The Giants took another tough blow this past weekend as Cam Skattebo was lost for the season with a dislocated ankle. The rookie’s injury paves the way for Tyrone Tracy Jr. to take over as the lead back, a role he had at the start of the season before a shoulder injury forced him to miss some time. In last week’s game in Philadelphia, Tracy took 10 carries for 39 yards (3.9 avg.) while adding two receptions (on three targets) for another 14 yards.
Tracy has only gotten limited opportunities this season, as he enters Week 9 with 45 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown with 10 receptions for another 68 yards across six games (two starts). But it was only last season that we saw him gain 1,123 total yards from scrimmage with six total touchdowns, including four games with over 100 yards of offense.
“Tracy is a really good football player,” offensive lineman Greg Van Roten told the media earlier this week. “He kind of got sidelined with an injury earlier in the season, so we’re just excited for him to get back to form and kind of build on what he did last year, because I think he’s a better player this year than he was last year. He was a rookie last year, now he’s a second-year guy. He’s seen a lot of stuff. He’s getting more comfortable in his role. It’ll be good for him to get back out there. I think he’s anxious to kind of show, like, he’s still a good running back.”
The 49ers defense ranks in the top half of the league in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards per attempt allowed this season. After a strong three-game stretch that saw them average just 81.3 rushing yards allowed per game, the 49ers surrendered a season-high 157 rushing yards to the Texans last week, including 118 to running backs Woody Marks and Nick Chubb.
Wan’Dale Robinson has stepped up for the Giants since Malik Nabers (ACL) was lost for the season in Week 4. While he caught just three passes for 48 yards against the Eagles last week, it came after three consecutive outings with at least five receptions and an average of nearly 70 receiving yards per game. In fact, he heads into Week 9 with four games with six or more receptions and 50 or more receiving yards after recording only three such games last season.
Robinson leads the team with 57 targets, 38 receptions and 494 receiving yards. But the fourth-year wideout has come through for the Giants even more in key situations. Through eight games, Robinson has the second-most targets on third down (25) in the NFL, trailing only Keenan Allen. He’s turned those third down targets into 13 receptions (tied for 7th-most) and 165 receiving yards (10th). While he’s still primarily lining up in the slot, Robinson has been out wide on a career-high 25.8 percent of his snaps this season, showcasing his versatility in the absence of Nabers.
The 49ers defense has struggled to slow down opposing wide receivers. San Francisco has allowed 98 receptions to opposing wideouts, tied for the sixth most on the season, along with 1,254 receiving yards, which ranks as the eighth-most, and seven touchdowns. Three Texans wide receivers registered five receptions against the 49ers last week, including rookie slot receiver Jaylin Noel, who gained 63 yards on those catches, and veteran slot receiver Braxton Berrios, who had 38 yards.