CINCINNATI — The Giants got Hakeem Nicks going yesterday. But they couldn’t say the same about Victor Cruz.
Cruz was a non-factor for the third straight game, an alarming development for the big-play receiver. Cruz made just three catches for 26 yards in the Bengals’ 31-13 beating of his Giants, and also dropped what should have been a 38-yard touchdown pass.
Since delivering the game-winning 77-yard score against the Redskins in Week 7, Cruz’s production has disappeared. He caught just two passes for 23 yards against the Cowboys in Week 8, improved to five catches for 67 yards against the Steelers last week, then did little yesterday.
Cruz was not even targeted yesterday for the first 27:14 of the game. Finally, with 2:46 to go in the first half, he caught an 8-yard pass from Eli Manning on the first ball thrown his way.
What was going on?
“Couldn’t tell you,” Cruz said, denying he was frustrated. “I’ve just got to keep plugging away. I understand that I’m going to get my opportunities whenever they come and just keep playing football.”
Cruz was only targeted four times the entire game, and his main opportunity came on the first play of the fourth quarter. He was open down the middle of the field but dropped Manning’s should-have-been TD pass.
“I just took my eye off it the last minute,” he said. “I should have brought it in, but it didn’t happen.”
Cruz, who celebrated his 26th birthday yesterday, was off to a brilliant start in the season’s first seven games, racking up 50 catches for 627 yards and seven touchdowns, and was on pace for 114 catches, 1,433 yards and 16 scores.
The last three weeks, though, the totals have been just 10 receptions, 116 yards and zero scores. He has been shut down, much like the Giants’ entire offense.
“Just a little subpar from what we’re used to,” Cruz said. “I don’t know how to explain it. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what’s wrong.”