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Victor Cruz "feels great" after staying healthy against the New York Jets

Victor Cruz reflects on his return to football for the first time since the middle of the 2014 season.

Victor Cruz before Saturday's game.
Victor Cruz before Saturday's game.
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants fans have been waiting for this moment ever since Victor Cruz suffered his torn patellar tendon injury in 2014. After going through a number of setbacks for the entire 2015 season, Cruz finally saw live game action on Saturday night against the New York Jets. After being away from the game for so long, Cruz could not be any happier with his results.

"It felt great, man, just to be with my teammates and put this 80 jersey back on and to get the love of the crowd and the people again and go out there and be in position to make a few plays as well. It was a great feeling," Cruz said.

Cruz was targeted twice. The first time was on a deep route where the ball was underthrown and nearly intercepted. Cruz, though, had beaten his defender. He caught a 4-yard pass from Eli Manning early in the third quarter.

"It felt like old times," Cruz said. "I caught the ball in the flat and tried to make something happen, but I got to feel a little bit of contact, which was a great feeling."

Manning was happy to see Cruz back on the field.

"It is good to get Victor back out there in some live action," Manning said. "He had worked hard to get back to this point, so I am happy for him and we will keep working, get on the same page and hopefully connect some more."

Just as important as the reception was the fact that Cruz was able to take a hit from a defending player. When asked on what he hoped to accomplish on Saturday night, unsurprisingly Cruz stated that his health was the top priority.

"Just to come out here healthy and be in the position to make some plays and catch the football and just come out and feel healthy and feel good about myself," Cruz said.

While Cruz did not make a big splash, this was a positive step for both him and the Giants.