EAST RUTHERFORD, N. Tim Anderson Jersey .J. -- New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz has shed the protective boot hes been sporting, and expects to play in the regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys Sept. 8. "Feeling good," Cruz said Tuesday, a day after the boot came off his injured left foot. "Its been better, feels a lot better, a lot of the swelling has gone down. Obviously, looking forward to better days coming." Cruz was sidelined more than a week after hurting his heel in a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts Aug. 18. He jumped to catch a pass from Eli Manning on the opening series and a defender landed on his foot. Two days later, he used crutches to walk to the podium with his foot in a boot. Cruz missed the third preseason game, vs. the Jets, and will also skip Thursdays exhibition finale at New England. He hopes to practice Monday and play the following weekend. "Absolutely. I knew initially that it was just a small bump in the road and that I just needed some time off to get some down time off the boot and off the foot and get things going the right way," Cruz said. "Dallas was definitely a target date for me and I knew that I had to be ready. I still have some time to recuperate. It feels even better." The only pain he has is getting out of bed. "Theres swelling in the morning when I first put my foot down, thats about it," the Paterson, N.J., native said. "Other than that, once I get it going and get it warmed up, it seems to loosen up a little bit and feel better. We still want to take it easy and take it one day at a time." Cruz is still getting treatment on the foot, including an exercise where he has to pick up marbles with his feet. Cruz has led the Giants in receiving the past two seasons, catching a combined 168 passes for 2,628 yards and 19 touchdowns. He scored one of the two touchdowns the offence has generated this preseason. The offence will improve, Cruz insists. "With the amount of reps that we get, its hard to develop a rhythm," he said. "We just need to get it going a little bit and I think our balance isnt there yet; our balance of running the ball and passing it. Slowly but surely, well get that back. Days of practice and getting everybody back out there, I think that will help us. "But I think we just need to build some fluidity within the offence." ---- NOTES: Coach Tom Coughlin said his first team will play up to 15 plays against the Patriots. ... James Brewer will start at left guard with Kevin Boothe moving to centre in the new alignment on the offensive line. ... DE Jason Pierre-Paul took some snaps on Tuesday, one day after coming off the physically unable to perform list. ... Rookie DE Damontre Moore returned to practice for the first time since hurting a shoulder in the preseason opener. Early Wynn Jersey . Louis, MO (SportsNetwork. Luis Aparicio Jersey . They find themselves trying to knock each other out in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Blackhawks prevailed last year on their way to the Stanley Cup, and they have the early lead this time after taking the opener, 3-1. http://www.whitesoxteamshop.com/White-Sox-Harold-Baines-Kids-Jersey/ . -- Two nights after losing to the Eastern Conferences worst team, the Phoenix Coyotes handled the best.NEW YORK -- Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh lost an appeal of the $100,000 fine against him, taking a financial hit for a block below the belt. Suhs agent, Roosevelt Barnes, told The Associated Press he was notified Friday of the appeal officers decision. The six-figure fine was the largest in NFL history for on-field conduct, not including money lost by players due to suspensions. It surpassed the $87,500 Chicago Bears linebacker Bryan Cox was docked in 1996 for making an obscene gesture to a line judge and screaming obscenities. Suh was fined for a sixth time in his four-year career on Sept. 10, two days after making an illegal block on Vikings centre John Sullivan. He apologized to Sullivan, and to teammates for negating an interception return for a touchdown in Detroits season-opening win. A third-party arbitrator heard Suhs appeal two-plus weeks ago. "Were disappointed that Ndamukong was fined at all and that it wasnt reduced," Barnes told The AP in a telephone interview Friday. "It is clear from the film, when you slow it down frame by frame, that Ndamukong was clearly in front of the player and that his head and shoulder, when he started off blocking him, were above the players waist. But because Ndamukong left his feet, he was going to hit the ground and was going to get tangled on the lower part of the players body." Detroit drafted Suh out of Nebraska with the No. 2 overall pick in 2010. His reputation for playing with a nasty streak started in his first season when he had an NFL-high five personal fouls. As a rookie, he was fined $7,500, for a roughing-the-passer penalty on Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme in a preseason game; $5,000 for attempting to gain leverage on a New York Jets player; and $15,000, for an unnecessary roughness penalty for a hit that referee Ed Hochuli called "an unnecessary non-football act," on Chicago qquarterback Jay Cutler. Yoan Moncada Jersey. The next season, he seemed to cement that poor reputation. He was docked $20,000 for slamming Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton after he had released the ball in a preseason game. And he lost $165,294 in pay during a two-game suspension for stomping on the right arm of Green Bays Evan Dietrich-Smith in a nationally televised game on Thanksgiving. Suh ended his season with four personal fouls, tied for sixth in the league. In Detroits last showcase game on Thanksgiving, Suh was fined $30,000 for a kick to the groin of Houston quarterback Matt Schaub after tumbling to the ground on a pass rush. Since returning from the suspension in 2011, though, Suh has seemed to clean up his act a bit. During a 20-game span that started after his stomp and ended in Week 1 of this season, he had been called for two personal fouls while 42 NFL players were called for more, according to STATS. He was tied for 105th in the league with one personal foul penalty last year, and was one of 41 players flagged for a person foul in Week 1 this season. Suh has said he refuses to change his tough style, adding he plans to play "hard, blue-collar football." He is having one of his best seasons for the Lions, who play at Cleveland on Sunday in a matchup of 3-2 teams. He has 2 1/2 sacks, 17 tackles and a forced fumble in five games this year. Even when Suh doesnt make a play that shows up in the box score, he often pushes the pocket on passing plays and takes on two blockers when teams run against the Lions. And with a five-year contract worth up to $68 million, he can afford to pay the fines that have been levied against him. "I guess the NFL is still trying to send a message with this fine," Barnes said. "I just hope this doesnt hurt his chances of being the defensive player of the year because hes playing like one this season." Cheap Denver Nuggets Jerseys Cheap Minnesota Timberwolves Jerseys Cheap Oklahoma City Thunder Jerseys Cheap Portland Trail Blazers Jerseys Cheap Utah Jazz Jerseys Cheap Los Angeles Clippers Jerseys Cheap Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys Cheap Phoenix Suns Jerseys Cheap Sacramento Kings Jerseys Cheap Dallas Mavericks Jerseys Cheap Houston Rockets Jerseys Cheap Memphis Grizzlies Jerseys Cheap New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys Cheap San Antonio Spurs Jerseys Cheap Golden State Warriors Jerseys ' ' '