Palladino: Giants Can't Afford To Be Sentimental About Victor Cruz's Injury

By Ernie Palladino
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The Giants will have to wait a long time to see Victor Cruz salsa in the end zone again. In fact, if a worst-case scenario plays out, the next rhythmic step the wide receiver takes might be in the role of an ex-football player on "Dancing with the Stars."

Fingers crossed that it doesn't come to that. With a little bit of luck, the able hands of team orthopedist Dr. Russell Warren were able to stitch that torn right patella tendon back in a fashion that will allow Cruz to recover his full range of motion and continue his storybook career next season. That's what his teammates are hoping, as Cruz is one of the most well-liked players in the locker room.

But they also know that sentimentality at this point won't help anyone. Cruz faces at least six-to-nine months of intensive recovery and rehab. His teammates have serious stuff of their own going on. So soon -- if not already -- Cruz's situation will become a case of out of sight, out of mind, as it does with any injured player in the NFL.

He's not there anymore. The Giants have a schedule to play.

Unlike their MetLife Stadium co-tenants, Cruz's 3-3 teammates find themselves much alive in the division race. Unlike the Jets, the Giants have little time on their hands to wallow over the loss of a No. 1 receiver, much less get into Geno Smith-like fights with the media or waste breath on shallow praise for a general manager who left an entire cornerback position barren through the offseason.

The Giants have real business to attend to, and it's pretty big stuff. They must figure out how to beat division-rival Dallas, on the Cowboys' field, after the Eagles tore them up in every way imaginable. And, believe it or not, finding Cruz's replacement doesn't even top this week's list of priorities.

Fixing an offensive line that allowed six sacks of Eli Manning and eight sacks total does. Remember, the Eagles' defense doesn't play at the same tempo as their machine-gun offense, simply because it's the opposing quarterback who dictates the time between plays. Still, the line broke down across the board.

John Jerry, Weston Richburg and Will Beatty all took a fair beating from perennial terror Trent Cole and Connor Barwin, the latter of whom had three sacks. With seven sacks on the year and ranked 26th in that category, the Cowboys don't present anywhere near the pass-rush that the second-ranked Eagles do. So unless last week's experience totally destroyed the offensive front's collective psyche, Manning should have some time in the pocket.

Now comes wide receiver. No bueno.

The New York Daily News reported on Tuesday that the Giants might be interested in trading for Bills receiver Mike Williams. That would be a hard deal, however, considering the Giants would have to shell out nearly $6 million for the contract plus a draft pick to satisfy the Bills' compensation demands. And once he's here, one wonders how he'd fit in with Tom Coughlin's rules, considering the career-long issues he's had in Tampa Bay and Buffalo with the law and locker-room discipline.

Add to that his sparse targeting in Buffalo -- he was a healthy inactive Sunday and has just eight catches for 142 yards on the season -- and Williams does not come off as the perfect roster replacement.

Even at that, the situation isn't hopeless. Rueben Randle has upped his game this year, and with Odell Beckham Jr. showing top-flight ability the two starting spots look solid enough. It's the three- and four-wide formations that present the problems. Those belong to Preston Parker and the unused Corey Washington at the moment, and they have to be considered huge question marks.

The tight ends should become major weapons in the middle area where Cruz made his living. Larry Donnell has proven he can run a good seam pattern and catch and score. Daniel Fells has eight catches for 78 yards and three TDs.

Nothing the Giants do will create an ideal replacement plan for Cruz, who had turned into a unit leader, but the offense must work with what it has as it shrinks weekly. It has yet to see veteran guard Geoff Schwartz. Running back Rashad Jennings and his MCL strain remain several games away from a return.

Now it's Cruz, with a crucial part of the schedule coming up. After the bye next week, the Giants host Indianapolis, travel to Seattle and then host San Francisco and Dallas.

Whatever mourning they have done for the fallen pass catcher ended with the off-day on Tuesday.

From here on, it has to be out of sight, out of mind.

Immediate affairs preclude sentimentality over a much-loved comrade.

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