Why the New York Giants Need Victor Cruz to Have a Breakout Season in 2014

It was Week 3 in 2011, and New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz caught a pass along the sideline, broke a couple of tackles and shimmied his way 74 yards to the end zone.

The former undrafted free agent absolutely embarrassed three Philadelphia Eagle defenders on the impressive catch-and-run, and in that moment, a star was born.

Cruz went on to score eight more touchdowns that year and played a critical role in a Giants playoff run that ultimately ended with a Super Bowl victory.

A lot has changed since then for the salsa dancer.

In 2013, Cruz had his worst statistical season to date, which included career lows in catches, yards and touchdowns. Not surprisingly, the Giants struggled and missed the playoffs for the second straight season. If the Giants have any hope of returning to the playoffs in 2014, Cruz has to be better.

Why? Let's investigate.

When Cruz burst onto the NFL scene in 2011, he quickly became one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in football. He went over 100 receiving yards eight different times and had at least 90 yards in three other games as well.

What separated Cruz from the pack was his uncanny ability to make big plays down the field—nine of his 24 touchdowns have come on catches of 60-plus yards.

However, what's most impressive about Cruz's game is the timeliness of his catches. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, 10 of his touchdowns have come in the fourth quarter. He's got nine scores that have given the Giants the lead for good. He's also got four more that have tied the game.

In other words, the guy is clutch.

In the past, Cruz has come up big when the Giants needed him most. Not to mention, the Giants are 13-6 when Cruz scores a touchdown and 12-19 when he doesn't. The statistics prove that he's been a major reason for their success.

He is able to completely take over a game with his electrifying playmaking abilities, and his passionate play is contagious.

His impact is felt especially in home games. The crowd feeds off his explosiveness, and his salsa dancing literally sends fans into a frenzy. This type of tangible energy is something that rubs off on the entire team and helps the Giants on both sides of the ball.

And that's what's been missing for New York recently. The explosiveness on offense just isn't there because Cruz hasn't been productive.

Be that as it may, there's a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to Cruz's game.

On top of his unbelievable physical tools, what's made Cruz truly special is his high football IQ. Under former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, the Giants ran an offense in which the wide receivers were often given the option to choose their routes based on how the defense was playing them.

Playing from the slot position, Cruz was very good at exploiting weaknesses in the secondary, and his snap decision-making is what often led to his highlight-reel plays.

Gilbride alluded to his high football intelligence in an interview with Grantland's Chris R. Brown back in 2012.

"He is doing the right things and I am really proud of him and what has taken place because I don't know how fair it was to expect so much. We always knew we had a guy that we knew could do it but you never know if they are going to do it," he said.

Although New York won a Super Bowl under Gilbride, a lot has changed for Cruz and the Giants in the past few seasons.

After going 9-7 and 7-9 in the last two years, respectively, the Giants decided to part ways with Gilbride and his unimaginative play-calling. The organization decided to install a new West Coast-style offense and brought in former Green Bay Packers assistant Ben McAdoo to run it.

The transition on offense hasn't stopped Cruz from being a film-obsessed player. According to The New York Daily News' Gary Myers, as soon as he got word of McAdoo's scheme, he immediately put on game tape and studied up on the greatest NFL wide receiver of all time in Jerry Rice.

Cruz said he got so excited about watching tape of Rice and learning McAdoo's offense that he set lofty goals for himself this season that included going over 100 catches.

It is this type motivation, dedication and passion that illustrates Cruz's mental commitment to the game, even after struggling in the past two years. In fact, this type of leadership is what led to Cruz being named a team captain.

Cruz is the type of veteran that can and should be depended on by other teammates. He knows what it takes to win in the NFL, and he should be able to positively influence the younger and more impressionable players. He can certainly help to build a solid foundation as the Giants continue their transition on offense.

Nevertheless, Cruz's recent play hasn't matched what he's done in the past, and it's showing on the field.

Sporting Charts indicates he's struggled mightily with drops through the first few weeks of the season and even led the NFL in dropped passes with four after Week 2. His three drops against the Arizona Cardinals were without a doubt a contributing factor in the team's loss.

Cruz's case of the butterfingers resulted in a meeting with head coach Tom Coughlin, and something must have clicked with the receiver, as he caught his first touchdown pass of the season last week against the Houston Texans. He also went over a 100 yards on the day.

Oh, and guess what? The Giants won their first game of the year. In case people had forgotten, it had been awhile since Cruz had last found the end zone:

For the Giants to be NFC East contenders, he needs to return to his old self and go back to letting loose and just enjoying football—much like he did last Sunday. In turn, the explosive plays will come and New York's offense will function at a much higher level.

As everyone continues to work on getting acclimated to the new scheme, the Giants are hoping Cruz's performance against the Texans will be the spark that gets him going for good.

If he can get back to his playmaking ways, the Giants should find themselves squarely in the playoff hunt in late December.