The New York Giants are expecting to get back Victor Cruz in Week 4, as the wide receiver has announced that he is healthy enough to return against the Bills. The Giants have been looking to get Cruz on the field with Odell Beckham and Rueben Randle for Eli Manning this season and now it looks like that will happen on Sunday.
Cruz has not practiced much with the team while dealing with a calf injury suffered in the preseason, but all reports have him back in Week 4 for the Giants. According to Pro Football Talk, Cruz announced in a video on Bleacher Report that his "return is here" and that he is ready to play in Week 4 against the Bills. Cruz is coming back from a serious knee injury and he reportedly has made good progress from that torn patellar tendon, but he has not been able to test it in game action yet.
Cruz was set to play against the Bengals in the preseason for the Giants, but he suffered the calf injury just before that game and was held out. The Giants were expected to be cautious with Cruz after his knee injury and the calf injury was a perfect excise to bring him back slowly. Cruz has been running on grass and has started working out and he could be back in practice this week for the team. The Giants have wanted to get OBJ and Cruz on the field together again, as they only had them together last season for around 60 snaps before Cruz was injured.
The injury may have helped spark Beckham to have an amazing season since he became the d facto number one after Cruz went down, but the Giant surely would love to have both players active this week. Cruz mentioned Beckham by name in his video and once he is back in the mix, it could open things up even more for the Giants offense. Cruz may need some time to get his rhythm back, but he is a solid fantasy option for the team as long as he remains healthy.
Cruz had 23 catches last season in six games before getting injured and now he hopes to pick up where he left off with the Giants. Beckham comes in after having another strong game against the Redskins on Thursday and that helped the Giants get their first win of the season. The Giants have some optimism moving forward, as the Cowboys lost Sunday and are playing without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant and that could put the division up for grabs. The Redskins, Eagles and Giants are all 1-2 to start the season.
The Giants got Rueben Randle more involved in the offense in Week 3 and that also could be very big with Cruz coming back. Rundle had seven catches for 116 yards and a touchdown against Washington and if the Giants can go three deep again at receiver, the offense could be very productive with Eli Manning. Manning has been up and down this season, but he has yet to throw an interception in three games.