Ray Lucas got the word Friday night. He would be starting at quarterback against the Giants last night in what would be his first NFL start of any kind.

“When they called my name in the tunnel, I almost started crying,” Lucas said after solidifying himself a roster spot with a splendid all-around performance that included a spotless job at quarterback and a solid effort on special teams. “That was the first time for me ever to run out of the tunnel with my name called. It was unbelievable.”

Lucas’ start, which encompassed the opening drive of the game, sparked an emotionally charged 16-10 Jet victory over the Giants last night before 65,225 at Giants Stadium.

It also spurred Curtis Martin and the Jets’ sputtering running game with Martin ravaging the Giants’ defense with 127 yards and two TDs on seven first-half carries.

Facing immense pressure to make the team and prove to Parcells he can be depended upon as a backup QB, Lucas responded, performing as consistently well in as sustained a performance as he’s ever had at quarterback, leading the Jets to an opening-drive touchdown.

First Lucas, completing 4-of-4 passes for 26 yards, engineered a Jets’ scoring drive that went 77 yards on 13 plays and ate 8:07 off the game clock. It was capped by a nine-yard Martin scoring run for a 6-0 Jets’ lead (the John Hall PAT was wide right).

Just before Martin’s first of two scoring runs, though, Lucas saw his career flash before his eyes when he and RB Jerald Sowell fumbled the ball on a play-action fake. Lucas and Giants’ DE Michael Strahan dove for the ball and Lucas desperately wrestled the ball away.

“When I saw the ball laying there I was like, ‘If you don’t get it, just run right through the tunnel,’ because I’m supposed to be taking care of the ball,” Lucas said. “There was no way I was coming off the field without that ball. If [Strahan] took it to the sideline, I would have run over there and tackled him.

“I definitely had to have that ball more than he had to have it.”

When Lucas arrived back to the sideline after the TD, Parcells gave him a high five and Lucas was mobbed with congratulatory pats on the back from his teammates.

Then, without a moment to catch his breath after the scoring drive, Lucas trotted onto the field and ran the right wing on the Jets’ kickoff coverage team and made the tackle of the Giants’ Sean Bennett on the ensuing kickoff.

“I think [Parcells] was telling me, that basically this was my last chance to play the position,” Lucas said of his start.

“I wanted to put him with good [first-string] people, give him a chance, and I thought he did a heck of a job,” Parcells said.

“Ray did fantastic,” said Vinny Testaverde, who was 9-of-15 for 94 yards. “I told him I was proud of him.”

Though Lucas has clearly won a roster spot, Parcells said “it’s not over,” referring to who’s the clear-cut No. 2 QB.

Newcomer Rick Mirer got in late in the game, completing 1-of-2 passes for 14 yards and will surely get a more extended opportunity in Friday’s pre-season finale against the Vikings at Giants Stadium.

As solid as Lucas was, Martin was the star of the game, sealing the Jets’ second pre-season victory in three games this summer with an 80-yard scoring run in the second quarter to give the Jets a 16-7 lead.

“It gives you hope,” Martin said of his longest run as a professional. “It inspires you. As a running back, you need to have those games where you do the things you think you’re capable of doing. This game, I felt like myself.”

He, too, felt inspired for Lucas. Martin said he had no idea Lucas was starting until before the game.

“I saw the No. 6 up there [on the starting lineup card] and I thought to myself, ‘They forgot to put the one in there [for Testaverde’s No. 16],’ ” Martin said. “When I got onto the field, I said, “Ray, you starting?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘OK, let’s go do it.'”

That’s exactly what Lucas and the Jets did, finally giving Parcells something to be satisfied about after a week of snarling following the Jets’ lethargic performance against the Eagles.

“This is the kind of game that helps us for the season,” Parcells said. “We played much better overall. Obviously we ran the ball better. That was certainly the best performance we’ve had.”