Victor Cruz: Giants hopeful WR Cruz can practice next week

In a game where the Giants need all hands on deck it is good to get Cruz back. Cruz still has not gone through a real National Football League practice since injuring a calf muscle in mid-August.

Cruz worked on the side during the practice, and a better gauge will be provided when the team holds a more extensive workout on Wednesday. He ruptured his right patella tendon on October. 12 in a game against the Eagles and missed the final 10 games of last season. “I guess all the progress and treatment I’ve done in here is kind of paying off a little bit”.

Head coach Tom Coughlin said Cruz has to get through a week of practice, “and if he practices and practices well, he’ll be a big lift”‘.

Giants receiver Rueben Randle finally broke out with seven catches for 116 yards and a score in a win over the Washington Redskins Thursday night, but he has been wildly inconsistent and often looks out of sync with Eli Manning.

“I think the training staff wants me to pace it”, Cruz said, “to not go zero to 100, and kind of go incremental through the week to get myself ready to play”. He said he will, but admitted it might be a more emotional moment than in the past. “Other guys feel that energy and that passion and that’s a good thing”. In theory the combination of Odell Beckham Jr. and Cruz would be the most potent combination in the NFL. The Bills have the second worse pass defense in terms of yards per game, with only the Giants behind them.

The first time Cruz victimized Ryan, the then-Jets coach was just simply impressed, joining the rest of the world in wondering how this unknown kid from UMass, by way of Paterson, managed to run all over his defense. “It’s very encouraging to have guys that have been through things, an injury like his, to be out there, it’s a positive for morale for the team, and also for making plays and winning”.

The Giants are now in a good place to contend for a spot in the playoffs, according to CBSSports.com’s Jared Dubin. “If they want me to come in on third down situations or however they want to get me involved, I just want to go in there, be myself, catch everything, run after the catch and just play well”. It’s definitely going to be a fun game. “We know that it’s a long season and we have to stay consistent throughout the season, but I’m excited to come back individually and join my team and join my teammates, and be that explosive player that I can be”. But we’ll see; it’s definitely going to be an emotional game.

Coughlin said Tuesday’s release of WR Preston Parker was not an immediate reflection of how close Cruz is to returning to game action, but all signs are pointing to Buffalo.