the quick strike, so he played Cover-2 most of the game. Instead of forcing the ball into the two-deep zone, which some quarterbacks might do, Eli Manning kept throwing underneath. Eleven of his 30 completions went to tight ends and running backs.

Manning was razor sharp. In fact, he completed 28 of 32 passes on throws under 15 yards. That's not easy to do, especially in the crucible of a championship game. Some quarterbacks (not mentioning any names) can't go 28-for-32 in a seven-on-seven drill.

Also, kudos to offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride for his patience. With the Patriots in Cover-2 for much of the game, the Giants faced seven-man fronts, so Gilbride stayed with the run. Result: The Giants' time of possession was 37:05, compared to 22:55 for the Patriots.

ONE SHOT: Manning waited almost 57 minutes to take his deep shot, and it paid off with one of the great pitches and catches in Super Bowl history -- the 38-yard strike to WR Mario Manningham. But here's the amazing thing about that play: Until that completion, Manning had gone 0-for-9 on passes of 31+ yards to Manningham all season.

They had no chemistry, in large part, because Manningham tends to get sloppy with his routes. He did it earlier in the game, showing no awareness on a similar route and botching what should've been a long completion. But when it matttered most, Manningham turned into Jerry Rice.

KILL BILL: For some reason, the Patriots got away from their no-huddle. Made no sense. In their first two post-season games, they ran 72 plays out of the no-huddle and tore up opponents, especially on the ground. On Sunday night, they used it for only 10 plays -- only three drives, two of which ended in TDs.

The no-huddle would've been a great weapon against the Giants. It would've caused fatigue and would've created matchup advantages for the Patriots, but Belichick made the ill-advised decision to bail on it.

Another Belichick faux pas: He changed his defensive game plan at halftime, going to a 4-3 base in the second half. Not many teams have the versatility to go from 3-4 to 4-3, but here's the deal: It didn't work. They allowed almost twice as many yards out of the 4-3 (6.8 and 3.6 per play) and more than doubled the rushing average (6.4 and 2.5). Belichick outsmarted himself; he should've gone back to the 3-4 to stayed with it.

TIGHT SITUATION: Because of injuries to TEs Travis Beckum and Jake Ballard, the Giants had to adjust their personnel packages. They went to a '20' grouping -- two RBs, 0 TEs, 3 WRs -- in the fourth quarter. Afterward, Gilbride said they hadn't practiced running plays out of the package in four years. Football is all about overcoming adversity and making changes on the fly, and the Giants did that.

Manning was deadly with his three-receiver package in the game, completing 19 or 26 passes for 205 yards, one TD and no interceptions.

LADY LUCK: They might not want to admit it, but the Giants benefitted from some fortunate bounces. RB Ahmad Bradshaw and WR Hakeem Nicks both had fumbles, but they were recovered RG Chris Snee and FB Henry Hynoski, the balls bouncing to them as if controlled by some sort of magnetic force.

There should've been a third fumble, and this one was recovered by the Patriots, but Victor Cruz's fumble was nullified because the Patriots were penalized for having 12 men on the field. It was one of the key plays in the game because, one play later, Cruz scored to make it 9-0.

SPEAKING OF LUCK ...: Manning's 2-yard TD pass to Cruz was one of the weirdest scores you'll ever see. He threw a quick slant to Cruz, who beat S James Ihedigbo out of the slot (can you say 'mismatch'?), but Manning never saw ILB Jerod Mayo.

Mayo read the play perfectly, clogging the passing lane, but he actually read it too well. He over-ran it, and Manning's bullet whizzed behind him. He never adjusted. Touchdown.

CRUNCH TIME: The Giants played their best in the fourth quarter, the Patriots played their worst. Ditto, the quarterbacks: Manning went 10-for-13, 118 yards; Brady 6-for-15, 64 yards. As I wrote last week, Brady's reputation as a clutch QB is overstated. The man is 6-6 in his last 12 post-season games.

In fairness, Brady was victimized by two fourth-quarter drops, as his famous, potty-mouthed wife told the world on video. WR Wes Welker has been one of the most prolific receivers in the game over the last few years, but he cracked under pressure, dropping a wide-open pass with four minutes to play. He picked the worst possible time for his first drop of the year on a pass of 10+ yards. If he had held on at the Giants' 20, it was game, set, match.

THE BRADY HUNCH: The Giants generated pressure on Brady on 30 percent of his dropbacks, actually a better ratio than Super Bowl XLII. For the most part, Brady handled it better than he did in 2008, but he still experienced some hiccups (see the first-quarter intentional grounding/safety).

The Giants packed their coverage into the middle of the field and did a nice job of limiting Brady's effectiveness between the numbers. Not having TE Rob Gronkowski at 100 percent clearly hurt the Patriots, as he played a season-low 73-percent of the snaps and was targeted only three times.

The Giants also took away the deep ball, holding Brady to 0-for-5 on passes of 20+ yards, but that wasn't particularly difficult. The Patriots are a dink-and-dunk passing team, the opposite of the Giants. The Giants stepped outside their comfort zone and adapted; the Patriots didn't.

And that's why they dropped yet another Super Bowl to the Giants.

INDIANAPOLIS -- What to expect from the Giants:

It's here. After two weeks of build-up, the Giants play for their fourth Super Bowl championship. Kickoff is 6:29 p.m.

Long day. The Giants don't have to travel far to Lucas Oil Stadium. In fact, it's only a half-mile from their hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Tom Coughlin opted not to change hotels Saturday night. He did it that way four years ago in Arizona, and he wasn't about mess with something that worked. But it makes for a long day of waiting around.

Storylines. So many. Coughlin and QB Eli Manning could vault into the Hall-of-Fame conversation with a second Super Bowl title ... Manning could surpass his brother, Peyton, who made his reputation in this very city ... Osi Umenyiora and Brandon Jacobs could be playing their final games in Giants uniforms ... Victor Cruz will attempt to salsa his way into America's hearts ... Jason Pierre-Paul called out Tom Brady, and now the pressure is on him to back it up.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Super Bowl XLVI will be a fascinating chess match between two terrific coaches, Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin. Also, there are a number of key matchups and aspects to the game that will swing the outcome.

Let's go inside the game, with help from ESPN Stats & Information:

JUST TACKLE, BABY: It's one of the most fundamental aspects of football -- tackling. But it will be critical in this game because both teams have players that are exceptional in breaking tackles.

In fact, the Patriots' receivers picked up a league-high 922 yards after contact, while the Giants ranked second with 694 yards. We're talking after contact here, not your basic yards-after-catch (YAC).

Most Receiving Yards After Contact, 2011 Regular Season

Rob Gronkowski, NE ..... 290
Victor Cruz, NY ................ 245
Wes Welker , NE ............ 242
Aaron Hernandez, NE .. 231

FRONT FOUR VS. BRADY: The Giants have been relying on their four-man rush more than ever recently, a total of 82 percent in the postseason. Statistically, that's the best way to attack QB Tom Brady. Why? Because it allows you to drop seven defenders into coverage, crowding the middle of the field -- Brady's favorite place to throw. In their last two meetings against Brady, the Giants' four-man rush has been effective.

Brady Facing 4 or Fewer Rushers, Last 2 Meetings vs. Giants

Category ---- SB XLII -- Week 9 2011

Pressure pct .... 73.6 ..... 67.3
Comp-Att ........ 21-35 ... 21-34
Yards ............... 201 ....... 231
TD-Int ............. 1-0 ........ 2-2
Sacks .............. 4 ............. 1

BRADY-UP: One of the underplayed stories this week was the Patriots' no-huddle attack. You can bet Brady & Co. will try to go no-huddle, especially when the Giants go to their "NASCAR" defensive line -- four defensive ends. When Brady sees that pass-rushing alignment, he can go to no-huddle, so the Giants can't substitute, and call a running play against the undersized front.

The Patriots have used no-huddle 73 times this postseason, sparking the running game. The Patriots are averaging 5.6 yards per rush when going no-huddle this postseason, compared to 3.1 yards per rush with a huddle.

Patriots’ Designed Rushing, 2011 Postseason

Cat. --- No Huddle --- Huddle

Rush ........... 27 ......... 28
Yards ........ 150 ........ 88
Yds/Rush ... 5.6 ....... 3.1
1st downs .. 12 ....... 4

NICKEL NIGHTMARE: This will be an enormous key to the game -- the Giants' 3 WRs vs. the Patriots' beleaguered nickel defense. The Patriots' secondary has been a revolving door; 13 players have played at least 100 snaps -- a stunning indication of the upheaval. (By contrast, the Giants have only six players with 100+ snaps.)

Against Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham, the Patriots will have to play a lot of nickel. And, quite frankly, they've been brutal with five DBs.

Patriots Pass Defense with 5+ DBs on Field, 2011 Season

Comp pct ......... 63.3 (25th in NFL)
Yds/att ............. 8.2 (30th)
TD-Int diff ........ +6 (25th)
30+ yd plays .... 17 (T-Last)

BOMBS AWAY: Eli Manning isn't bashful; he likes to throw downfield. In fact, he attempted the most throws of at least 21 air yards in the regular season, completing 42.7 percent of such throws. This would seem to be the ideal opponent for Manning, because no team allowed a higher completion percentage on throws of 21 yards or more than the Patriots.

Look for Manning to target former Rutgers CB Devin McCourty, who's had a disappointing year. As a rookie in 2010, he led the league in defending or intercepting passes of 15+ yards -- a total of 14. This season, his total dropped to six.

Highest Completion Percentage Allowed on Throws 21+ Yards, 2011 Season

Patriots .... 46.4
Chargers ... 44.1
Panthers ... 42.9
Cowboys ... 42.6

INDIANAPOLIS -- What to expect from the Giants:

Work schedule: The Giants return to the University of Indianapolis for their final practice before Super Bowl XLVI. They will concentrate on short yardage, red zone and goal-line work. Friday practices are typically shorter than Wednesday and Thursday. There also will be a short walk-through on Saturday.

Media obligations: The players and assistant coaches are done with the media until after the game. On this day, the spotlight shines on the head coaches. Tom Coughlin will address the media at 9:30 a.m. from a hotel ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.

Storylines: Can RB Ahmad Bradshaw make it three days in a row? Bradshaw (foot) was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but the mere fact he was on the field was a pleasant surprise for the Giants. Coughlin said Thursday he couldn't remember the last time Bradshaw practiced on back-to-back days ... This is the media's fifth straight day of access to Coughlin. Enough is enough ... unless he's willing to offer a guarantee. Right. You'd have a better chance of seeing Madonna and Victor Cruz together on "Dancing with the Stars."

INDIANAPOLIS --Before Victor Cruz, there was Wayne Chrebet.

You're talking about two fantastic underdog stories with distinct similarities: Both wide receivers, both from New Jersey (Cruz from Paterson, Chrebet from Garfield), both from small colleges (UMass and Hofstra, respectively) and both starring for their local teams.

Chrebet got his start in 1995 with the Jets. Now it's Cruz's turn.

"I'm really familiar with him," Cruz said Wednesday. "I've always been intrigued on how he's gotten to where he's gotten. It's definitely a testament to his hard work and everything he's had to battle and go through. He's a guy I look up to. I model myself after some of the things he's done."