New York Giants rookie broad receiver Malik Nabers made historical past along with his efficiency in Week 2, turning into the youngest-ever participant with 10+ receptions, 100+ receiving yards, and a landing.
However none of that mattered after the sport, a 21-18 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Late within the fourth quarter, with the sport on the road, quarterback Daniel Jones fired a fourth-down go to Nabers alongside the sideline. He planted his toes and obtained his palms on the ball, but it surely ricocheted off his fingers and fell to the turf incomplete.
The drop was instantly haunting for Nabers, who was visibly upset within the locker room and expressed disappointment for letting his crew down.
“I’m disenchanted. I imply, regardless of how good of a recreation you may play, that final play got here all the way down to me. I’m simply, I’m harm that I let these veterans down,” Nabers stated. “I imply, they know what sort of participant I’m. Dex, Burns, Isaiah, I do know what sort of confidence they obtained in me.
“So simply letting these guys down. It’s simply, I don’t need to by no means let my crew down. That’s the principle motto that’s in my head: Don’t let my crew down. I let my crew down.”
These exact same veterans obtained into Nabers’ ear this week, reminding him that soccer is a crew sport and a single play isn’t why they limped house with their second straight loss.
“They had been identical to, ‘it’s not on me.’ That one play doesn’t decide the entire recreation. We had a variety of totally different performs to vary the result of the sport,” Nabers instructed reporters on Wednesday. “I had a variety of totally different talks with a number of the veterans. I’m not going to talk on the conversations, however there was simply a variety of uplifting from these veterans.
“It means rather a lot. It signifies that they’ve obtained my again. It solely makes the bond stronger. I’m the brand new particular person coming in, so having these guys as my teammates it’s a strong second for them to come back as much as me, take time after apply and are available as much as me and simply discuss via totally different sorts of moments that I’ve been going via. Simply exhibiting that they’ve obtained my again via all of it.”
With out Nabers’ dominant Week 2 efficiency, the Giants wouldn’t have been ready to win anyway. After all, that’s not how the thoughts of a competitor operates, and why it’s good that the rookie has such good veteran management to lean on.
Now it’s full-steam forward.
“It’s only a second I’ve obtained to place behind me and proceed to go on the market and catch further passes after apply. I’ve been doing it anyway, however simply carry on making an attempt to get catches afterward,” Nabers stated. “You’ve obtained to maintain your head down, work a little bit bit more durable. Keep along with the individuals on this locker room and keep collectively as a crew.”
Profitable cures all, so if Nabers and the Giants can proper the ship and decide up an upset street victory on Sunday towards the Cleveland Browns, that drop will instantly turn into a distant reminiscence.
