Getty New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers had an interesting explanation for his second half performance versus the Philadelphia Eagles.
The New York Giants offense put together another dud performance at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 20 — which resulted in a resounding 28-3 victory for the NFC East rival.
Included in that disappointing effort was a quiet second half for rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, who finished the game with 4 catches for 41 yards. Although that total led the NYG WR corps in Week 7, it also matched Nabers’ production for the first half, being that the Eagles secondary blanked the rising star over the final two quarters of play.
After the loss, when reporters asked Nabers about getting shut out throughout the course of the second half — and if there was anything Philadelphia’s defense did differently to contain him — the first-round selection had a very unexpected response.
Malik Nabers was asked if the Eagles’ defense did anything differently in the first half that he hadn’t seen on film:
“Watch the target tape. That was it. I was open.”
“I mean, nothing really different,” Nabers said, adding: “Watch the target tape. That was it, I was open.”
Needless to say, candid answers like this are typically frowned upon in a team sport. Even if they end up being proved truthful.
Giants Offense Experienced Groundhog Day Without Left Tackle Andrew Thomas
The Giants have a huge problem to sort out going forward, and it ties into Nabers potentially getting “open” and not receiving the football.
Whether it was Daniel Jones under center or Drew Lock, NYG quarterbacks had no time to find their pass-catchers downfield against the Eagles without left tackle Andrew Thomas manning the blindside — and the performance was painfully reminiscent of when Thomas was sidelined in early 2023.
Replacement left tackle Joshua Ezeudu stood no chance matching up with Eagles pass rushers along the edge of the offensive line, and Jones reverted to his 2023 self with pressure bearing down on him. Those issues virtually neutralized offensive weapons like Nabers and Darius Slayton, with Wan’Dale Robinson leading the Giants in receptions (6) but not yardage.
Unfortunately for Giants fans, it was like Groundhog Day at MetLife Stadium. If this offensive ineptitude continues throughout the remainder of the 2024 campaign, it’s hard to envision a world where general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll both survive year three leading the organization.
Giants HC Brian Daboll Admits Team Was ‘Outcoached’ & ‘Outplayed’
Daboll began his postgame press conference by stating that the Giants were “outcoached” and “outplayed” — and there’s no denying that when you lose 28-3.
“Obviously, we didn’t do enough offensively,” the NYG HC added. “Hardly had any yards, no points.”
Daboll was more complimentary of the defense, who “battled hard” in his opinion. Although he also acknowledged that the game “got away from” the Giants as it went on, and that statement appeared to include the defense as well.
“Just not a good day, all the way around,” Daboll concluded before opening the floor up for questions. He was clear about making “no excuses” about his team’s performance.
All told, the Giants only ran 10 fewer plays than the Eagles, matching them in passing first downs (6) and total drives (13), but they were dominated in the run game.
Philadelphia rushed for 13 first downs, while Big Blue rushed for four. This contributed to the disparity in the time of possession, which leaned heavily toward the Eagles (35 minutes compared to a little over 24 minutes).
Philadelphia also converted on three fourth downs despite struggling on third downs, but the biggest difference was the yards per play efficiency. The Giants averaged 2.2 yards per play in Week 7, while the Eagles averaged 5.2 yards per play. A difference of 3.0 yards per play in favor of Philadelphia.
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Giants WR Malik Nabers Sends Strong Message on Being ‘Open’ vs. Eagles