Victor Cruz Tears Patellar Tendon, Likely Done For Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Giants' passing attack suffered a huge blow Sunday night.
Victor Cruz went down after a leaping attempt at a fourth-and-6 pass with the Giants trailing the Philadelphia Eagles 20-0 in the third quarter. He immediately grabbed his knee and was crying with his face in his hands as he was carted off the field.
The wide receiver tore the patellar tendon in his right knee, the Giants announced.
"Huge loss," head coach Tom Coughlin said after the 27-0 loss. "It wasn't a good situation, a grim scene."
The injury is expected to end Cruz's season.
Torn patella tendon for Victor Cruz. Done for year. Per Howard Cross on WFAN.
— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) October 13, 2014
"It was tough to say anything to him," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. "I went there and patted him on the shoulder, but he was in some pain. Anything I would have said, he wouldn't have heard me."
The Giants said Cruz will return to New Jersey on Monday after spending the night at a Philadelphia hospital.
"Extremely tough," safety Antrel Rolle said. "He's just down there screaming. That's your brother down there on the floor."
Rehab is lengthy for patella tendon repair. Minimum 6 weeks to even bend knee. Start run at 6 months. Long road. 2015 season. #victorcruz
— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) October 13, 2014
Without the popular Pro Bowler, the offense will be forced to lean on receivers Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham Jr.
"It's the nature of this game, but it's even tougher when that's the guy ... that I modeled my game after," Beckham said. "To see him go down, it touches my heart."
"I know they already expect big things from me," the first-round pick added. "But with Vic going down, I just have to play bigger."
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