New York Giants rookie extensive receiver Malik Nabers made historical past together with his efficiency in Week 2, changing 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 cross to Nabers alongside the sideline. He planted his ft and obtained his arms on the ball, nevertheless it 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 group down.
“I’m dissatisfied. I imply, irrespective of how good of a recreation you may play, that final play got here right down to me. I’m simply, I’m harm that I let these veterans down,” Nabers mentioned. “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 wish to by no means let my group down. That’s the primary motto that’s in my head: Don’t let my group down. I let my group down.”
These exact same veterans obtained into Nabers’ ear this week, reminding him that soccer is a group sport and a single play isn’t why they limped dwelling with their second straight loss.
“They have been identical to, ‘it’s not on me.’ That one play doesn’t decide the entire recreation. We had lots of totally different performs to vary the result of the sport,” Nabers advised reporters on Wednesday. “I had lots of totally different talks with a few of the veterans. I’m not going to talk on the conversations, however there was simply lots of uplifting from these veterans.
“It means loads. It signifies that they’ve obtained my again. It solely makes the bond stronger. I’m the brand new individual coming in, so having these guys as my teammates it’s a robust second for them to return 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 displaying 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. In fact, 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 additional passes after apply. I’ve been doing it anyway, however simply carry on attempting to get catches afterward,” Nabers mentioned. “You’ve obtained to maintain your head down, work slightly bit tougher. Keep along with the individuals on this locker room and keep collectively as a group.”
Profitable cures all, so if Nabers and the Giants can proper the ship and decide up an upset highway victory on Sunday in opposition to the Cleveland Browns, that drop will instantly develop into a distant reminiscence.