On Sunday, Victor Cruz showed Giants’ fans what they had been waiting an eternity to see again, the Salsa dance! But more importantly, his first touchdown reception in a regular season game since the 2014 season.
Victor Cruz is Back For Real This Time
After appearing on the sidelines and in commercial after commercial alongside Odell Beckham Jr, Victor Cruz finally got to play opposite his explosive third-year teammate. A duo fans knew would be well worth the wait,and was just a little bit overdue.
Cruz’s speed and ability to get open is something fans started to get used to ever since his 2011 breakout season. Having that ability on both sides of the ball, with the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014, the offense was sure to be high scoring. But once Beckham was finally healthy enough to play, Cruz went down early in the 2014 season, never to return that season or the next. All the attention fell to Beckham after some exceptional catches he was able to make, while constantly remaining a factor in every game.
The questions lingered about Cruz, whether he would ever be healthy enough to return, or remain on the Giants roster long enough for that return. As the 2016 season began on Sunday, Cruz was finally ready and did not hold back bringing in 4 receptions, 34 yards, a touchdown, and finally his salsa dance. This Giants’ team is a little different from the last time Cruz suited up; Beckham is in his third season, hoping to break more records, and another rookie with a bright future, Sterling Shepard, is making a name for himself as well.
Under a new head coach, what we hoped to be an improved run game, and four targets, it is hard to say what kind of season Cruz is in store for this season. The best coverage will likely be on Beckham each week and may leave Cruz more open for some of the big plays, but this time, there are other targets that Eli Manning may go after instead.
However, it is important to note that there does not seem to be any chemistry lost between Manning and Cruz, so he will likely still be a trusted option for Manning each week. His best season so far, Cruz accumulated 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns in 2012. Comparable to Beckham last season when he put up 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns. Neither player may be put up those kinds of numbers this season when sharing the field, and with the addition of Shepard, but fans can expect a powerful showing from this offense.
The only concern for Cruz might be his injury history. There still has to be some caution taken and worry for Cruz coming off almost two full seasons of injuries. Playing against some tough defenses this year, particularly coming from the AFC North, those injuries may need to be watched more than ever against the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cincinnati Bengals, who tend to play a pretty tough defensive game.
However, now that Cruz got week one under his belt, he likely has his confidence built back up and can focus on helping lead the Giants to a winning season and playoff run.
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