Malik Nabers spent seven entertaining minutes on Wednesday promising to channel his frustration higher this week than he did in final Sunday’s Week 1 loss at Washington.
Then he walked off the rostrum when confronted with a ultimate query: is it irritating that the Giants have misplaced their final eight to the Cowboys, and the way a lot does he need to change that?
“I’m not answering that one,” Nabers, 22, mentioned, turning and strolling away with a smile.
That was a stunning solution to end a press convention wherein Nabers stayed on message about needing to vent his emotions in a different way than he did on nationwide tv towards the Commanders.
Then once more, what’s there for the Giants to say?
Dallas has overwhelmed them in eight straight going again to 2020, when Joe Decide beat the Cowboys in New Jersey, and in 15 of their final 16 relationship again to 2016, when Ben McAdoo bought a street win.
And Nabers’ Giants offense didn’t even rating a landing towards the Commanders. They turned the primary group in 83 years to have six or fewer factors in season openers in three straight seasons, in accordance with ESPN Analysis.
That was sufficient to make Nabers shut the movie off as he watched it again.
“I looked at it a little bit, got frustrated again, turned it off,” Nabers mentioned. “Sick to my abdomen.
“Not even saying the whole team, my game play, start with mine first,” he mentioned. “I believe I’m a key part of this offense. So when I don’t play right, the energy’s not right. But like I said, I got sick to my stomach and turned it off.”
The second-year receiver clearly obtained a speaking to from head coach Brian Daboll after how Sunday spiraled uncontrolled.
Nabers and Daboll alarmingly bought into it on the sideline within the first quarter of the Giants’ first recreation of your entire season.
They might be seen jawing at one another, and the FOX digicam captured Nabers not returning a Daboll excessive 5 try after their spat.
Nabers additionally sat on the bench with a towel over his head late within the fourth quarter.
Nabers mocked himself, insisting that “I got a natural b–ch face,” so he all the time seems to be disgruntled even when he’s even keeled.
He additionally mentioned his frustration was misunderstood by the general public. He wasn’t bothered by not getting the ball, since he did see 12 targets. He was irritated he solely had 5 catches on these targets. And he wished the offense to generate extra as a bunch.
“I was trying to get the offense going, trying to get people to let’s get rolling, the lights was on, the game was on, it’s time to play,” he mentioned.
However clearly Daboll wished him to clear issues up for the cameras on Wednesday to attempt to clean over the narrative that the Giants’ home is on fireplace. So Nabers did his responsibility.
“I had a talk with [Daboll] after the game, just sideline demeanor, myself included,” he mentioned. “And I can see how it got blown out of proportion. But I had my thinking face on, that was my thinking cap. I wasn’t really focused on where I was, but I was trying to think of what can we get to, how can we get some more plays to be made on this team, how can we score points.”
He mentioned he is aware of what to alter about how he performed: “more aggressive when the ball is in the air.”
He mentioned his “technique” was “lackadaisical sometimes when the ball was in the air” as a result of he “tried to do some other things to manipulate the [defensive back] while the ball was in the air.” He wouldn’t disclose how a lot of a problem his again damage is.
And he is aware of he has to “take a different route” when he tries to fireside the offense up, to be extra delicate and inspiring “rather than speaking abrupt, loud and being aggressive.”
Nabers may solely keep Zen for thus lengthy on Wednesday, although. The sheer mentioning of the Giants’ futility towards the Cowboys was not one thing he wished to listen to.
That is going to take a combat by way of adversity for the Giants to come back out on the opposite aspect, although. And on Sunday, Nabers goes to must hold his head to get them there.
