ARLINGTON, Texas — Victor Cruz broke free in the end zone and was wide open for the go-ahead touchdown pass from Eli Manning.

Everybody knew what was coming next for the New York Giants receiver: the salsa.

And it wasn’t so much his trademark dance that brought back the joy after his first game, and first touchdown, in nearly two years. Just being out there was almost enough for the 29-year-old, who missed most of 2014 with a knee injury and all of last year with a bad calf.

Then he scored what ended up being the game-winner in the fourth quarter of a 20-19 season-opening victory against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

“You could sense everyone having me in their prayers, pushing for me, excited for me to get dressed and be out there for Game 1,” Cruz said. “And to score a touchdown, you just couldn’t make up a story any better than that.”

The last time Cruz was on the field in a game that counted, he crumpled to the ground in pain diving for a throw from Manning on Oct. 12, 2014, at Philadelphia. He was carried off that day with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.

But he said that didn’t occur to him as he celebrated with teammates after his first TD since Week 3 in 2014 — his only score that season.

“Just to overcome so much, man,” he said. “Just to be able to get to this moment. A lot of people go through it and don’t get through it, don’t get this opportunity to claim what they once were or they once had.”

Odell Beckham Jr. blossomed into a star receiver while Cruz worked to get himself ready to play again.