The New York Giants got run out of their own building on Sunday by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and there was arguably nobody more frustrated by the 30–7 defeat than Malik Nabers. The rookie wideout went viral for his comments after the game in which he frankly expressed his view that not only was it a "soft as f---" showing by his team, but that he can't be expected to help change the outcome when the offense isn't getting him the ball.
"I started getting the ball when it's 30–0. What do you want me to do?" Nabers asked reporters before telling them to talk to coach Brian Daboll if they want to know why he didn't record a reception until the second half.
On Monday, Daboll spoke to the media and addressed Nabers's public frustration.
"Malik and I talked last night, we talked this morning," Daboll said to assembled reporters. "He's a very competitive individual. Again, you wnat to get the ball in his hands and I've gotta do a better job of getting the ball in his hands early. He's a smart young guy that's very competitive. When you lose like that it's a frustrating thing. But we've had good communication as we always have."
Brian Daboll says he talked with Malik Nabers after his postgame comments yesterday:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 25, 2024
"He's a very competitive individual. You want to get the ball in his hands and I've got to do a better job of getting the ball in his hands early. He's a smart young guy who's very competitive." pic.twitter.com/jm00NZo1QS
The Giants are just trying to make it to the end of the season in one piece after the Daniel Jones situation reached critical mass, leading to the former first-round pick's release last week. With a 2–9 record all New York has left to play for is pride, the promise of a high draft pick bringing much-needed talent to the roster in a few months, and the possibility that getting the younger players reps will allow them to grow their games.
Nabers should be priority No. 1 in regards to the final item of that line. He has already flashed enough potential to believe he can be the next great wideout to come out of LSU lately. In nine games so far Nabers has recorded 67 catches for 671 yards and three touchdowns despite a quarterback situation so dire the starter was outright released in November.
Pretty good for a rookie. Nabers is by far the most important piece on the offense right now and Daboll would be well-served to feed him the ball as often as possible, no matter who is throwing it. He appears to recognize as much.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giants' Brian Daboll Addresses Malik Nabers's Viral Interview After Blowout Loss.
