Twice this season Victor Cruz has played a full 60 minutes without getting so much as an attempt to make a catch. In both of those games the Giants have come away with losses.
Victor Cruz would like to know why he’s not getting targets from Eli Manning
Sunday was the second time this season that Cruz didn’t see any passes his way
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
It sure sounds like some post hoc, ergo propter hoc going on here, but after Sunday’s 24-14 loss to the Steelers, Cruz is feeling a little confused as to why he wasn’t targeted, to say the least.
“There’s always opportunities for everybody to get the ball out there and I didn’t get those today,” Cruz told the New York Daily News.
The veteran wideout said somebody needs to give him an answer as to why this keeps happening. The simple and obvious reason is that Cruz is sandwiched between one of the game’s true superstars at any position in Odell Beckham Jr., and a promising rookie in Sterling Shepard — who had his own issues with targets last week.
Cruz went on Good Morning Football Monday and explained his frustration more clearly.
“It’s times where we may stall out within games where I want to contribute and be that person to uplift us to get us going,” Cruz said. “We’ll see how it goes tomorrow when I step into work and have a conversation with coach Mac, which I plan on doing.”
After failing to see any targets in Week 5 at Green Bay, Eli Manning went to Cruz 15 times in the next two games for a total of 86 yards on eight receptions with no touchdowns.
Cruz has shown an ability to provide big plays even when used sparingly. Manning only targeted him three times combined against the Browns and Eagles in back-to-back weeks. He came up with one catch for more than 45 yards in each game, so it’s not like Cruz doesn’t have a point here.
Maybe this was another fluke that Ben McAdoo and Manning will easily explain away. Tuesday’s conversation should provide some more clarity.
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