This morning, there is no silver lining for New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. to search for.
Yes, Tracy continued his breakout season with a 103-yard rushing performance in front of the whole world on Sunday in Munich gaining 5.7 yards per carry. But it was his final touch that will stick with both him and Giant fans for quite some time.
Tracy lost a fumble on the Giants’ own 23-yard line in overtime, leading to the Panthers’ winning field goal. All of the good he did in the game suddenly seemed to not matter.
Tracy was seen on the bench afterward weeping, a true embodiment of the cliched agony of defeat.
— 1-1-1-1 (@pahrduve) November 10, 2024
It was a sad commentary on the current state of the Giants as well. Their most promising player — the one that kept them afloat in the game — had lost it for them.
“I just didn’t hold the ball correctly,” Tracy told reporters after the game. “I was trying to make a move, so I got in a hole. Got to get the ball up. That’s on me. I’ve got to live with it.
“It was hard. I put a lot into this game — blood, sweat and tears — the same way everybody says, but I play with passion. I feel like you can see that on the field. I have a lot of energy, and I hold myself to a high standard. When things like that happen with the game on the line in overtime, we come all the way back, that’s the last thing on your mind that you want to happen.
“I feel like for me, I hold myself to a high standard. So whenever that happens, all of my emotions kind of came out of me at that moment.”
Live and learn. The Giants hope he will. As for the rest of the organization, who knows what effect the stinging defeat to the lowly Panthers will have.
Tracy’s future remains bright. The fifth-round pick has been a bright spot on an otherwise bland, unimaginative offense. He leads all NFL rookie running backs in rushing yards this season (545) and has five runs of over 20-plus yards, also a rookie high.
