New York Giants rookie receiver Malik Nabers knows he “let his team down” with a key drop late in last Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.
If Nabers reeled in the fourth down pass from quarterback Daniel Jones on the Washington 10-yard-line, the Giants most likely would have gone on to win the game. Instead, they would eventually lose, 21-18, in the final seconds.
“It’s just a moment I’ve got to put behind me and continue to go out there and catch extra passes after practice,” Nabers told reporters on Wednesday. “I’ve been doing it anyway, but just keep on trying to get catches afterward.”
The drop has obviously been on the rookie’s mind but he knows there are better times ahead. He just might use it as motivation to be even better.
“You’ve got to keep your head down, work a little bit harder,” he said. “Stay together with the people in this locker room and stay together as a team.”
Jones doesn’t believe that drop will weigh too heavily on Nabers, who caught 10 passes for 127 yards and his first NFL touchdown in the game.
“He’s a competitor and holds himself to a high standard. I think you realize that pretty quickly spending any time with him. He expects to make every play,” Jones told reporters on Wednesday. “It was a tough one for him, but I know he’ll bounce back. He’s a confident guy, and I think it was pretty clear we wouldn’t have been in that situation without his performance and all he had done throughout the game. He’ll be back, and he’ll continue to be a huge part of what we do.”
Nabers was targeted 18 times in the game. He has 25 targets over the first two games this season; only the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp (27) has more. Nabers’ 193 receiving yards are currently the fourth-highest in the NFL.
Jones knows his success will be directly tied to Nabers’. He likes what he’s seen so far.
“He’s done a really good job. Come in and played well,” Jones said. “I think in matchup situations where he’s one-on-one with a guy, he’s won and made explosive plays for us time and time again. He’s done a good job and been a big help to us so far.”
This week, Nabers will face off against Cleveland’s three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, Denzel Ward, who is second in passes defensed through the first two weeks of this season.
Although Ward is a very capable corner, he could get some help from teammates to ensure Nabers doesn’t break their backs. Jones said the Giants are fully aware that Nabers has become a focus for opposing defenses this early in his career.
“I think guys can get doubled in different ways. In zone coverage, in man coverage and how you scheme or how you respond to that depends on that. But we’re confident he can beat double coverage,” he said.
If Nabers is truly the Giants’ next superstar, he can continue to forge that legacy this week with a bounce-back performance.
