East Rutherford, N.J. - For New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, his stunning performance in the team’s 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday showed that the proof really is in the pudding or that the results will eventually come from the process.
That cliche saying could serve as a concise synopsis of how the Giants' 100th season, riding an unprecedented 10-game losing skid before their third win stopped the bleeding, has gone. It’s been a year of countless injuries and close losses that came down to one or more plays at the end of games that handed the Giants their toughest campaign to forget.
Still, it was a process that, with diligence and going back to the drawing board at practice each week, eventually found its way out of the darkness into the light. Nabers, who erupted for his best performance of his rookie debut to etch his name into the record books, found himself being the train conductor that roared to a much-needed victory.
Knocking on the door of becoming the third rookie duo in the NFL to surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage, Nabers partnered with fellow novice Tyrone Tracy Jr, who added 75 yards of work himself, to electrify the Giants offense with seven catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns to give one last record-setting showcase to the fanbase that had been waiting all year for it.
“It felt good. It felt good to go out there with my brothers on the last home game and get a win for all the fans that came out today,” Nabers said after the game.
"It’s kudos to him and me that we came out here, came out there in practice, did our job, and then came in the game and contributed to help the team win. We did as much as possible so we could win.
“Seeing Tyrone go out every day at practice and do the things that he do, it’s amazing. Me and him have been uplifting each other through the season. We had stuff at the beginning of the season that didn’t go our way, but we stayed down with each other, uplifted each other and it’s paying off.”
The Giants marched their way to a rare victory thanks to epic contributions from all three phases of the roster, including five total touchdowns from quarterback Drew Lock and one that cashed in on a 100-yard kickoff return by Ihmir Smith-Marsette. This opened up the second half and lifted the Giants to a two-score affair that they had to fight off the Colts to maintain.
That’s where their defense came in and added to the complimentary effort, forcing two sacks and three total turnovers to stifle Joe Flacco and Indianapolis from stealing the game they needed to keep their postseason dream alive for another week.
Nothing stood out more and helped guys like Nabers make their remarkable contributions than the protection from the Giants makeshift offensive line. Even with injuries and a reshuffling of the front, the Giants didn’t succumb to a sack for the first time all season and gave Lock ample time to make the big connections to his No. 1 target.
“Coming in as a rookie to do those things. It’s been a long time; I don’t know how long it’s been since it happened, but it’s been great for me to have the opportunity to do it. But I want to thank my offensive line, my quarterbacks who have been throwing me the ball, and my receivers in my room, you know?
“Even though they don’t get as many targets as I do in a game, they still find a way to uplift me and encourage me every week at practice and continue to be proud of what I’ve done, be proud of what we have done as an organization, as a group. So, just having those guys alongside me it’s been a lot.”
As much as Nabers has needed his teammates to keep his spirits high amid a difficult rookie campaign, one in which he has been tested by countless defeats and nagging injuries to his body, they’ve relied on him, and he has fully embraced the chance to be a leader despite being such a young piece of the team.
Nabers has grown more comfortable speaking publicly about the team's frustrations and what they needed to do better. He has made sure his words are backed up by his actions on the gridiron. Those actions have included eight games with at least six catches in the last nine, keeping his mind in the game instead of wandering off when things were heading south.
Even against the Colts with a toe ailment and the offseason prospects looming around the corner, Nabers didn’t shy away from being a role model for his teammates and competing like the game was for all the marbles. It’s been ingrained into his mindset to strive to win every game, and that spirit guided him and the Giants to a prideful team win.
“I mean because we’re still locked in on this season. We still had two games left, so to take my mind off of those two games left to worry about next year, it wouldn’t be right and it’s not going to be a smooth sailing ride,” Nabers said.
“It’s going to be a bumpy road. I’ve been learning that my whole life, but learning how to keep my mental strength, keep my focus locked in on this year, what’s leaving my legacy on this year and then continuing after the year is over.
“It’s hard to win in this league, for sure. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. There’s going to be games you thought you should have won. There’s going to be games you go in and think you should win, and games you go in and be like not sure.
“But the games you’re not so sure about are the games you want to play and the games you celebrate more when you win. I would say just going into every game just expecting to win even though it’s hard to win in this league. You expect to win in every game that you’re going in.”
The Giants will take the field once more this season in Philadelphia to face the Eagles before they put a bow on their 2024 season, and they will no doubt want to feel their feeling of a win one more time after finally achieving it in the home finale.
It’ll be one last opportunity to build on his record-setting introduction to the NFL level and help send his team out on the right foot with their eyes toward a rebound in 2025.
With a game like the one he had on Sunday, the Giants should know they are nurturing who will command greatness after putting it into himself and expecting it at such a young age.
