New York Giants legend says team ‘went through the motions’ down the stretch

New York Giants Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Victor Cruz opens up about the state of the franchise, and what has to happen to turn things around

The New York Giants are again in reset mode.

New York will begin the 2022 NFL offseason with new leaders at the top with different names with both the GM and Head Coaching gigs, hoping to turn around a franchise that has missed the postseason nine of the past ten seasons and is coming off a wildly disappointing 4-13 campaign.

Some of the franchise’s legends have even noticed how dire the Giants‘ situation has become.

“What you want to see, especially towards the end of the season,” New York Giants Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Victor Cruz said, during an appearance on FanSided’s The Matt Lombardo Show podcast. “Especially on a team that’s only won four games, you want to see a level of passion or opportunistic emotions out there, guys playing for their teams and families. You didn’t see that last week with the Giants. You saw guys just going through the motions, trying to get out unscathed, that’s what left a bad taste in my mouth this year.”

Cruz doesn’t think the New York Giants, or owner John Mara, have forgotten how to win but there has been a combination of injuries and plain bad luck that has cost this team its great misfortunes over recent years. The nonstop rotating of new coaching staffs, players, new cultures trying to mesh into one, and different personalities in the locker room have just not worked out nor turned in a cohesive product.

"“I think they need to take their time to find the right guy for the job this time. I think they just need to figure out where this team is moving forward, what kind of talent do they want to attract here, and who’s the best guy to bring in for the position to bring in said talent, and the guys they want to bring in in order to be competitive and successful” – Cruz on how the Giants can fix their situation"

Cruz said it’s going to require some patience to get the right people in leadership positions and then put together a revamped front office, scouting department, and coaching staff. It may not be easy but it will be necessary to thoroughly check every corner to highlight the NY Giants’ shortcomings.

Cruz also knows the Giants must hit on their new GM, that’s where this whole new process will really begin and end. Cruz said, “When you get your GM, you get your coach, and that’s what’s going to bring it all together and bring this team together. They just need to start a new culture to get these guys on the same page.”

If the NY Giants can find some guys to right the ship at the top, it will be a much better outlook for New York than the current bleak picture portrayed out of 1925 Giants Drive.