Tag: Eric Gray

Was Giants RB Eric Gray’s fumble actually a touchdown?

It doesn’t matter now but the fumble by New York Giants RB Eric Gray that lead to a 102-yard Seahawks return on Sunday may have been a TD.

On the New York Giants’ first drive in last Sunday’s 29-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, running back Eric Gray fumbled near (or over) the goal line leading to a 102-yard fumble return for a touchdown the other way.

The 14-point swing didn’t prevent the Giants from winning the game but it didn’t help. When the play happened, no one except the player who picked up the ball — Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins — and the end zone camera operator knew the ball was still live.

The officials did not blow the whistle, even though the runner was down and the ball was not visible to any of them. Jenkins picked up the loose ball and ran the other way as players are schooled to do if no whistle is blown.

The back judge also did not throw the blue bean bag at the spot of the recovery, which indicates they recognized a change of possession until Jenkins was nearly 30 yards downfield with the ball.

Brian Baldinger reacts as if the ball is out but this angle seems to show the ball may have touched the goal line before being yanked out.

What is unclear is why the play was allowed to stand without more studious review. Every scoring play is reviewed, but my eyesight is pretty good. Looks to me that Gray may have had possession when the tip of the ball crossed the plane of the end zone.

But we’ll never know as CBS only showed one angle and then cut away to a commercial.

When they came back, CBS showed the same angle with former NFL official Gene Steratore telling us there was inclusive evidence to overturn the call on the field — which was a Seattle touchdown.

Here’s the rule:

In order for a touchdown to count, the scoring player must have possession of the ball, be in bounds and the ball must cross the plane of the goal line. . . any part of the ball that crosses the line while in possession is a touchdown.

Also, in order for a touchdown to count, it helps to have called it a touchdown on the field. Then, the replay officials could not do their due diligence because they did not have the right angles.

Granted, Gray is a fumbler, we’ll give you that. But in this case, he could have been exonerated by technology.

Gray also could have been bailed out if one of his other 10 teammates on the field realized he lost the football and either dove on it or prevented Jenkins from recovering it and/or advancing it.

Unfortunately for Gray, the officials on the field did not blow the whistle when they lost sight of the ball and the league was short on cameras.

[lawrence-related id=734073,734081,734045]

Seahawks’ Rayshawn Jenkins makes history with 102-yard fumble recovery

Seahawks S Rayshawn Jenkins makes history with 102-yard fumble recovery

It is always a good day to make positive franchise history, and that is exactly what strong safety Rayshawn Jenkins did for the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks are hosting the New York Giants, and despite New York’s overall offensive ineptitude, they were putting together a solid opening drive. The Giants, following a sack on first down, were starting backed up on their own five-yard line. However, New York was shockingly able to move the ball all the way to Seattle’s goal line.

But that is where it concluded. Running back Eric Gray, playing in place of the inactive Devin Singletary, lost control of the football. Jerome Baker, returning after missing Monday Night Football, forced the ball out of his hands, where it was scooped up by Rayshawn Jenkins…

…who promptly returned the ball 101 yards for the first touchdown of the afternoon.

The 102-yard return is officially the longest fumble recovery in Seahawks history. Not a bad way to start the day!

At the time of this article’s publishing, the Seahawks and Giants are tied at 7-7 in the middle of the second quarter. Be sure to follow @TheSeahawksWire and @KoleMusgrove23 on Twitter for more live updates, analysis and highlights.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1360]

Sooners face rival in latest USA TODAY Sports Bowl Projections

The Oklahoma Sooners fave a rival in USA TODAY Sports updated bowl projections.

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to bounce back as they get ready to go on the road to face the Auburn Tigers. The Sooners are coming off a disappointing loss to the Tennessee Volunteers but showed some things they can build on moving forward.

The updated ESPN Matchup Predictor projects the Sooners to finish the season 6-6, would put them just inside bowl season. It’s a difficult schedule the rest of the way, and the Sooners will have to find a way to beat one of the ranked teams remaining on the schedule to ensure a spot in bowl season.

But as things stand right now, college football analysts still have the Sooners bowling in December. Erick Smith of USA TODAY Sports has the Oklahoma Sooners heading to Nashville, Tenn., to play in the Music City Bowl. And they’ll face an old rival. Smith projects the Sooners to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Dec. 30.

The Oklahoma Sooners last faced the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a home-and-home in 2021 and 2022. The Sooners won in Norman 23-16, highlighted by D.J. Graham’s one-handed interception. In 2022, Brent Venables’ first season at the helm, the Sooners beat the Cornhuskers 49-10, led by [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]’s 110 rushing yards and two touchdown performance.

If the two sides were to face off in bowl season, it could be a matchup between a pair of true freshmen quarterbacks, [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and Dylan Raiola. Hawkins takes over for Jackson Arnold ahead of the Sooners road trip to Auburn. Raiola was named the starting quarterback out of fall camp.

Raiola has looked good for Nebraska, completing 72.2% of his passes for 967 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Hawkins, in his first season in Norman, is completing 59.1% of his passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.

OU and Nebraska is a rivalry as old as there is. The two sides first played in 1912, a 13-9 win for the Cornhuskers. Oklahoma holds the all-time series lead 47-38-3. A rivalry that was at one point one of the biggest in college football has only seen the two teams play twice since Nebraska joined the Big Ten back in 2011.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

It’s only Week 3 and Giants are already playing specialist roulette

Injuries already have the New York Giants playing “specialist roulette” and it’s only Week 3 of the 2024 regular season.

It’s only Week 3 but the New York Giants’ special teams are already a revolving door.

First, the Giants lost returners Isaiah McKenzie and Gunner Olszewski to injuries and last week, had to play without a kicker after Graham Gano tweaked a hamstring on the opening kickoff and was ruled out.

This week, the Giants signed veteran kicker Cory Joseph to spell Gano, who was placed on injured reserve (IR). But he has yet to be named the starter.

Joseph will apparently still have to beat out practice squadder Jude McAtamney for the role.

“It’s going to be good competition between him and Jude,” special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said on Thursday. “I think at the end of the day, you always want to have multiple specialists on your roster.

“Jude, again, (we) have ultimate confidence in him and his ability to go out there and have success. And then the same thing with Greg. The thing that Greg has is obviously the experience of kicking in games and obviously the good production with that. And then Jude, like I said, had a very promising preseason.

“So, it’s not necessarily a lack of what he still needs to prove or still needs to show. We’re going take it down the wire and figure out who gives us the best chance to win in Cleveland.”

At returner, the Giants signed Ihmir Smith-Marsette last week but he did not get on the field. It appears he may have been the primary punt returner but there was one catch — the Commanders did not punt in the game.

“Honestly, him being here for a little bit over a week now, you’re excited for him to get those opportunities,” Ghobrial said. “The thing I love about him is he’s not going necessarily… He’s a great teammate and you could feel that already. When he gets his opportunities, he’s going to be excited to take advantage of that. So, the person has definitely checked all the boxes.

“The player has checked all the boxes. He approaches the game the right way. In practice, he’s always asking questions on exactly where we want things to unfold. Obviously, we’re excited for him when he gets his opportunity to go out there and have success.”

The Giants have been using running backs Eric Gray and Tyron Tracy Jr. as kick returners. Gray, if you recall, was a disaster in that role last year as a rookie. So far, he’s averaged 25.0 yards per return on six attempts with no turnovers.

[lawrence-related id=733140,733097,733113]

Final thoughts on Oklahoma Sooners vs. Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners get set to open the season against the Temple Owls and here are this week’s final thoughts.

It’s football time in Oklahoma, and the Sooners are stepping into a monumental season in college football. The Sooners enter 2024 in unfamiliar territory as a team with something to prove.

No longer are they the conference powerhouse, but instead will fight to earn their place at the SEC’s grown-up table alongside Georgia and Alabama. But that’s what this program has been about throughout its existence. The Sooners are one of the big boys of college football, a blue blood that’s had as much success as anyone.

But, like anything in life, the Sooners will have to earn the respect of their new conference brethren. And that’s the way Brent Venables wants it.

As the Sooners get set to kick off the 2024 season, here is this week’s final thoughts.

Offensive Line Time

So much has been said about the Oklahoma Sooners offensive line. Sure, they don’t return a primary starter from a year ago. But no reason to fret. The Sooners have had productive offensive line play for a long time and are coached by one of the best in the business in [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag].

It will come together and this week against Temple provides the first opportunity to see the unit begin to gel. [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag], [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag], [autotag]Febechi Nwaiwu[/autotag], and [autotag]Jake Taylor[/autotag] have a nice mix of blue-chip talent and experience.

Believe in Bedenbaugh.

Need for Speed

The Oklahoma Sooners will start two legitimate speedsters this week against the Temple Owls when [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] take the field. Burks showed off his big-play ability in the spring game and Thompson, though in a limited role, averaged more than 34 yards per reception on his seven catches last season because of his track speed.

The Temple defense is going to have a difficult time keeping track of Burks and Thompson, who will blow down the field like an Oklahoma wind on the prairie.

Welcome Back JoBa

[autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] got off to a great start to his collegiate career when he emerged as the backup to [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] during the 2022 season. He ran for over 500 yards and looked headed for a jump in production as a true sophomore in 2023. However, injuries kept Barnes from getting going and last season was pretty much a wash.

In 2024, Barnes has stayed healthy and looks primed to reprise his role from the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl, where he and fellow 2022 four-star signee [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] operated in the lead running back tandem.

Sawchuk may get the start, but Barnes is going to get a lot of work in 2024 and the two will complement each other well in the Sooners rushing attack.

Jackson Arnold Show

The former five-star quarterback, Elite 11 winner, and Gatorade National Player of the Year is set to take the stage for his first season as a starter, and the anticipation has reached a fever pitch. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] has all the talent in the world to be Oklahoma’s next great quarterback.

With an entire offseason to work with his wide receivers and to familiarize himself with [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s offense, look for a much more comfortable and decisive heading into his second career start. Though the level of competition isn’t quite what Arnold faced in the Alamo Bowl, there’s still a lot to be gleaned from this game against Temple.

Defensive Dominance

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense will lead the way for the Sooners in 2024. And that starts against Temple. The Owls are one of the worst teams in the country in SP+ offensive ranking and don’t have a settled situation at quarterback.

Oklahoma’s depth and talent are so much greater on the defensive side of the ball. The Sooners should be able to dominate the line of scrimmage, making life incredibly easy for the back seven. Look for this game to resemble what OU did to Arkansas State last year.

Brent’s Guys

It’s year three of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. All but a handful of guys on the roster committed and signed to play for Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners after his arrival.

This team has his fingerprints all over it on both sides of the ball. It’s a team marked by energy, intensity, and determination. They may not be the most talented team in the country, but they’ll be one of the hardest working and toughest teams in the nation.

Young Guns

The [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag] has already made a name for themselves with the way they’ve worked this offseason to get ready for OU’s first year in the SEC. [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] earned a starting spot on the defensive line. Venables praised David Stone’s work ethic. [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] and [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag] received rave reviews for the work they put in after arriving this summer.

We still need to see that group on the field. What they look like in year one isn’t a finished product. But from what we’ve seen, the Sooners coaching staff won’t have to wonder if this crew is going to work for what they want.

Tonight, we get our first glimpse of what this class is made of.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Tyrone Tracy injury update: Giants get good news

New York Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s ankle injury is not as serious as the team first thought.

The New York Giants got good news on rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who was carted off the practice field on Tuesday morning with an ankle injury that was believed to be of serious nature and was placed in an air cast.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapport reports that Tracy’s sprained right ankle turns out to be not of the high-ankle variety, which would have likely landed him on IR.

Instead, Tracy suffered a low-ankle sprain that has him “week-to-week,” and he could very well be ready for the Giants’ season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 8.

Tracy was said to be in attendance at team meetings on Tuesday afternoon, wearing a walking boot. He is currently embroiled in a competition for snaps behind starter Devin Singletary with two other young running backs — Eric Gray and Dante Miller.

Against the Detroit Lions, the Giants’ backfield averaged 6.1 yards per carry. There is excitement in the building after many thought they would be lost without Saquon Barkley, who departed for the Philadelphia Eagles via free agency.

Tracy was selected with a fifth-round pick (166th overall) in the 2024 NFL draft, and New York has big plans for him in both the running game and as a returner.

“A lot of potential. It’s been great,” Singletary said of Tracy on Tuesday. “Coming in as a rookie, playing the way he’s been playing. I would say he hasn’t really been playing like a rookie. He’s been like a second or third year player, the way he’s been performing. Of course, he still has room to grow, but he’s off to a good start.”

And the Giants hope to have Tracy back soon to fulfill that potential.

[lawrence-related id=731157,731155,731125]

Giants’ Eric Gray named PFF Offensive Player of the Week

New York Giants RB Eric Gray has been named Pro Football Focus Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Detroit Lions.

New York Giants second-year running back Eric Gray impressed in Week 1 of the preseason, gaining 98 yards from scrimmage and scoring two touchdowns against the Detroit Lions.

Gray made his presence felt on the ground and through the air, breaking off a 48-yard run that included an ankle-breaking juke, while also hauling in an impressive over-the-shoulder 24-yard catch.

The stout performance earned Gray the first Giants Wire Player of the Game honor of 2024.

Pro Football Focus also took notice, naming Gray to their Team of the Week and awarding him Offensive Player of the Week.

Gray put together an electric performance during his time on the field, finishing with four carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns — most of which came on an impressive 48-yard touchdown run in the second quarter — in addition to four receptions for 46 yards and a forced missed tackle. The touchdown run may get the most attention, but Gray’s receiving ability could be the key to him earning a real role in New York’s offense.

Given how New York deployed its running backs Thursday night, the 2023 fifth-rounder appears to be behind Singletary and Tracy on New York’s depth chart; however, Thursday night’s performance keeps him in the running for the primary backup running back gig.

Gray led the Giants with a 90.2 overall grade in Week 1 of the preseason.

In addition to Gray, fellow running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Dante Miller also impressed thanks, in part, to a more functional offensive line.

[lawrence-related id=731126,731125,731137]

Giants’ Brian Daboll impressed with decisiveness of team’s running backs

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll had positive things to say about his young RB group after they rushed for 155 yards on Thursday night.

There was a lot of concern among the New York Giants brass this offseason when star running back Saquon Barkley defected to the Philadelphia Eagles via free agency.

Team co-owner John Mara even told general manager Joe Schoen that he would have “a tough time sleeping” if Saquon left the Giants for the Eagles.

Schoen did his best to retain Barkley but, in the end, had to let him go. He had his Plan B in place. He would go with a running back by committee approach and began that by signing former Buffalo Bill and Houston Texan Devin “Motor” Singletary to head that committee.

The rest of the backfield would be filled by second-year player Eric Gray and rookies Tyron Tracy Jr. and Dante “Turbo” Miller.

One game into the preseason, we are seeing the fog lift on Schoen’s vision. The Giants rushed for 155 yards and an average of 5.7 yards per attempt against Detroit on Thursday — and Singletary did not play.

Gray excelled as did the rookies. Suddenly, no one was talking about Barkley any longer. That was fast.

Head coach Brian Daboll appeared unfazed on Friday. He knows what he has on his roster and liked what he saw from his young backs.

“I thought they were decisive,” Daboll told reporters. “I thought there wasn’t a lot of stutter stepping. I thought they were hitting the hole with good vision. They ran in space. Gray had a nice catch there from Tommy (DeVito). It wasn’t perfect, but most of the time they were going forward. They ran hard. They got their pads down. They did a nice job for the first game.”

Of course, there will be a pecking order come the regular season with Singletary at the top. After all, there are more aspects to the running back job than making positive yards. You have to be able to block and pass protect as well to get — and stay — on the field.

“I think I’ve had a lot of questions on that early on about the youth of that room,” Daboll said. “You let them play.” “I thought they did a good job in protections, knowing who to block. It wasn’t overly complicated, but they did stick their face in there and fit the window and block some blitzers.

“They ran hard. They knew what to do. Again, it’ll be good competition for all those young players, but I think (running backs coach) Joel Thomas has done a fantastic job with the development of that youth room.”

Either way. the fans are now more at ease with the decision to let Barkley walk. Mara should be as well.

[lawrence-related id=731010,730875,730871]

Former Sooner Eric Gray shows out in preseason opener

Eric Gray spent two years in Norman before being drafted by the New York Giants.

The NFL preseason is underway, as just weeks remain before the season will return and we’ll have more football than we know what to do with.

One former Oklahoma Sooner made his 2024 preseason debut on Thursday night and was a standout in the Big Apple.

Former OU running back [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] stole the show for the New York Giants in a 14-3 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday. Gray only got four carries in limited action, but he certainly made the most of them, racking up 52 yards and two touchdown runs.

Gray’s first house call went for 48 yards and showed off the open field running that made him so elusive at Oklahoma.

But Gray wasn’t done, showing good vision and versatility on a one-yard score, finding the hole to get to paydirt for the second time on the night.

Gray is in his second year in the league, after being selected in the fifth round (172nd overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was a transfer portal addition for the Sooners in 2021 and had 78 carries for 412 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 23 receptions for 229 yards and two touchdowns, playing second fiddle in the backfield behind [autotag]Kennedy Brooks[/autotag].

He took over as the lead back in 2022, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ first season as the head coach, and had 213 carries for yards and 11 touchdowns to go with 33 receptions for 229 yards. He had eight games during the season where he went over 100 rushing yards and four games with two rushing touchdowns.

Gray is looking for a bigger role on the Giants’ offense in 2024, after the G-Men lost Saquon Barkley in free agency this offseason. He’s in a fight to make the roster and contribute in the backfield after 17 carries for 48 yards and 6 catches for 22 yards as a rookie last year.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Giants-Lions preseason Week 1: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The New York Giants won their Week 1 preseason game against the Lions. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The New York Giants capped off a week of intense joint practices with a preseason-opening 14-3 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

It was a well-rounded performance by the Giants with a few exceptions. Special teams struggled to adjust to the new kickoff rule, while overall team discipline was lacking.

The few issues aside, it was an encouraging first step for head coach Brian Daboll and his Giants. Perhaps most notably, the team appears to have much more solid depth than they did just a year ago.

Here are the snap counts that contributed to the Giants’ Week 1 preseason victory.

Offensive snaps: 58
Defensive snaps: 70
Special teams snaps: 22

Although pregame reports were suggesting wide receivers Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt would be inactive, each player talked their way onto the field. They took a combined 23 snaps but saw just one total target (Hyatt).

What running back Eric Gray was able to accomplish on just 15 snaps is extremely impressive.

Defensively, safety Alex Johnson, who has impressed at times in training camp, received the bulk of the load and got the longest look with 52 snaps. Linebacker Azeez Ojulari also saw extended field time, taking 50 percent of the defensive snaps.

[lawrence-related id=730828,730770,730729]