Sinorice Moss claims he
wasn't breathing any easier after he came down
with the ball on a 46-yard pass from Anthony
Wright against the Lions on Thursday. If anything,
he was probably breathing heavily after sprinting
down the field and leaping to make the catch.
"It's a sigh of relief just to be in the game and make
some big plays for this team," Moss said. "That's what
I'm supposed to do. That's why they put me out there."
And that's why the Giants traded up to draft him in the
second round in 2006. Between then and Thursday, Moss
hadn't made any of those big plays he's supposed to
make. In fact, before he streaked past cornerback
Dovonte Edwards in Detroit, Moss' longest catch in a
Giants uniform was a 20-yarder with a little more than
five minutes to play in last year's blowout loss to the
Vikings.
So three years into an injury-riddled NFL career,
players are still talking about Moss' untapped
potential.
"What he did," Wright said of the catch, "was an
example of some of the things he can do."
Moss had better continue doing all of those things
because there's some serious competition at his
position. In addition to Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer
and Steve Smith, there's David Tyree and rookie Mario
Manningham. Plus, Domenik Hixon, claimed off waivers
early last season, has had an excellent camp so far,
while Brandon London, last year's undrafted free agent
and practice-squad member, is much improved.
Heck, even Craphonso Thorpe, who was the last receiver
added to the roster before camp, caught the team's only
touchdown against Detroit. Undrafted free agent D.J.
Hall has had a quiet camp. That's 10 guys for six
spots, which means Moss isn't a lock to make the team.
Even if Thorpe and London are cut, there's still the
question of whether or not the team would cut Tyree,
the Super Bowl hero who's still on the physically
unable to perform list with a knee injury. If Tyree can
get healthy before the start of the regular season, he
would force the Giants to make a very difficult
decision: cut one more player or keep an extra receiver
and risk being dangerously thin at another position.
But Moss can't worry about numbers right now. He just
has to keep making plays and gaining confidence.
"It was encouraging to know I'm making progress," Moss
said of his catch. "And when the opportunity comes
again, try to go up there and make a play again."
Moss made Thursday's play with speed and tremendous
leaping ability, which helps compensate for his 5-8
frame. After running past Edwards, who was inside Moss
and started with his back to him, Moss looked back and
saw the ball coming his way. He then sneaked a peek at
safety Greg Blue closing in on the play from his spot
in the middle of the field.
Moss then turned back to the ball to see it wasn't
sailing as far as it should have.
"Slightly underthrown," he said with a smile. "But hey,
things happen. When the ball is up in the air, you have
to go up and get it."
Not only that, but Moss had to then stick out the
bottom part of his body while leaping to shield Edwards
from the ball. Edwards had closed the gap when Moss
slowed down to compensate for the underthrown pass.
(Edwards unwisely reached up with both hands for an
interception instead of knocking the ball away with
one).
It was reminiscent of a play Moss made early in camp
when he had to adjust to catch a ball from Eli Manning
that didn't have as much on it as it should have.
"He held off the defender a little bit by jumping up to
catch the ball," Wright said. "It was a good job by him
to do what he did."
Oh, and then Moss had to hold onto the ball while
getting drilled by Blue as he came down. Moss'
reaction? No trash talk, no finger pointing and no
signaling first down. Just an underhanded spiral flip
to the official and a walk back to the huddle.
Yesterday he was just as nonchalant about the catch.
"It's my job, man. I'm really not impressed with it,"
he said. "That's what I'm supposed to do, actually.
It's really behind me now. That was the other night.
I'm not worried about that right now. I have to press
on for this week and get ready for next week's game."
Moss has always been pretty understated, but he seems
to have become even more composed after the struggles
of his first few seasons. It was only two years ago he
missed almost all of camp and much of the regular
season with a quadriceps injury that just wouldn't
heal. Last year he hurt his hamstring late in the
season and was a healthy member of the inactives for
the postseason.
Now, it's Manningham who's been sidelined with an
equally mysterious quad injury. Though Manningham is
his competition, Moss has been there to give him
advice.
"I spoke to him because it's tough," Moss said. "To
know he has a similar injury that I had when I first
got here, that's tough, man. It's going to be hard for
him. He just has to keep fighting through it every day
and rehab so he can get himself back."
(nj.com)