Giants’ Tyrone Tracy owns costly overtime fumble in frustrating loss to Panthers: ‘That’s on me’

Tyrone Tracy Jr. was enjoying another strong effort on Sunday in Germany.

With the Giants’ offense failing to get much of anything going through three quarters against the 2-7 Carolina Panthers, it was the rookie running back who stepped up and provided a much-needed spark.

Tracy capped off the opening drive of the third quarter with an impressive 32-yard touchdown scamper to finally get Big Blue on the board and they began leaning on him from there as they clawed their way back.

After Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard punched in a one-yard touchdown of his own late in the third, the Giants were able to get rolling as they put together 10 unanswered points, capped off by a Graham Gano field goal to force overtime.

Veteran backup Devin Singletary still handled some touches, but it was once again Tracy who led the way with 17 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown — but his final carry of the afternoon ended up being the difference.

Tracy fumbled at the 35-yard line on the opening play of overtime, and just moments later, the youngster was visibly emotional as he watched Carolina’s Eddy Pineiro drill a game-winning field goal to hand Big Blue their eighth loss of the season.

“It was hard, I hold myself to a high standard,” he said. “I just didn’t hold the ball correctly. I was trying to make a move, I saw a guy in the hole and he made a good play. I gotta get the ball up, that’s on me, now I’ve got to live with it.”

While Tracy continued to beat himself up and shoulder the blame, his teammates made sure to let him know that he wasn’t at fault for the loss in which they turned the ball over two other times, both of which were in the red zone.

“I went over to him because I know that feeling,” fellow rookie Malik Nabers said. “That feeling is not a good feeling that you have to carry over until it’s time for you to play that next game, so I went over and told him that play doesn’t define you.

“That play didn’t lose us this game, he played a helluva game. He’s been carrying the ball well for us so we’ve been feeding him the ball. He got us going in the second-half with that touchdown run, he’s been doing a great job, so like I told him it’s not his fault.”

Tracy certainly has been doing a tremendous job for Big Blue over the first-half of his rookie campaign.

After starting the season in a backup role, the 26-year-old quickly took over lead-back duties from Singletary and he’s responded by rushing for 314 yards and three touchdowns on 54 carries over his last three games.

While things have been going well for him, the Giants still haven’t been able to find their way back into the win column, and they sitting at 2-8 they know they have to turn things around after next week’s bye.

“Everyone is thinking the same,” he said. “We know we have to be better, we have to focus on the details. Coming back today to force overtime, it showed we’re a strong minded team. So I think we just have to figure out the little details and come back to work.”