Giants Receiver Malik Nabers Laments Over the One That Got Away

Nabers had a pretty good day save for the one pass he dropped at the end.

Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs down the field pressured by Washington Commanders defensive back Juan Martin (20) in the first half at Commanders Field. / Luke Johnson-Imagn Images

New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers doesn’t want to hear that he had his first 100-yard game—likely the first of any he’ll have–as a New York Giant.

He doesn’t want to hear that he caught 10 of 18 passes and continues to live up to his first-round draft status.

All Nabers was willing to think about following his team’s 21-18 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday was the one that got away.

“I mean, there's really not no up and down. It's just–I don't know,” Nabers lamented at his locker following the disappointing loss. 

“It's really just going back in my head and seeing how could I have done it differently with the mistakes I made and hoping to get it back, but I know I couldn't. I know that I can't get that play back. [I] just got to move on.”

Nabers was, of course, talking about his final pass target of the game--and the Giants' final play on offense. The fourth-down pass by quarterback Daniel Jones, while slightly high, was catchable, and Nabers, who prides himself in making every catch, regardless of difficulty, had that one go right through his hands for an incompletion with 2:03 left in the game.”

"I'm disappointed. I mean, no matter how good of a game you can play, that last play came down to me,” Nabers said

“I'm hurt that I let those veterans down. I mean, they know what kind of player I am. [DT] Dex [Lawrence], [DE Brian] Burns, [LB] Isaiah [Simmons]... I know what kind of confidence they got in me.”

Head coach Brian Daboll had a very different opinion of the rookie’s play.

“I thought he played well,” he said. 

“Nabers – it was a bunch of one-on-one coverage, and they started running split safeties. So, with them playing split safeties, we ran the ball. Post-high, we threw it to him. What did he have 18 targets? Ten catches. The last one, he is as competitive as can be. I appreciate how competitive he is and how much he cares.”

 Nabers being hard on himself is admirable, but his drop was far from being the only reason why the Giants fell to 0-2 against the Commanders. The defense couldn’t force a single punt all game long, and the Commanders scored on every possession, save for the one at the end of the first half. And on offense, running back Devin Singletary’s fumble was a major backbreaker, as the Giants were looking to build a more comfortable lead at the time on that drive, only to see it abruptly end.

But don’t try using any of that to console Nabers, who has been impressive with his maturity thus far, no matter the circumstances. 

“They're high on me. They're passing me the ball. They know I can make plays, I'm sure,” he said. “Out of a thousand times, they're going to continue to call that play and go at me on fourth down again. So, obviously I want to make that play.

“I don't want to ever let my team down. That's the main motto that's in my head: Don't let my team down. I let my team down,” he added.

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Follow on Instagram.
• Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.