Victor Cruz has torn patellar tendon

ByDan Graziano ESPN logo
Monday, October 13, 2014

PHILADELPHIA --New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz was carted off the field, sobbing, with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during the third quarter of a27-0 lossto the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.

Down 20-0 at halftime, the Giants elected to try for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the Eagles' 3-yard line.

Cruz got open in the back-right corner of the end zone, and Eli Manning lofted a pass Cruz got his hands on. But as he leaped for the ball, Cruz's right leg appeared to twist. As the ball tipped off his hands, he immediately reached for his right knee while still in midair.

The pass fell incomplete, and Cruz crumpled to the ground in obvious pain.

Players from both teams surrounded him while team trainers attended to him, and he was loaded onto a cart and taken off the field.

Cruz could be seen sobbing, with his face in his hands, while sitting with a trainer on the cart.

The injury could mean a larger role in the offense for rookie receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

But since the Giants are in three-receiver sets an overwhelming majority of the time and Beckham was already in on those, they'd likely need someone such asPreston Parker or Julian Talley to step up as well.

It was the second significant injury of the game for the Giants, who lost starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to back spasms in the first half.

Earlier this season, Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne suffered a torn patellar tendon, and he is out for the season.

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