‘Bill’ of health: Cruz finally has his debut date

For weeks, Tom Coughlin did not offer updates about Victor Cruz because there wasn’t much to update. Cruz was working through a strained calf, he was doing some things in the pool. He was not running. There was no timetable for his return.

Now there is. Coughlin relayed he received word from the Giants’ medical staff that the plan is for Cruz to make his 2015 debut in game No. 4, Oct. 4 in Buffalo.

“That’s what we’ve been told,’’ Coughlin said Friday.

The Giants are off all weekend, but Cruz will spend the time running and testing his left calf. He also is coming off surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, but he was on schedule with that grueling recovery when the calf issue forced him to miss the first three games.

“He’s improving and we’re hoping,’’ Coughlin said. “He’s running. He’ll be running all weekend, and we’re hoping that there’s nothing but straight ahead positives in all his activities, and we’ll see next week if we can get him on the practice field.’’

The Giants got their first win without five starters: Ereck Flowers, Dominique RodgersCromartie, Robert

Ayers, Markus Kuhn and Cruz. All five could be available to face the Bills. RodgersCromartie sat out against the Redskins with a concussion, but Coughlin said, “He is going to be fine.’’

Jon Beason was in for 28 of the 77 defensive snaps in his first game of the season coming off a sprained knee.

“It’s definitely sore, nothing that I didn’t anticipate,’’ he said. “I was able to finish up, and that was the thing I wanted to do more than anything, make sure I finished the game.’’

Beason did not have a tackle and was admittedly rusty.

“Going into it, I just wanted to be where I was supposed to be and make sure from an assignment standpoint I was consistent,’’ he said. “I would love to be more active, make more plays, just be more of a factor that way but I did my job, I gave good effort and I didn’t feel winded. For the most part, I think it’s a great step forward.’’ Beason’s replacement, rookie Uani’

Unga, was in for 48 snaps and led the team with nine tackles, also notching his second interception in three games. He could be earning playing time even if Beason returns to full health.

“They’re both outstanding players and we need them both,’’ Coughlin said.

Fullback Nikita Whitlock played 14 plays on offense, 20 on special teams and was used for nine plays at defensive tackle, displaying a spin move and hitting Kirk Cousins once on a pass rush.

“He’s legitimate,’’ Coughlin said of Whitlock, a standout defensive lineman at Wake Forest.