"The Giants season was on the brink.

Tom Coughlin's job security was in question and the future of the franchise hung in the balance on Christmas Eve, just four short weeks ago, with the Giants in desperate need of a catalytic moment to save their 2011 season from its maddening inconsistency.

Enter Victor Cruz.

If not for that electric 99-yard catch-and-run touchdown against the Jets on Dec. 24, where would the Giants be today?

Home, probably.

Whenever sports teams author the kind of special season the Giants are inking right now there are always moments that stand out as pivotal turning points — plays of consequence that enable the team to continue on, to survive and advance."