Hakeem Nicks Injury: Giants' Victor Cruz Will Step Up Admirably If Nicks Misses Time

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

If New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks ends up missing any time because of another injury it's going to be a huge blow to the Giants offense.

That being said, as good as Nicks is, perhaps the Giants depth at wide receiver could fill in during the meantime.

Nicks was looking good for most of today's game against the Miami Dolphins, but hurt himself near the end of the fourth.

Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com reports more on the injury:

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks will undergo an MRI on Monday and may get X-rays taken as well after straining his right hamstring late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 20-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins, he told reporters after the game.
"It was late in the game, but I don't remember which play it was," Nicks said. "It felt like a cramp that didn't go anywhere in one spot in my hamstring, but we'll see how it feels in the morning."

The Giants can ill-afford to be without Nicks, their best playmaking threat in the passing game, for any significant period of time. The 23-year-old finished with six catches for 67 yards before leaving Sunday's game with about two minutes remaining in the fourth. He did not return.

The bad news for Giants fans is that hamstring injuries have a tendency to linger. The good news is, they have just the guy to fill in for Nicks if he indeed does miss any time.

Wide receiver Victor Cruz has come out of nowhere in 2011, and many expected him to be a very good No. 3 receiver with both Manningham and Nicks healthy and in the lineup.

He's been more than a role player so far though, with 28 catches for 497 yards and four touchdowns.

In fact, it was Cruz's touchdown in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter that allowed the Giants to barely squeak by the desperate Miami Dolphins.

Perhaps Cruz is more than just a good No. 3 option...

Either way, if Nicks is out for any amount of time the Giants should feel pretty good about his replacement.