The last time Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy appeared in a game, he fielded the field in tears with a towel on his head in Germany after a fumble in overtime helped the Panthers beat the Giants 20-17. had left.
Tracy, who was one of the few bright spots in a 2-8 season and had a great game in Germany, took the loss harshly and blamed himself.
Tracy will have a chance to redeem himself Sunday against the Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium.
He is the team's leading rusher with 545 yards, an average of 5.1 yards and three touchdowns.
Tampa Bay's defense averages 5 yards per gain and has allowed 8 rushing TDs.
From the moment Tracy stumbled into tears, his teammates and coaches began to pick him up, reminding him that he wouldn't have even made it to overtime without him.
Tracy rushed for 103 yards and a TD on 18 carries against Carolina.
When asked what he did to encourage Tracy after the fumble, Giants head coach Brian Daboll replied: I have a lot of faith in Tracy, and a lot of other young players as well, and I really believe we can do it here. He does things the right way. he cares about it. I'm glad that men care so much. I'm glad he's on our team.
“He's a really good young player, he cares a lot about his teammates and he cares a lot about his technique. He's really improved since he's been here. He's got the right kind of stuff. It's made of
Receiver Darius Slayton said the players “just encouraged” Tracy after the fumble, adding, “I've been there before. He did a great job. . He's made a lot of plays. He's obviously shown to be a talented player.”
Giants guard Jon Runyan blamed the fumble on the offensive line, saying, “That play wasn't entirely Tyrone's fault. The blocking, the planning of that play, we kind of stepped out of the rules. Soon he saw a patron.
“He's obviously a young guy and we're trying to get him back. We were here right after we got back and he was still feeling hard on himself. Everyone told him, “Don't sweat it over something like that,” he said. You are one of the bright spots on this team, so keep doing everything you have to do. ”
“He's going to get even better from here. We're looking forward to it.”
The Giants' defense will face Tampa Bay's top receiver Mike Evans on Sunday, who has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury.
“Oh my god, it's a nightmare,” Giants defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson said Friday when asked about Evans. “Big, physical receiver, really big catch radius, athletic, smart, aware. Quarterback. [Baker Mayfield] i love him He's a thorn in my side all day, he's been a really good player in this league for a long time, and he's one of the guys that I really respect as a coach and as a player. “It's going to be a long, tough day when he comes back.” I was hoping that hamstring would last another week. ”
Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeau is scheduled to return to the field Sunday after missing the past five games with a wrist injury.
“I feel great,” Thibodeau said. “and [Brian] Barnes and Aziz [Ojulari]they have already achieved great results. We both had six sacks, so I'm just trying to get back on the team. It's going to be something to see. It was painful to watch. ”
Thibodeau said he doesn't know if he'll be part of any “pitching numbers,” but he expects some “rust” to come from his release.
“Some guys are a little beat up, but I’m fresh and rusty,” he said. “Now that I’m fresh and have a little more energy, I hope I can bring a little bit of morale to whatever situation we’re in.”
Thibodeau said he was “inspired” by how Ojulari took advantage of the increased playing time during his five-game absence. Ojulari recorded five sacks in this stretch.
“That's a good question,” Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said when asked if he could have three edge rushers on the field at the same time.
“Obviously, with the addition of Azeez and the impact he had on us, he got an opportunity to play,” Bowen said. “So it's really good to have Kayvon back in the field. I'm optimistic about him and we'll see what happens.”
