EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- was posing for pictures in the locker room Friday night, as sure Joe Pavelski Kids Jersey a sign as any that things are slowly getting back to normal for the . There wasn't much that anybody would want a souvenir of this preseason from the ' offense, and certainly not a mood light enough to smilingly indulge it, despite the most misleading 4-0 record in history. There have been misfires and protection breakdowns and punt after punt. Cruz and the were never as panicky as those on the outside, but it was clear that their frustration with a new offense they were struggling to adopt was wearing on them. This week, though, with the regular season beginning to bear down and the game planning for the first time for their annual game against the , Cruz saw the first sliver of a breakthrough. "You see plays that happen, you see us kind of clicking on certain days and some days you don't," Cruz said. "This week I felt an efficiency that was there. We were able to make some things happen and it carried over." All because of one drive. The progre s came slowly, haltingly. A few completions and then a near-mi s pick six from . Another pa s, and then a fumble after the right side of the offensive line collapsed. The first five drives ended in punts. This was a microcosm of the ' offense this summer, as it has hobbled and sometimes stumbled into its West Coast future. The scouts for future opponents who watched the on Friday night could only smile when it was noted that the offense had looked terrible so far. But finally in a over the , the got the drive they were Nicolas Meloche Women Jersey looking for, the one they needed to soothe their nerves and energize their hopes. It was in a two-minute drill -- what else, for Manning -- for 91 yards and if it wasn't exactly a thing of beauty it was easily the best one of the preseason. Manning was bailed out of a poor decision to throw the ball as he was running toward the sideline by the ' stepping out of bounds, to negate an interception. But he also whipped two pa ses to Cruz -- he finally got his first preseason reception Friday night -- that seemed to send a me sage to his critics that he is not done quite yet. And then Manning bought some time with some stutter steps, as curled from the back of the end zone to the front for the reception. Eleven plays. Manning's first touchdown pa s of the summer. One sigh of relief. "We needed that and we needed it in a bad way," Cruz said. "I wasn't concerned. I knew once we found it we would lock it in. It was just a matter of being comfortable, Eli being comfortable, the offensive line getting into a rhythm as well." There has been a lot of concern about the ' comfort level with Ben McAdoo's offense. It is the first time in his pro career that Manning has had to learn a new offense, and that is no easy thing. Just before the won their most recent after the 2011 season, Eli's brother Peyton said in an interview Brent Burns Women Jersey that much of their succe s could be explained by continuity -- the brothers had not changed offensive systems, allowing them to hone their games and discover the nuances unencumbered by ever starting over. But last year's offensive meltdown forced Eli and the out of their comfort zones, and they have looked out of sorts ever since. Coach 's frustration had become palpable, especially in recent Brandon Mashinter Women Jersey days, but the burden that that one drive lifted was obvious Friday night. "The last drive of the first half -- it was very welcome," Coughlin said. "It gave us the idea we could move the ball. I think it was progre s." Still, it seems clear that progre s is going to come in fits and starts, particularly because the ' offensive line remains very much unsettled and continues to struggle with pa s protection. The get-the-ball-out-faster ethos of the West Coast offense should help with that, in theory, but Manning was sacked twice and pre sured and hit more by the ' blitzing defense. Coughlin joked that Manning had re-established his reputation for toughne s after the drilling he took, but of course nobody is laughing about it now. When called off his blitz late in the first half, Manning went to work against the ' shaky secondary. The had shuffled offensive line personnel last week during practice, and Coughlin had indicated he wasn't sure he had the starting five he wanted. He probably still doesn't, especially now that left guard is out for with a dislocated toe. "We did eventually move the ball," Coughlin said. "For the most part people got a little bit better tonight." Coughlin said he will probably play his starters for a drive or two in their Thursday Joe Thornton Women Jersey against the , and certainly the need to keep the rhythm going until the open the season on "Monday Night Football" against the is behind his thinking. It was just one drive, after all, and the want to remember what it felt like. "It was fun to get something going," Manning said. "We've been good at two-minute drives here in the past. It's good to know we still have that." Follow Judy Battista on Twitter .