The New York Giants are entering the post-Saquon Barkley era with a group of young, exciting backs that already have the NFL buzzing.
Eric Gray scored twice in the preseason opener and showed great field presence and versatility. Rookie Dante “Turbo” Miller displayed his famous explosiveness and opened some eyes.
But it’s their fifth-round pick out of Purdue — Tyrone Tracy Jr. — that has most observers impressed.
On Thursday, during a 14-3 win over Detroit in their preseason opener, the Giants ran the ball for 155 yards at a rate of 5.7 yards per carry. Tracy rushed five times for 26 yards, but it was two runs in particular that one should focus on
NFL Network analyst and retired offensive lineman, Brian Baldinger, broke down those two runs by Tracy.
.@Giants @TyroneTracy got 5 carries last night and on these 2 you can see why the coaches are excited about this prospect. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/EOjxNnFCjo
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 9, 2024
The new kickoff rules and alignment are being tested this preseason, and thus far, we’ve seen a trend beginning to set. Returns are being taken anywhere between 25 and 30 yards.
.@Giants v @Lions takeaways from the new kickoff rule. My instincts tell me that the offense is going to get some great starting field position. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/xOo2JSlFet
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 9, 2024
In the Giants-Lions game, there were five kickoffs of which four were returned. The Lions returned three for 76 yards (25.3 yards per attempt) and the Giants had a 26-yarder.
The Lions’ other kickoff fell short of the landing zone (inside the 20) and the Giants were awarded the ball on their own 40.
Baldinger’s point is that teams will be starting drives closer to the 30-yard line whereas the average start of drives under the old rules was the 25.
