Fansided

Giants hope Victor Cruz can play on Saturday

By Matt Verderame

Sep 15, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) smiles before the game against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 15, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) smiles before the game against the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Giants are confident Victor Cruz will play on Saturday.

New York has not made the playoffs since winning Super Bowl XLVI to conclude the 2011 season. After firing head coach Tom Coughlin this offseason before signing a litany of high-priced free agents, the Giants are showing both desperation and confidence in their current roster.

For the team to win, though, health is at a premium. There was good news on that front Thursday, when head coach Ben McAdoo stated wide receiver Victor Cruz will likely play on Saturday against the New York Jets. Cruz has been sidelined throughout preseason during his elongated return from a torn patellar tendon sustained in Oct. 2014.

Cruz would be a huge addition to the Giants if he can return. In 2011 and 2012, Cruz was one of the most dynamic players in the league, racking up more than 2,600 receiving yard sin that span. In 2013, Cruz played in 14 games and amassed 998 yards with four touchdowns. Since that time, Cruz has only appeared in six games and none since his gruesome injury against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cruz would certainly be the second-option in the passing game behind Odell Beckham Jr. He will also have competition with rookie Sterling Shepard, a second-round pick out of the University of Oklahoma. Shepard has been getting rave reviews throughout the preseason and could be starting opposite Beckham if Cruz can’t come back.

New York is facing a critical year under first-time head coach Ben McAdoo. The Giants are aging at quarterback with Eli Manning entering his 13th NFL season. At this stage of his career, Manning might only have a few more good campaigns left in him.

The giants open up the season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 11. It will be the first of many important NFC East clashes this season in both a wide-open and intriguing division.

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