Giants Can't Use Victor Cruz's Injury as an Excuse

Eli Manning is more famous, Tom Coughlin wields more power, but there might not be a more popular person within the New York Giants organization than wide receiver Victor Cruz. 

Cruz is also a Pro Bowler who would be coming off three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons if he hadn't fallen two yards short of that mark despite missing two games in 2013. And with an average annual salary of $8.6 million, he's the second highest-paid player on the team. 

He's the salsa dancer with the bright smile, the guy you see in national spots for Gillette, Nike and Pepsi. He's become a brand himself, and his name and face have become embedded in the world of pop culture. As a result, he's one of those rare NFL players who have broken into the mainstream domain.

And now, he's out for the remainder of the season—and possibly a lot longer—due to a torn right patellar tendon. 

Because Cruz has become such a household name and is such a key contributor to this offense, the Giants officially have a built-in excuse in the event that they miss the playoffs for the fifth time in six years.

In years past, there have been injuries and tough breaks. But combine a shaky offensive line, injuries on defense and growing pains related to installing a new offense with this back-breaking injury to Cruz, and you've got justification for a poor season. 

The Giants simply can't allow that to happen. 

They could throw in the towel right now and be off the hook with most fans. Sunday, they have to travel to Dallas to play the hottest team in the league. If they lose to the Cowboys—again, nobody would blame 'em considering the Cruz injury as well as the fact they were swept by Dallas last season—they'd fall 3.5 games back of first-place Dallas and 2.5 games back of second-place Philadelphia in the NFC East. 

Beyond that, they've got three straight matchups with 2013 playoff teams Indianapolis, Seattle and San Francisco. The Seahawks undoubtedly have one of the best secondaries in the league; the 49ers rank second in the NFL, both against the pass and overall. The Colts have won four straight overall. 

How do you compete with those types of teams when your most accomplished receiver has 88 catches and only 10 career starts?

Receiver	Starts	REC	YDS	TD
Rueben Randle	10	88	1156	11
Odell Beckham	2	6	72	1
Corey Washington	0	0	0	0
Preston Parker	3	55	754	3
Kevin Ogletree	4	78	999	6

Randle was a second-round pick in 2012. He's got the pedigree to become a No. 1 receiver, but his route running has been criticized and he's been far from consistent. Beckham was a first-round pick this year, but he missed all of training camp, the preseason and the first month of the regular season due to a balky hamstring. Parker's been in the league nearly half a decade but had never started a game until this season. Washington has 24 career snaps on his resume. Ogletree has been on the roster less than 72 hours.

But this is why Coughlin is considered to be one of the greatest coaches of this era. And this is why Manning is part of the future Hall of Fame conversation with two Super Bowl MVPs in his back pocket. 

Those two have to find a way to not only survive, but excel without Cruz. Coughlin has to keep this team motivated, which has always been his forte, and Manning has to be good enough to adapt and make this work.

Good quarterbacks have succeeded in good offenses despite a lack of "good" receivers. Andrew Luck and the Colts were able to stay competitive after losing top receiver Reggie Wayne at about the exact same point last season, and Tom Brady and the Patriots won 12 games despite having to rely on dudes named Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson last year. 

This division is still winnable, and elite quarterbacks have done more with less. So Manning still has to be held accountable if the ship sinks again. 

If the Giants miss the playoffs yet again, Cruz won't be the sole reason. Top-caliber teams get past the loss of key players, just as the 2013 AFC champion Broncos did when All-Pros Von Miller and Ryan Clady went down. 

Manning has the ability to overcome this obstacle, as does this team. The key now is for the Giants to use this as a rallying point rather than rationalization for another failed campaign. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon