New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers spoke over the summer about growing into a leadership role on the offense.
On Wednesday, he took another step toward becoming one of the Giants’ leaders both on the field and in the locker room.
Giants’ head coach Brian Daboll and quarterback Russell Wilson both said after the Giants’ overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys that the overtime interception that led to the loss was a miscommunication. On Wednesday, Nabers took responsibility for that miscommunication.
“That’s my fault,” Nabers said. He went on to say that he was concentrating on how he was being played, and not on whether Wilson was going to attack down the field.
“I should have been in more communication with Russ to know what we were trying to do. I was locked in on trying to figure out how the defense was playing me at the time, and I wasn’t really looking at the right time for him to give me what he gave me to try to change the run-up. That’s 100% my fault. I should have been in communication with Russ the whole time.”
That was the second time in the overtime period where Wilson tried to make use of the vertical passing attack that had gashed the Dallas defense in regulation.
The first time was a vertical pass to Wan’Dale Robinson in the slot. That appeared to be another miscommunication as Robinson started to settle in a coverage void, rather than running through coverage as Wilson expected.
Missed connection aside, this was a breakout game for Robinson and Nabers is quick to acknowledge how his fellow receiver has helped him
“Wan’Dale, he helps me just by – we help each other,” Nabers said. “All receivers help each other, (Darius Slayton) Slay also. The ball hasn’t been finding Slay, but he does a tremendous job of keeping us uplifted, continuing to get open in his routes. Wan’Dale helps me just by making a lot of plays, getting him the ball. Giving him the ball in space helps space the defense out so we can run the ball, and also take a lot of people off of me. I get bracketed sometimes, I get Tampa 2, so finding another guy in there that can do a lot of things, get some yards, it helps even the offense, balance the offense.”
The two complement each other well, and Robinson’s quickness and toughness stand out.
“I’m bigger than him. He’s much quicker than me,” Nabers said. “He’s an effective route runner. He’s very fast, very quick, can catch the ball very, how would you say it, he’s like moxie a little bit. He doesn’t go down after the first hit. He takes a lot of big hits, but he continues to fight for yards. He’s got that dog in him to want to be the best just like I do.”
Nabers certainly showed that dog against the Cowboys. On what could — maybe should — have been the dagger play to end the game, he was the victim of an un-called pass interference. Cowboys cornerback Kaiir Elam didn’t just hit Nabers while the ball was in the air, but had his eyes covered.
“I was locked in on that ball,” Nabers said about the play. “(There) was nothing that was going to not make me catch that ball. Everybody talked about it. In slow motion you can see his hands over my eyes but in real time it’s like he just flashed over. Once I just moved my back into him, I knew I was about to catch it once I saw where the ball was.”
That play triggered an outpouring of emotion on the Giants’ sideline, and Nabers is hoping to deliver more of the same this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Giants will face the reigning AFC Champions at their home opener on Sunday Night Football. For his part, Nabers can’t wait to play for Giants’ fans.
“The fans mean everything,” he said. “It’s the reason why we want to play the game, to see everybody come out and see the celebrations when we make plays, hear the crowd say my name loud. I love the fans. The fans have shown me nothing but love, so I have an extremely big heart for those fans that come out and watch us play.”
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