New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. has been waiting for his opportunity to make an impact in an NFL game. But with veteran DEvin Singletary ahead of him on the depth chart, all Tracy could do was stand by and wait.

That opportunity presented itself on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. With Singletary inactive due to a groin injury, Tracy, a converted wide receiver, received the bulk of the Giants’ rushing attempts and made them all count.

The former Purdue back ran 18 times for 129 yards and 27 yards, an impressive 7.2 yards per carry in the Giants’ 29-20 win over Seattle.

Tracy praised his preparation and support system for preparing him for his big moment.

“I prepare properly; “I have people around me that help me prepare, that help me throughout the week, that help me with film study, that know the backers, know the D-line,” he said after the game.”

The Giants’ 175 yards rushing was their best performance of the season and helped push the unit’s ranking to 24th league-wide (103.2 yards per game, up from 80.5) and 27th in yards per rush Attempt (3.88 yards per attempt, year-over-year) improved to 32nd place previously).

Tracy’s speed and elusiveness were clearly on display, causing several defenders to miss with deft moves and jumps to the outside. There wasn’t a single negative play in his game.

As for his game, his strength lies in how he aggressively attacks the offensive line. Once Tracy receives the ball, there is literally no hesitation.

He did well to redirect his attack on the move once the hole was plugged, sliding and finding creases and gaps not immediately visible to the naked eye.

It’s also sturdy and strong enough to always fall forward, and just fast enough to get through small openings before they close. Even his pass blocking wasn’t always pretty, but he was alert, and he avoided getting flags thrown at him, showing he was smart enough not to hold on, but just to get a figure or get in to lead the way and not to raise a flag.

Tracy quickly realized that the offensive line was creating opportunities for him.

“If you go back and look at the tape, you’ll see there are places on their (Seattle) D-line, and for me it’s a lot easier to see the lanes, know where the point is, and one to make run afterwards. My biggest thing is I always want to be an explosive runner, so every time I touch the ball I want it to be a positive gain.”

Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor praised the rookie for his patience and ability to not turn gains into positive yardage.

“Tracy (is) a ballplayer,” he said of the freshman. “You all saw it today. We had the ball; We had two or three really good running backs in that backfield. Tracy said he would just go out and do his thing, and that’s what he did.

“His patience in the backcourt – the way he just hit the hole and created something out of nothing is ridiculous. Once he feels more comfortable in the system, the sky’s the limit.”

This was Tracy’s first opportunity to get the most carries in a game, which bodes well for the Giants moving forward. Technically, this is also his second year at the position. Being productive as a relatively new running back is a major accomplishment.