Eli Manning Video: Watch Hakeem Nicks' 68-Yard Reception Against the Redskins

No Steve Smith? No problem for Eli Manning and the New York Giants. Hakeem Nicks embarrassed the Redskins' secondary, breaking loose and catching a wide-open bomb from Manning and taking it to the two-yard line—a 68-yard grab.

Nicks is a legitimate No. 1 receiver. He's grossly underestimated, but this is a year where he can really establish himself as a player who needs to be accounted for on every play.

The Redskins made the mistake of losing sight of him in coverage. Nicks has the ability to hit that second gear and completely blow past a secondary. That's exactly what happened here, as no defender was within five yards of Nicks.

The Manning-to-Nicks connection involves two excellent players who are grossly underestimated. Manning is a 4,000-yard passer who gets cut down for not being his older brother, and Nicks is a 1,000-yard terror that nobody seems to acknowledge. 

Both proved themselves on this play, as Nicks got wide open and Manning hit him in stride, completing the first of many touchdown passes they will see this season.

This play has to leave the offense feeling great about where they are headed. The Giants are in turmoil and even though they managed to accrue double-digit wins last season, not many people think they have a shot to win the always competitive NFC East.

Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat this season and some are even picking the Redskins to finish better than the Giants this season. The Giants are the most overlooked team in the division, and they have to enjoy being under the radar.

This play doesn't just show off how explosive the underrated Giants offense can be, it also lets the world know that the Giants aren't going to roll over and consider this a lost season.

This isn't the last time Nicks is going to break loose, and Eli Manning has to be pleased with how dominant his favorite target can be without Steve Smith playing opposite him.