Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers raised eyebrows when he said after he recorded just four catches on eight targets for 41 yards in the New York Giants’ 28-3 home loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday that he “was open” throughout the game and that the Giants “gotta do a better job of just making plays and protecting the quarterback and trying to do our best to score points.”Â
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was asked about Nabers’ comments while speaking with reporters on Thursday.
“I think it’s good that a receiver thinks he’s open, for sure,” Jones said, as shared by the Giants’ website. “I think you want a receiver to think he’s open. You go back and look at the tape, maybe one or two opportunities to get him the ball and see where I can do that.”
Jones and the New York offensive line endured a rough afternoon against the Eagles. He took seven sacks and passed for just 99 yards before he was benched in favor of backup Drew Lock when a win was essentially out of reach. As Paul Schwartz of the New York Post noted, the Giants have scored just one touchdown in home games and are averaging 7.8 points at MetLife Stadium this season.
You want a receiver to want the ball,” Jones continued on Thursday, “and I think Malik understood what was going on, and we had a conversation. I understand his point of view too. So, certainly trying to get him involved.”
Jones noted that he has “always liked playing on the road” going back to his days in high school. Perhaps he and Nabers will once again perform like a dynamic one-two punch when the 2-5 Giants play at the 5-2 Pittsburgh Steelers this coming Monday night.
As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Giants as six-point underdogs against the Steelers. Some believe Jones could become a full-time spectator as soon as next week if Big Blue loses in Pittsburgh if only so the Giants can escape his contract during the upcoming offseason.
According to ESPN stats, Nabers leads the Giants with 427 receiving yards and three touchdown catches on the season. He’s second with 39 receptions and 60 targets, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he missed two straight games while in the concussion protocol.
