New York Giants running back Devin Singletary (groin) will be available this week when the team hosts the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Singletary has missed the last two games, clearing the way for rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. to join and perhaps make him “Wally Pipp.”
For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to former New York Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp who lost his job to a young upstart named Lou Gehrig. Pipp initially did not start another game as Gehrig set a historic streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
We’re not saying this is the end for Singletary, but the beginning for Tracy, a fifth-round pick out of Purdue who began his career as a wide receiver at Iowa.
Tracy came in and basically took over that job for the last two weeks. Against Seattle, he rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries, and last week against Cincinnati, Tracy gained 107 total yards and a touchdown.
Reporters and fans might think Singletary’s return could put the Giants in contention. That was broken down on Friday when coach Brian Daboll said Tracy would see significant playing time this Sunday against Philadelphia.
“He’s done a good job and he’s been rewarded for it, so he’ll get plenty of playing time,” Daboll said. “Motor, let’s see how the game plays out and how it goes. But Motor will play, Tracy will play, (Eric) Gray will play. We will use all three of them.”
Singletary rushed for 221 yards and two touchdowns, but averaged just 3.9 yards per carry. He caught 10 passes for 72 yards to 99 of Tracy’s 11 receptions.
“Tyrone took advantage of his opportunity,” Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said Thursday. “He did a great job in the passing game, screen game and running game. We will continue to build on this.”
This season the Giants are averaging just 16.0 points per game, so they are looking for their most dynamic players to step up and make plays.
This Sunday marks the return of stud wideout Malik Nabers from concussion protocol, and will mark the first time he and Tracy will spend meaningful time on the field together.
