'Kudos & Wet Willies,' 2012 Debut Edition

I skipped the 'Kudos & Wet Willies' after the New York Giants' preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguards. After Saturday's 26-3 victory over the New York Jets in the second preseason game, though, it's time for 'K&WW' to make an appearance. Writers have to find their regular-season form, too.

Anyway, lots to like on defense from the Giants on Saturday. Some good individual performances. Some injuries to worry about. And a terrible job trying to run the football. "Kudos & Wet Willies' after the jump.

Kudos to ...

- Lawrence Tynes: He went 4-for-4 on field goals, including kicks from 45 and 40 yards. I watched him kick throughout training camp, and he is striking the ball very well.

- Victor Cruz: Five catches for 51 yards, a double move on which he smoked Darrelle Revis and would have had a big play but Eli Manning's throw drifted out of bounds, and a little swag after taking a big hit from Laron Landry. He was a one-man show while he was in the game.

- Jayron Hosley: A brilliant play on the interception and 77-yard touchdown return. Pray to whatever God you pray to that Hosley does not have a significant foot injuryt. He could be a difference-maker for this team.

[Related: More Reaction At SB Nation New York]

- The Defensive Line: Two sacks and four tackles for Adewale Ojomo (who needed a good showing to stick around), two sacks for Jason Pierre-Paul, one for Matt Broha and a half-sack each for Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Throw in a pair of run stops on thrid-and-one and fourth-and-one, and this was a dominant night for the defensive line.

- Will Hill: Four tackles and a sack for the young safety, trying to fill the Deon Grant role in the Giants' defense. He has done nothing but impress every time he has taken the field this preseason.

- Reuben Randle: A terrific catch on a 49-yard pass from David Carr. That is the kind of play the Giants drafted Randle to make.

- Markus Kuhn: The rookie defensive tackle is a strong guy. He may not know a lot yet, but he certainly knows how to use his strength to push blockers out of the way.

Wet Willies to ...

- The Giants' Running Game: Last in the league a season ago, the Giants showed a little progress in this department against Jacksonville. Against the Jets? Not so much. They ran the ball 32 times for 58 yards, an average of only 1.8 yards per play. It didn't matter who the back was or which linemen were in the game, there was hardly anyplace to run all night. The Giants' longest run of the night was only seven yards. That kind of effort isn't going to cut it, and will end up letting teams tee off on Eli Manning.

- Time Warner Cable: Thanks a lot, TWC! Thanks to you guys I live in an area that STILL does not carry the NFL Network. And for whatever reason, out of the gazillion channels you do offer WCBS 2 out of New York is apparently not one of them. So, I was stuck scrambling around listening on radio while I tried to find an online stream to watch.

- The Jets' Offense: Former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer must be enjoying this. Mark Sanchez? Tim Tebow? It doesn't matter. The Jets can't block, they can't run and they certainly cannot throw the ball down the field.

Here are few more thoughts after Saturday's game ...

Third Wide Receiver Competition

Steps forward by Randle and Jerrel Jernigan here. It was only one catch, but Randle's 49-yard effort was a beautiful grab and the kind of play the Giants need from whoever replaces Mario Manningham. Jernigan had two catches, including a nice 19-yard catch-and-run. Undrafted free agent David Douglas made a terrific leaping catch of a high throw on slant from Ryan Perrilloux for a 23-yard gain. Domenik Hixon made a four-yard gran on fourth-and-one. Ramses Barden? Paging Mr. Barden. Did you know there was a game Saturday night, big fella?

Punt Returns

No Laron Scott sightings. No Jernigan sightings, either. Hosley returned two, though not well. At least, however, he caught them. Randle and Douglas also got opportunities.

Notes

- Fullback Henry Hynoski got a carry, the first of his professional career. He turned it into a first down, getting two yards on a third-and-one. To be honest, I'd like to see the big fullback get a carry once in a while to keep the defense honest.

- Hosley is expected to have tests on his foot Sunday.

[E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com | Follow Big Blue View on Twitter | 'Like' Big Blue View on Facebook.]