The New York Giants endured their sixth consecutive loss, and wide receiver Malik Nabers was not happy about it in the slightest. Following the game, Nabers put head coach Brian Daboll on blast as they were routed 30-7 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Monday morning, Daboll told reporters that he spoke with Nabers privately about the matter but emphasized this point about his rookie receiver.
“He’s a very competitive individual,” Daboll said via Mike Garafolo on X. “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.”
Nabers hasn’t had a 100+ yard receiving game since Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys. Since then, he hasn’t had a game over that metric. While he’s been targeted a good amount, his catches have been short gains. Defenses are loading up on him and they dared former quarterback Daniel Jones to make a tough throw.
Not to mention, when Nabers is getting targeted doesn’t make matters better. In Sunday’s game, he wasn’t targeted in the first half. Although backup Tommy DeVito was playing, it’s no excuse to not have the No. 1 receiver and the 2024 No. 6 overall pick get targets. Nabers’ first target was when the Giants trailed 30-0. At that point, a target or a catch wouldn’t have mattered.
Malik Nabers’ lack of targets illustrates Giants’ and Brian Daboll’s horrific season
A 2-9 season highlighted by dysfunction introduces another case of it. They let Saquon Barkley walk in free agency, along with star safety Xavier McKinney. Also, the Giants released quarterback Daniel Jones after signing him to a four-year, $160 million deal after the 2022 season. When New York drafted Nabers, they hoped for a lethal receiver who can be a cornerstone for many years.
When Nabers’ has received targets, he’s made the most of them. He’s a freakish athlete with superior ball-skills for a rookie. While Daboll said he needs to be better, he’s right. The offensive system should put Nabers in more unique situations. Whether it’s a bubble screen, crossing route, or anything that gets him in space with the ball in his hands. Also, end-around plays could be beneficial, as well as jet-sweeps.
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Nabers went on an NSFW rant about how ‘soft’ the team is, he makes a point. Even reports are circulating about Daboll being fired due to the locker room about to combust. Regardless, the team has a loaded schedule ahead of them and things could look worse before they get better.