Wan’Dale Robinson hoped to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his ACL surgery with a touchdown catch.
He was more than happy to settle for a career-high 115 yards from scrimmage and three big plays that set up three of the Giants’ four scores in a season-saving 24-22 victory against the Packers.
“Knowing where I was a year ago today, it means a lot,” said Robinson, who was on a flight to Los Angeles on Dec. 11, 2022 for the surgery that followed two days later. “Showing all the hard work that was put in and all the people that believed in me to get here.”
After telling The Post this past week that he feels like he recently made significant gains in his “strength, explosion and speed,” Robinson showed it with a 32-yard carry that set up Saquon Barkley’s first touchdown, a 25-yard reception that set up Isaiah Hodgins’ touchdown and a 32-yard catch that set up Randy Bullock’s walk-off 37-yard field goal.
“You definitely feel like you get back in that groove,” Robinson said, “and every time you touch the ball you feel like you are going to make a play.”
Robinson has a clock set to 12:13 — symbolic for his Dec. 13 surgery — tattooed on his right knee.
His legs looked as good as new as he contorted his body for an 11-yard sideline catch that held up against a Packers’ replay challenge, skied for a jump ball on the back end of a flea-flicker pass from Tommy DeVito and sprinted down the field for the biggest play of the winning drive.
“Once we called the play, I knew it was the type of play that would have me isolated one-on-one as long as they were in man coverage,” Robinson said. “I sold it like I was going on an over route. The DB bit on it, broke back out to the sideline and I was wide open. DeVito gave me a great ball.”
The Giants seemed to emphasize the 5-foot-8 Robinson more than normal.
“He’s a little guy, but he’s got f—–g heart,” safety Xavier McKinney said. “The heart of a lion. It’s not surprising to see what he does out there because you see the same every day in practice.”
Normally tight-lipped head coach Brian Daboll might have tipped his hand this past week when he said that he was “very encouraged” by Robinson’s progress and he was “healing up even a little bit better” over the last couple weeks.
Robinson made his season debut in Week 3 and credited Daboll, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and receivers coach Mike Groh for showing patience with his recovery.
“In the beginning of this week,” Robinson said, “I told Dabes, Kafka and Coach Groh that I feel back, my knee feels back, so whatever they throw at me, I’ll be ready for it and everything should look a little bit better than it had been.”
It sure did.
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