His fumble in overtime set up the Carolina Panthers to beat the New York Giants in Week 10, but running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. received words of encouragement from fellow rookie Malik Nabers.
The dynamic wide receiver spoke to reporters after the Giants finished on the wrong end of a 20-17 scoreline against the struggling Panthers in Munich, Germany. Nabers revealed he told Tracy, “that play doesn’t define you. That one play doesn’t lose us the game,” per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos.
Tracy needed the pep talk after his critical mistake denied the Giants the chance to drive for the winning score at the Allianz Arena. The Panthers quickly capitalised courtesy of Eddy Pineiro’s 36-yard game-winning field goal.
To compound the pain, Tracy lost the ball because of a former Giant. Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson punched it loose to underline how much he’s been missed by Big Blue’s faltering defense.
As for Tracy, he was left counting the cost of a key turnover that overshadowed another fine rushing effort from the fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. Dealing With ‘Hard’ Moment
Tracy admitted “it’s hard” to deal with his costly error. The 166th player selected this year explained, “I play with passion, I feel like you can see it on the field. I have a lot of energy and I hold myself to a high standard, per Giants Videos.
Going into further detail about his emotional reaction, Tracy explained, “I hold myself to a high standard, so when that happened, all of my emotions kinda just came out of me at that moment.”
This was a frank and mature assessment from a first-year player dealing with being the focus of attention for all the wrong reasons. The way Tracy spoke is proof the 24-year-old can bounce back stronger.
Frankly, the Giants need him to because Tracy is fast becoming the only thing working on an otherwise inept offense. It doesn’t help the Giants are struggling to involve Nabers enough.
Malik Nabers Endured Tough Day in Germany
He had been a reason for optimism, but Nabers’ numbers have been declining since he came back from a concussion-enforced absence. Play-calling has been an issue, with Giants head coach Brian Daboll increasingly leaning on the run.
Tracy’s breakout form has vindicated Daboll’s change of emphasis. The back amassed 103 yards on 18 carries on German soil, including a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
A bigger problem for Nabers than Tracy’s emergence has been the inability of quarterback Daniel Jones to make decisive reads and quick throws. The besieged signal-caller was hesitant too often against the Panthers and the league’s worst defense.
Jones notably opted against chancing his arm when both Nabers and fellow wideout Wan’Dale Robinson broke open over the deep middle on a flea-flicker play. A caption from Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis showed Jones had a pair of open targets.
Missed opportunities like this one are why Nabers tallied just 50 receiving yards against the Panthers. It marks the fourth game in a row when Nabers hasn’t come close to breaking 100 yards since he returned from injury in Week 7.
Getting Nabers in space for bigger plays is the best way to complement Tracy’s efforts on the ground. The Giants have two gifted rookie playmakers, but Daboll and Jones are wasting them.
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