Giants Country

Giants WR Malik Nabers Earns Rookie Recognition After Big Performance vs Colts

The Giants first-round pass catcher flashed his aerial talents in a career-high game against Indianapolis and strolled onto a notable honor roll.

Stephen Lebitsch

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024.
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a touchdown during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The New York Giants fan base might have thought they had seen the best they would get from the team after their two early wins. To their surprise, and that of the football world, rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had other plans in mind, and they’re now celebrating the icing on one of the brightest early campaigns in the NFL. 

In the penultimate game of his professional debut, which was on the cusp of rookie history, Nabers went berserk on a loose Indianapolis Colts defense, catching seven passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns to power the Giants to a thrilling 45-33 win that ended their 10-game losing streak dating back to Week 5. 

His efforts, which included two scoring plays of 30+ yards and over 100 receiving yards in the first half alone, pushed the LSU product over the 1,000-yard threshold to make him a member of the third novice duo in league history to amass the scrimmage marker alongside fellow rookie running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. who did it with his 75 combined yards on the day.

With Nabers’ offensive explosion at the center of the performance, the Giants scored five touchdowns behind quarterback Drew Lock. 

They dominated the Colts in the other two phases to stave off a shootout and notch a long-awaited and well-deserved third win in the franchise's historically dismal 100th season. 

For his heroics that still have one week left to be built on, Nabers has earned a heaping portion of the media’s praise entering the final week of his first NFL rodeo, including his first nomination to The 33rd Team’s weekly list of the top 10 non-quarterback rookie performances of the Week 17 slate as one of four wide receivers to make the group. 

Nabers’ remarkable feat did more than just insert him into this list and set him up to become the most accomplished first-year Giants receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014. 

It also added credence to the strength of the 2024 position class, which he headlines. He was joined by fellow rookies Ladd McConkey and Brian Thomas Jr., who are both part of a core of four players who have tallied 1,000 receiving yards this season.

The No. 6 pick’s overall stat line might not outweigh those of the two aforementioned players in a stat-by-stat comparison, but what has differentiated him from the pack is the volume with which he produces every week.

Nabers trails Thomas in total yards accumulated and McConkey in touchdowns. Still, he has beaten out the two competitors with an average of 84.0 yards per game and is only looking up at some of the greatest veteran players in his position to grace the sport. 

Outside of that, Nabers has rallied himself to his breakout moment with poise, toughness, and a little bit of athletic savvy, something that has caught the eye of many of his teammates when talking about his jaw-dropping skills and plays. 

“That’s exactly why we drafted him where we drafted him,” head coach Brian Daboll said after the game. 

“He’s a pretty good football player, and he’s missed two games and is battling through it…between him and Tracy, to do it in a season like this with a variety of quarterbacks, I think that’s pretty impressive to say that we’ve got the right guys.” 

Speaking of that savvy, Nabers unveiled it numerous times for the entire MetLife Stadium populace as he torched the Colts for his two trips to the endzone. 

The first came on the Giants' second possession of the first half when he hauled in a 31-yard Drew Lock pass and split two defenders to begin a footrace back to the middle and down the right sideline for the opening touchdown of the contest. 

Later in the fourth quarter, Nabers doubled down by snatching another deep ball from Lock, slipping out a couple of missed tackles, and galloping 59 yards downfield with the football to notch his second score. This put the Giants ahead by two scores, which they’d never relinquish. 

It was the perfect symbolic performance for a young man who is loaded with talent yet needs the right winning pieces around him to thrive in an NFL offense fully.

From the offensive line’s crisp blocking to the turnover-free passing from Lock, Nabers has all the elements he needs to etch his name in the newest pages of Giants football lore. 

What’s next you might ask after this recent honor? Well, the Giants have one more chance to put a bow on it against Philadelphia in Week 18. 

Then it is on to the offseason, where they must put the pieces together, most importantly a quarterback, to create a product with Nabers that will compete in 2025 and beyond. 

For Nabers himself, it’ll be about cleaning up the drops that have haunted him and continuing to make the most of his opportunities. 

Once he is partnered with that new quarterback and improved pieces, it feels like the only way is up after an outing for the ages that gave the Giants a spark for at least one Sunday. 

Nabers’ appearance marks the third time a Giants rookie has made The 33rd Team’s list, with Tyrone Tracy earning two spots in Weeks 6 and 10 in his equally impressive welcome to the NFL.

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Stephen Lebitsch
STEPHEN LEBITSCH

“Stephen Lebitsch is a graduate of Fordham University, Class of 2021, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications (with a minor in Sports Journalism) and spent three years as a staff writer for The Fordham Ram. With his education and immense passion for the space, he is looking to transfer his knowledge and talents into a career in the sports media industry. Along with his work for the FanNation network and Giants Country, Stephen’s stops include Minute Media and Talking Points Sports.

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