New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. made his first career start in Sunday's shocking victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Tracy Jr. maximized his opportunity by helping carry the Giants offense in Malik Nabers' absence. He should remain heavily involved in the offense even when usual starter Devin Singletary returns from injury.
Tracy Jr. rushed for 129 yards via just 18 attempts. Nobody rushed for more yards across Week 5. Tracy Jr.'s 7.2 yards per carry was also the fifth-highest result among all running backs across the weekend, and the four ball-carriers who produced a higher per-carry average saw fewer rushing attempts.
His performance has him nominated for the Pepsi Rookie of the Week.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is nominated for Pepsi Rookie of the Week ‼️
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 8, 2024
Vote: https://t.co/QPCpMjYY6s pic.twitter.com/LvNSUPnxfE
Tracy Jr. had previously flashed game-changing potential earlier this season. In a Week 3 victory over the Cleveland Browns, the former Purdue standout accounted for 40 yards of offense via just seven touches. When Singletary was ruled out before the Seahawks game due to a groin injury, it was straightforward to assume Tracy Jr. would take advantage of his biggest opportunity yet.
Tracy Jr.'s longest run of the day gained an explosive 27 yards. As CBS Sports' Dan Schneier pointed out, Tracy Jr. displayed excellent vision on a duo run call. The cut-back and athleticism led to the Giants' second-biggest play of the afternoon, but the recognition made it happen.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. is a natural when it comes to how he sees the field.
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) October 7, 2024
He presses downhill on duo, then is able to lose zero ground cutting back when he recognizes where No. 17 is.
The athleticism is obvious on this play, but it's the vision that stands out to me. #Giants pic.twitter.com/vp58uZQ8TH
Tracy Jr. was the Giants’ closer in the fourth quarter as well. Nursing a lead, Tracy Jr. rushed five times in the final minutes for a total of 27 yards (5.4 yards per attempt). It helped lead to a critical field goal. The Seahawks couldn’t stop the first-year contributor even when they knew what was coming.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. closed the #Giants W with Q4 runs of: 5, 7, 5, 4, 4, 2 (vid below) when SEA knew what was coming.
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) October 7, 2024
At the very minimum, he should be their closer RB moving forward.
But honestly, Tracy just needs to be on the field. Period. Even if it takes some pony personnel. pic.twitter.com/pIH7ak9aLX
Several advanced metrics put Tracy Jr.'s excellent performance in perspective. The fifth-round rookie gained 47 rush yards over expected (RYOE), according to Next Gen Stats. Only Jacksonville's Tank Bigsby had a better result in that category (61) in Week 5. That means Tracy Jr. posted a 61.1% rush percentage over expected (ROE%), only trailing Chuba Hubbard (75%).
The Seahawks defense did not enter Sunday fearing Tracy Jr., understandably so. Seattle's defense only featured eight or more defenders in the box on 16.67% of Tracy Jr.’s rushing attempts. Future defenses may not make that same mistake.
Tracy Jr. was also creating yards for himself. He gained 66 yards after contact, seventh-most among running backs in Week 5, according to Pro Football Focus. Tracy Jr. averaged 3.67 yards after contact per attempt.
The Giants were getting downhill in the run game, with 12 of Tracy Jr.'s 18 rushing attempts being designated as gap/power plays. The Giants have two new starting guards this season, Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan Jr. Head coach Brian Daboll is designing runs behind his new interior tandem.
Tracy Jr. helped power the Giants to an upset victory over the Seahawks. A Sunday night primetime opportunity against the Cincinnati Bengals awaits the 2-3 Giants in Week 6. Tracy Jr. must be heavily involved even if Singletary is cleared to return.
