Giants Notebook: Tyrone Tracy, Jr. Injury Update, Deonte Banks, and More from Another Miserable Loss

The Giants fell to 2-6 at the halfway mark, their 2024 season faading away.

Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers Calvin Austin III (19) returns a punt for a 73-yard touchdown as New York Giants linebacker Darius Muasau (53) gives chase during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr., who finished with 145 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown to lead the Giants' rushing attack, suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter and will be placed in the league’s protocol.

Tracy, who has passed Devin Singletary as the team's RB1, now has two career 100-yard rushing efforts. 

The first came in Week 5 against Seattle, when he rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries. His effort against the Steelers represents a new career high in carries and rushing yardage.

Tracy now leads the Giants running backs with 73 carries for 376 yards and is tied with Singeltary with two rushing touchdowns.

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Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed that second-year cornerback Deonte Banks was benched for yet another game featuring a lackluster effort.

Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II, who told reporters last week that the issue with Banks had been addressed, was not pleased with his younger teammate’s effort on the George Pickens touchdown pass, which wasn’t. 

“He could have competed better on that TD pass,” Lawrence told reporters.

Banks said he was benched for “missing tackles.” 

Daboll, meanwhile, said they would wait and see whether Banks would start next week against the Washington Commanders.

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Arguably, one of the biggest plays in the game was the fourth-quarter strip sack and fumble by Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt on a 3rd-and-7 with the ball on the Steelers' 19-yard line.

Watt came in virtually untouched, hit Jones, and knocked the ball loose, recovering it at the Steelers’ 28 to snuff out a potential Giants scoring drive.

That play raised a question as to why the Giants didn’t try to chip Watt with running back Devin Singletary, who ran out into a pattern and right by Watt on that play.  

“Yeah, he was supposed to be chipped,” Daboll said.

So why wasn’t he?

“(Daniel Jones) was looking at the coverage communication. But [right tackle] Jermaine [Eluemunor] was anticipating a chip.”

“Yeah, I needed to shift,” Jones said. “Needed to shift to [tight end] Theo [Johnson]. Was looking at the coverage. I didn't shift him. Jermaine was expecting a chip and he didn't get that, so that's my fault,” he said. 

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The Giants removed third-year offensive lineman Joshua Eeudu from the starting lineup after his rough outing last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, and replaced him with Chris Hubbard at left tackle.

“Yeah, just thought it was -- thought he had a good week. Veteran, started over, almost 60 games, had confidence in him,” Daboll said. 

“You know, talked to Ezeudu Friday or Saturday morning–said we're going to go with Chris, see how it goes. So we went with him.” 

The Giants worked Ezeudu at tackle all spring and summer, apparently intent on having him be the swing tackle. But after losing Andrew Thomas to a season-ending foot injury, they pivoted toward Hubbard, whom they poached off the 49ers practice squad.

“Yeah, when you add veterans that have played a lot in this type of environment, we thought it was best for our team,” Daboll said.

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Daniel Jones doesn’t show much emotion in a game, but following the team’s failed 2-point conversion, the quarterback was visibly angry.

“I was just upset we didn't convert it,” he said after the game. We got to execute and convert the play there. I'm just frustrated about that.

“Got to be sharp in those situations, and my job is to get everybody on the same page and get everybody going. So got to execute there.”

Daboll said that Jones’s anger wasn’t directed toward him even though it looked like the two were jawing at each other during the television replay.

“No, it was just let's get our butts set,” he said. “When we're set for the two-point play, let's get out there and get set so when we snap the ball we got them blocked. I appreciate that. I liked that about it. It's good for him to do that.”

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