How will the rookie follow up breakout performance?
Tyrone Tracy’s first NFL start, an 18-carry, 129-yard performance last week against the Seattle Seahawks, left New York Giants fans clamoring for more.
With veteran running back Devin Singletary, who started the Giants’ first four games, questionable against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night due to his groin injury, fans might get what they are hoping for.
Tracy, who drew a crowd to his locker this week at the Giants’ Quest Diagnostics Training Center practice facility, is trying to keep things simple.
“It really was no pressure to go out there before to do that. So I’m not going to put extra pressure on me to go do it again,” the fifth-round pick said. “I’m just going to go out there and just play football. I think this game is very simple. I feel like when you go out there and just do who you are, whatever it is, whatever you’re good at, just continue to do that, whatever got you here, I think you’ll have good results.
“And that’s what I did, and that’s what I’m going to continue to keep doing.”
Tracy was “on fire” vs. the Seahawks, Singletary said.
“Had a good game.”
Head coach Brian Daboll’s message to the team prior to the game against Seattle was, basically, do the simple things better. It is a message that resonated with Tracy.
“I don’t know how everybody else goes about their routine. But for me, I try to just make sure I’m focused on the little details, focused on the fundamentals of my job, what I’m supposed to do, and make sure I’m executing at a high level,” Tracy said. “That’s how you play fast and make the game simple because if you’re thinking too much, you’re going to go out there and play slow. You’re going to look slow. You’re going to look bad.”
Tracy said developing proper study habits is part of it.
“I feel like what I do throughout the week, it shows up on Sunday, you know, so I’m going to continue to do that. (I try to make sure that what I do, I’m studying the right thing, not just flipping through the film,” he said. “I make sure that I’m studying the right thing, making sure that I know my stuff. When I go out there, I’m able to play simple. I’m able to play fast and understand that when my number is called, I’m able to go out there and execute.”
Daboll had said one of the things they have been emphasizing with Tracy, who only played one year of running back in college, was pressing the hole to make defenders commit before deciding to make a cut.
Tracy did that well against the Seahawks. He said it was “natural” during the game because it is something he focuses on during the practice week.
“It wasn’t like I was thinking about doing any of that stuff, but in practice I have to, like, think about it so on Sunday I can just play,” Tracy said. “So, throughout the week, you’ve got to pick one or two things that you’re going to focus on, either that’s ball security or if that’s pressing the hole or running downhill, whatever it may be. You have to work on it throughout the week so that when you do go out there on Sunday, it’s easy. You don’t have to think about it. You just play fast.”
How young running backs will hold up in pass protection is often a concern. Tracy had an excellent blitz pickup during Sunday’s game.
“I was real happy,” Tracy said of the play. “Just because I like to put it on film. It’s one thing to talk about, oh, yeah, I can pick up blocks. I’m not scared. But it’s another thing to put it on film and show the coaches, hey, you can trust me out there on all three downs. Or, shoot, four downs if needed. No matter what it is, I’m going to get the job done.
“And I guess as a young running back and as a receiver-turned-running back I want to let the NFL know that, hey, I’m not scared to pick up blocks. I’m willing to do the dirty work as well.”
Speaking of blocking, Tracy credited the Giants’ offensive line for its work against the Seahawks.
“They were amazing,” Tracy said. “If you go back and watch the film, like, there’s a couple different times where I could have, I had two ways. I could have cut this way or cut that way. So, they did a great job of executing the techniques and executing, the blocking scheme.
“Dabs could have called anything, I think. Dabs could have called whatever. I think it would have worked.”
Was all of that a sign of things to come? We begin to find out Sunday night against the Bengals.
