He turned down the invitation to be on Dancing with the Stars, but New York Giants wide receiver extraordinaire Victor Cruz could not pass up an invitation to take his salsa dancing skills to Broadway. Fresh off his stellar performance (10 catches, 142 yards) in the 20-17 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Cruz shuffled his feet at the Modell's Times Square location to the delight of a crowd of Giants fans. He talked about the origin of his touchdown celebration, how exhausted he was after the team clinched the NFC Championship and being part of his very first Super Bowl. Oh, he also gave an example of the dance he hopes to display at some point during the game that will take place February 5th in Indianapolis.

Because high school and college rules prohibited end zone celebrations, Victor Cruz had to wait until he made it to the pros to express his excitement after scoring a touchdown. He caught everyone's attention when he hauled in 3 touchdown passes against the Jets in the 2010 pre-season game. Ironically, he didn't get his salsa on after any of the catches. A hamstring injury sidelined him for the rest of that year. When Steve Smith signed with rival and division foe Philadelphia the following season, Cruz was given another chance to display his talents. The Eagles were the first team to see his moves after he splits two of its defensive backs and scampered 74 yards for the touchdown. The Salsa Shuffle was born.

"My grandmother said I should do a dance when I score a touchdown." He wasn't quite sure if she would like It. "Once I got her approval, I had to keep it." It has taken the city and the NFL by storm.

With the rainy and windy conditions facing both teams in the championship game, it was a little surprising that the Giants offense would put the ball in the air as much as they did. Victor Cruz was Eli Manning's favorite target in the first half. They connected on 8 passes for 125 yards but you could tell he was wearing down as the game went on. He only caught 2 passes for 16 yards in the second half, dragging himself off the turf as the game went on. "I was exhausted," he said. The exhaustion faded the minute Lawrence Tynes 31-yard field goal sailed through the uprights sending the team to the ultimate game. Cruz was seen jumping up and down euphoric in his celebration.

Victor Cruz and his Salsa Shuffle was not part of the New York Giants when they beat the New England Patriots in 2008. He was part of the team that beat them last year when the Patriots were undefeated. Cruz will make it a point to talk to members of that 2008 squad to find out what the next 2 weeks will be all about.

"Come Thursday I will ask guys and get their take on it. How they feel about the game and how they are going to handle everything."

They say familiarity breeds contempt. That said, Cruz doesn't know which team has the advantage given they have played each other as often as they have over the last couple of years.

"We've seen each other a lot. We're very familiar with each other. They understand us well and we understand them well. It's going to come down to who makes the most plays."

Victor Cruz is hoping to do his Salsa Shuffle for the first time this postseason on the biggest stage and the biggest game of his career.

East Rutherford, NJ - The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants were coming off their opening night loss against the Dallas Cowboys in a game that seemed like it took place last year. Big Blue faced a surprising Tampa Bay Bucs team that was coming off an impressive Week 1 win over the Carolina-led quarterback, Cam Newton. It was a homecoming of sorts for former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano who has a history with the Giants, the team he rooted for while growing up in North Jersey.

Tampa Bay wanted to set the tone right from the start as it decided to let its defense take the field after winning the coin toss. The move backfired as Eli Manning connected on 2 passes to Hakim Nicks for 48 yards leading to a Lawrence Tynes 37-yard field goal. The Bucs bounced right back with a field goal of their own as quarterback Josh Freeman completed a 41-yard pass to wide receiver Vince Jackson. It began a first half that saw Freeman lead Tampa Bay to a 24-13 lead as their defense picked off Manning three times. The last pick returned 60 yards by Eric Wright. Manning committing the cardinal sin for a QB looking directly to the receiver he was trying to connect with.

Not helping matters were injuries to David Diehl, (knee) Domenik Hixon (concussion) and Ahmad Bradshaw (neck).

Said head coach Tom Coughlin about losing three key players on the offense, "it puts you in a state for a while where you're trying to settle down. It happened so quick. You gotta give people credit. People really did step forward and play very, very well under the circumstances and gave us a chance to win."

When the Bucs extended the lead 27-13 it looked like the Super Bowl Champions would start the year losing their first two games. New York crept within eight after two more Tynes field goals (36, 38) ending the third and starting the 4th quarter. Like the game against Dallas, they could not get in the end zone the two times they were within the Tampa Bay 20. Then, just like he did all of last year, Manning engineered a 4th quarter comeback leading to a 41-34 victory.

Down 27-19, Manning finds Victor (Salsa) Cruz down the right side for an 80-yard touchdown catch and run. Cruz played with a heavy heart losing his grandmother earlier in the week. His customary Salsa Dance in the end zone had a special meaning.

"Right as I was done, I kind of looked up and held my hands up to her, letting her know that one was for her," he would say after.

Manning did not stop there and the defense, sparked after safety Kenny Phillips blasted Vince Jackson on a pass attempt over the middle, got the offense the back quickly.

The Giants took the lead (34-27) when Manning marched them downfield as tight end Martellus Bennett came up big catching 2 passes for 47 yards. The last, a 33-yard touchdown grab. The lead was short-lived as the Bucs tied the game on a spectacular catch by wide receiver Mike Williams. With Tampa's QB Josh Freeman in the no-huddle, shotgun offense, he hauls a pass to the end zone in the left corner. Williams jumps over cornerback Justin Tryon and brings down the 41-yard touchdown. With 1:48 left and staring at the potential of overtime, Manning made sure that would not happen.

Eighty yards away did not deter Manning and the offense. In order, Manning hits Ramses Barden for 24 yards. Hakeem Nicks was next catching a 50 yarder to the Bucs 11. Andre Brown scampers down to the 2-yard line, falling down before crossing the end zone in order to keep the clock running. The Bucs allowed Brown to score on the next play giving the Giants the lead but also giving the Bucs one more chance to score with 31 seconds left. It almost happened.

Freeman, who finished his day throwing for more than 240 and two touchdowns, finds Jackson again for 19 yards. Williams strikes again, making what looked like a completed pass that would have given the Bucs the ball on the Giants 16. The play was reversed and ruled incomplete and Freeman's next pass was picked off by linebacker Michael Boley ending the game.

It was a tale of two halves for the entire team. Three Manning interceptions led to a 24-13 deficit as the defense struggled. Then, sparked by the Phillips blast, the whole team woke up. Manning finished throwing for 510 yards the second most in Giants history. Nicks and Cruz caught a combined 378 yards. All this after losing three important parts of the offense.

Said Coughlin: "the first half was very disappointing. A lesser group of men I think would have had trouble. I'm just happy to be one and one."

East Rutherford, NJ - They were not going to let it happen two weeks in a row. The New York Giants were in the same situation against the surprising Buffalo Bills (the real New York State team) that they were in against the Seattle Seahawks last week. This time, instead of turning the ball over in their last possession, the Giants put the winning points on the board, courtesy of a Lawrence Tynes 23-yard field goal with just over a minute left in the game. Still, like they did last week, the Giants once again made a crucial mistake with a chance to put 6 points on the board before the winning kick.

Last week, in their last drive that would have given them a lead over Seattle, they got called for a false start at the 5-yard line. Eli Manning would then force a pass to Victor Cruz and the pass tips off his hand and gets returned for a touchdown. Sunday at the 17-yard line, tackle Stacy Andrews gets for a false start. This time, they decide to keep the play calling simple, leading to the winning score.

The Giants put the first points on the board the second time the offense took the field. Starting on their own 31, Manning (21-32, 292 yards and no turnovers) leads them to a 9 play, 69-yard drive ending in a 1-yard touch down run (the first of 3) by Ahmad Bradshaw. He would finish his day with 104 yards on 26 carries, his first 100-yard day this year. With Brandon Jacobs missing his second straight game with a sore knee, the Buffalo defense keyed on Bradshaw but the offensive line did a good job of opening holes. Said Bradshaw, "I'm very proud of our offensive line. The front did a great job for me to push it in on the goal line."

The Bills didn't waste any time showing everyone why they are one of the top teams in the AFC. They scored quickly on their next 2 possessions in a big way. First, Fred Jackson rumbles 80 yards tying the game at 7. The last couple of yards, he stumbles, but the Giants defense could not bring him down. Then, at their own 40, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick connects with Naaman Roosevelt for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Both plays took less than 3 minutes. It could have set the tone for the defense for the rest of the day, but Big Blue tightened up the rest of the day. Said head coach Tom Coughlin, "we had a couple of lapses on defense with the big plays. But we settled in there."

New York took a brief 3 point halftime lead (17-14) after Tynes' second field goal and Bradshaw's second touchdown run, but the Bills sent the teams to the locker room tied at 17 after a Rian Lindell long 49-yard field goal. Buffalo out-gained the Giants in the running game 125 to 46 but Fitzpatrick only threw for 99 yards. The Giants defense had to make adjustments while the offense needed to open up the running game. They did both in the second half.

The Giants took a 7 point lead (24-17) midway of the third quarter as the tandem of Manning and tight end Jake Ballard continue to click. In the 10 play, 75-yard drive, they connect on passes totaling 31 yards. It ends in Bradshaw's last touchdown of the day. Ballard finished his day with 5 catches for 81 yards. Said Ballard of the chemistry between the two, "you do what Eli expects of you to do and you're going to get the ball." With Fitzpatrick moving the ball from their own 41, he looks for Stevie Johnson deep down the left sideline. Corey Webster steps in front for the interception (his first of the day) returning the ball to the Bills 48. Looking like they would put more points on the board, Tynes attempts a 51-yard field goal that gets blocked. The lead would stand up until the fourth quarter as the defense did not give up any points in the third.

Buffalo would not go away quietly. They came from behind trailing New England by 21 points so it surprised nobody when Fitzpatrick moves them 51 yards in 11 plays after the block as Johnson catches a 9-yard touchdown pass. Webster would then pick off his second pass of the day as Fitzpatrick tested him again looking for Johnson on another deep pass to the left side. Not only did Webster snatch the pass but as he is returning the pick, Johnson gets called for a 15-yard face mask penalty. The Giants begin their game-winning drive on their own 27. A beaming Webster talked about his defense. "We didn't start off well early on giving up the two big plays. Other than that, we kept on fighting and ultimately we got the 'W'."

The New York Giants have the luxury of a bye week hoping they can get healthy on both sides of the ball. Jacobs' knee is a real source of concern. Justin Tuck is still battling neck and groin problems. First-round draft pick Prince Amukamara ran last week and might be ready when they face the Dolphins at home October 30th. Wearing a Yankee cap, Ballard said it best when asked how important it was to win going into the bye week. "It's huge. If we had lost this game, we would have had to wait two weeks to play again."

Upon Further Review: New York Giants take a beating from Dallas Cowboys; Take a bite of Humble Pie, and more thoughts

Bronx, NY - Let's begin with the Super Bowl Champion New York (Football) Giants opening the 2012 season against the hated Dallas Cowboys home at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants didn't do much to quiet the critics who said that winning the Vince Lombardi trophy last year was a fluke. The defense, after keeping 'Boys quarterback Tony Romo in check the first half, never laid a finger on him in the second half in the 24-17 loss. Making matters worse, they allowed DeMarco Murray to gain 131 yards on 20 carries. Forty-eight on a run that saw both Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck fail to bring him down in the backfield.

Offensively, last year's wide receiver sensation Victor (Salsa) Cruz uncharacteristically drops 3 passes that would have been first downs, trying to make plays before catching the ball and turning it upfield. Naturally, folks are saying he has succumbed to the "Helium Head Syndrome" after an offseason of appearing in everything from the Grammy Awards to every Red Carpet event celebrating his breakout season. To his credit, Cruz owned up to his mistakes.

"They were just drops," he said after the game. "A couple of them were me leaving before I caught the ball."

It was a game Big Blue needed to win because it was at home against a division rival. Head coach Tom Coughlin thought the team needed to taste a slice of humble pie.

"Take a bite out of humble pie," he told his team afterward. "It brings you right back down to earth."

Coughlin if anything, always keeps it real. Let's see how the Giants bounce back Sunday against a Tampa Bay team who looked impressive in its win against Carolina...

So who says you have to score in the pre-season? The New York Jets added a new offensive coordinator in Tony Sparano and backup quarterback Tim Tebow then proceeded to score only 1 touchdown in its four pre-season games. Mark Sanchez did not get the first unit in the end zone and Tebow was never used in the "wildcat" offense so teams would not know how to defend against him when he entered the game. None of that mattered when Gang Green took the field against the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon on a sun-drenched day at MetLife Stadium.

Sanchez, in his best performance as a Jets, threw for 266 yards and three touchdowns as they routed Buffalo 48-28. First-round draft pick, wide receiver Stephen Hill hauled in 2 of the touchdowns and momentarily quieted critics. Hill, who had a case of the drops during the pre-season was confident coming into the game.

"I just kept working hard," he said afterward.

Jeremy Kerley not only caught a touchdown pass but returned a punt 68 yards extending the lead to 21-0. The running game wasn't spectacular but Shonn Greene did manage 94 yards on 27 carries. More impressive was the offensive line who didn't let Sanchez touch the turf the entire game. They allowed him the time in the pocket to find the open receivers.

Defensively, aside from miscues in the second half, they pestered Ryan Fitzpatrick all day as they picked him off 3 times (Antonio Cromartie taking one to the house) as they got off to a 27-7 first-half lead. Tim Tebow, the talk of the town, was a relatively non-factor in the game running for only 11 yards on 5 carries. He attempted no passes. Eight times from the wildcat formation, he handed the ball off three times. At one point, Jets fans serenaded him with boos after he gained no yards when they were on the Bills 12-yard line. He claimed he didn't hear the reaction.

Yeah, right.

Head coach Rex Ryan, who almost got blasted on the sideline by Bills tight end Scott Chandler was downright giddy after the game.

"Obviously a tremendous performance by our football team," he said. I couldn't be happier for our football team."

The Bills were a pushover for Gang Green but rest assured the Pittsburgh Steelers won't be when the Jets visit them Sunday afternoon. The Steelers will be going into the game with a chip on their shoulders after losing Sunday night to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos...

Quick Hits: Speaking of Manning, he didn't look like the quarterback that hadn't played a game all of last year as he threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns (completing 19 of 26 passes) in 31-19 victory over the Steelers. Peyton kept the frenzied Pittsburgh defense at bay when he went to the no-huddle offense in the second quarter. Manning guided them to four scores (3 touchdowns and a field goal) in their last 4 times with the ball. Not bad for a guy missing a year and coming off 4 neck surgeries...

Five rookie quarterbacks made their debut in Sunday's contest and 4 of them played like it. Manning's replacement in Indianapolis, Andrew Luck, did throw for 309 yards and a touchdown but also got picked off 3 times in his team's 41-21 loss to Chicago...Miami's Ryan Tannehill had 6 of the worst minutes a QB can have throwing 3 int's in losing to the Texans 30-10...Cleveland Brandon Weedon tossed 4 int's in his team's 17-16 loss to the Eagles while Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was not as bad. Wilson did complete 18 of 34 passes (only 153 yards, however) in their 20-16 loss to Arizona. Wilson was picked off one time and threw for 1 touchdown...RG III showed why he was not only the Heisman Trophy winner but the #1 draft pick as he led the Redskins to a surprising 40-32 victory over the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans. Robert Griffin the 3rd, passed for 320 yards completing 19 of 26 passes and 2 touchdowns and no ints. RG III completed his first eight passes and showed poise unlike a rookie when he found wide receiver Pierre Garcon for an 88-yard touchdown strike just before getting blasted by Malcolm Jenkins who blitzed on the play. It tied the second longest scoring pass by a rookie QB starting his first game...Week 1 is in the books. The Redskins, 49ers, Jets, Bears, Denver, New England, Texans, Atlanta, and Ravens put it on their opponents while the Eagles struggled and the Bills, Miami, Kansas City, Cincinnati looked awful.

Green Bay and the Giants didn't look much better. Let's see which teams bounce back in week 2!

East Rutherford, NJ - With major areas in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut still under ruins due to Hurricane Sandy, the New York Giants wanted to give temporary relief to their fans when they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. After beating the Dallas Cowboys last week to improve to 6-2 (2-2 in the division) Big Blue wanted to start the second half of the season on a good note knowing that under head coach Tom Coughlin they have played 64 second half games losing 37 of them. In the first eight games under Coughlin during those years, they played 72 games winning a stunning 53. So what team would show to face a Steelers team making its first appearance at the Met-O-Lands?

The Giants second half struggles seemed to continue at the start as they couldn't generate anything offensively. When it looked like they were ready to make a move, Eli Manning threw his customary interception into double coverage.

Manning had moved the team from its own 16 to the 41-yard line before trying to get the pass to Victor (Salsa) Cruz. The Steelers would take advantage of the turnover as QB Ben Roethlisberger marched them down using 11 plays, 58 yards ending in a 4 yards touchdown pass to wide receiver Emanuel Sanders.

The Giants would then go on an eight play drive going 62 yards ending in a 1-yard touchdown run by Andre Brown. The drive was aided by a pass interference penalty by Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis. With the ball on the second-yard line, Manning tries to thread the needle to Cruz which falls incomplete. However, Cruz is hit late by safety Ryan Clark giving the Giants first and goal. Cruz laid on the turf with bruised ribs, left the game on his own power before returning the next time New York had possession.

New York took its first lead of the game (14-7) as the defense, possibly spurred on by the Cruz late hit, forced a Roethlisberger turnover. At the Giants 32, Big Ben goes back to pass and is hit by Osi Umenyora. Linebacker Michael Boley picks up the fumble and scrambles 71 yards for the score. Pittsburgh would add three more right before the half after New York's Lawrence Tynes missed a 51-yard field goal. Roethlisberger completed two passes totaling 47 yards setting up the Shaun Suisham 30-yard field goal cutting the lead to four (14-10).

The Steelers looked like they were going to strike at the start of the third quarter when Chris Rainey returned the kick-off 68 yards to the Giants 35 yard line. They would gain only one yard on the drive as Justin Tuck came up with his second sack of the game forcing them to punt. They extended the lead to seven (17-10) after Manning hits tight end Martelllus Bennett for 33-yards. It sets up a Tynes 50-yard field goal.

Roethlisberger then had a Manning moment of his own resulting in an interception. Giants cornerback Corey Webster steps in front of Mike Wallace to pick off the pass, leading to Tynes' second field goal of the day (23 yards) to put them up 20-10. That lead was short-lived in a very fast way as Roethlisberger, from the shotgun hits Wallace on a quick pass and he turns on the afterburners.

Fifty-one yards later, he's in the end zone bringing the Steelers within three (20-17). The Giants gave Pittsburgh the ball back failing to get a first down on their next possession and looked to tie or retake the lead. With the ball on the Giants third-yard line, Pittsburgh sets up for a game-tying field. Instead, they fake it as holder Drew Butler flips the ball behind to Suisham who is tackled for a one-yard loss. Another New York three and out gave Pittsburgh another opportunity to take the lead and this time they didn't waste it.

The Steelers began on their own 49 with 8:55 left looking to atone for their earlier miscue. Roethlisberger uses a combination of runs (35 yards) and passes (29 yards) to move them downfield before Isaac Redman runs it in from one yard for the game-winning score. With 4:53 left and Manning's recent history, the Giants were once again thinking about a last-minute victory. Unfortunately, it would not be as Manning (10-24, 125 yards) could not pull it off as once again like the previous possessions of the last quarter they could not convert a first down. With all that, the Giants were still in the position to get another shot if they could get the ball back as they had all 3 timeouts left. Pittsburgh had the ball with 2:55 needing one first down to come away with the win. The Giants used two of their timeouts stopping the Steelers has the only gained one yard. That's when Roethlisberger finds Redman once again for 16 yards. Game over.

It was an emotional day for the Giants, knowing they were playing in front of fans, many of them who would leave the stadium to return to no heat, hot water or electricity. Big Blue wanted to send them home on a good note.

Said head coach Tom Coughlin afterward, "what we were trying to do was give them a few hours of enjoyment in a very, very difficult time. To let them know we understood the mass difficulties that were facing our neighbors. That many, many people were fighting to survive. I hope the message came through we were trying."

They came up short.

New York Giants finally get a win; Victor Cruz may return; and Brooklyn Nets' Boss going to training camp

In this episode of What's The 411Sports recorded on September 28, 2015, the panel of host, Naomi Grey and correspondents Gregory Alcala and Keisha Wilson are talking about the week's MLB, NFL, and NBA sporting events. They are particularly talking about the New York Mets, the New York Jets, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks.

Players under discussion include: Matt Harvey; Yoenis Cespedes; Eric Decker; Odell Beckham Jr.; Ryan Fitzpatrick; Victor Cruz; Eli Manning; Geno Smith; DeMarco Murray; Deron Williams; Jarrett Jack; Robin Lopez; Carmelo Anthony; Jonathan Papelbon and more.

Owners, managers, and coaches under discussion include: Mikhail Prokhorov; Sandy Alderson; Phil Jackson; Tom Coughlin; Chip Kelly; and Lionel Hollins.

What’s Poppin’

The New York Jets beat the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night, 20-7 and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, 21-17.

The New York Giants claimed their first win of the season, beating the Washington NFL team, 32-21 and Head Coach, Tom Coughlin expressed that WR Victor Cruz could make his season debut next week against the Buffalo Bills.

At the end of the 2012-2013 Season, the Philadelphia Eagles fired longtime coach Andy Reid after his team won a paltry four games. When the Philadelphia Eagles hired Chip Kelly as their new head coach, he was a breath of fresh air. He was going to bring about new changes and a high powered offense. He achieved success on the collegiate level with his style of offense and some questioned whether or not his system would translate to the professional level. Is Chip Kelly, a boom or bust?

Under The Radar

Mikhail Prokhorov Goes to Training Camp

This boss ain’t playing around. Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, took to twitter to announce that he will be joining the Nets in Durham, NC at Duke.

Laura Herington Bucking the System

Laura Herington, a former dancer for the Milwaukee Bucks, is suing the team for prolific wage abuse.

On The Bench

On The Bench: Jonathan Papelbon

Washington Nationals pitcher, Jonathan Papelbon, was suspended for three games and fined by Major League Baseball for throwing a pitch at Baltimore Oriole Manny Machado. The pitch aimed at Machado is believed to be in retaliation after Machado hit a two-run home run off Papelbon two innings prior. Papelbon has filed an appeal of the punishment and is permitted to play until the ruling of the appeal is determined.