Malik Nabers reflects on record breaking performance and rookie season

East Rutherford, NJ – 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 the results will come in the last from the process.

That cliche saying might serve as a succinct summary of how the Giants’ 100th season unfolded, with an unprecedented 10-game skid before their third win stopped the bleeding. It was a year of countless injuries and close losses that came down to one or more late games that gave the Giants their toughest campaign to forget.

Still, it was a process that, with diligence and going back to the drawing board at practice every week, eventually found its way out of the dark into the light. Nabers, who erupted for the best performance of his rookie debut to etch his name into the record books, found himself the conductor who roared to a much-needed victory.

Knocking on the door to become the third NFL rookie duo to surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage, Nabers teamed with fellow rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr, who added 75 yards of work himself, to electrify Giants offense with seven catches for 171 yards and two. touchdowns to deliver one last record-setting performance for the fanbase that has been waiting all year for her.

“I felt good. It felt good to go out there with my brothers in the last home game and get a win for all the fans that came out today,” Nabers said after the game.

“Congratulations to him and myself for coming out here, going out there in practice, doing our job and then coming into the game and helping to help the team win. We did as much as possible so we could win.

“It’s amazing to see Tyrone come out every day in training and do the things he does. He and I lifted each other up throughout the season. We had things early in the season that didn’t go our way, but we stayed down with each other, picked each other up, and it’s paying off.”

The Giants cruised to a rare win thanks to epic contributions from all three phases of the roster, including five total touchdowns from quarterback Drew Lock and one on a 100-yard punt return by Ihmir Smith -Marsette. This opened the second half and lifted the Giants to a two-score affair that they had to fight the Colts to maintain.

That’s where their defense stepped in and added the complementary effort, forcing two sacks and three total fumbles to stifle Joe Flacco and keep 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 against the Giants’ makeshift offensive line. Even with injuries and a front reshuffling, the Giants didn’t give up a sack for the first time all season and gave Lock plenty of time to make big connections with his No. 1 target.

“As a rookie to do those things. A long time has passed; I don’t know how long it’s been since that happened, but it was great for me to have the opportunity to do it. But I want to thank my offensive line, my quarterbacks that threw the ball to me, and my receivers in my room, you know?

“Even though I don’t get as many goals as I do in a game, I still find a way to pick myself up and push myself every week in training and continue to be proud of what I’ve done, be proud of what I have made. they did it as an organization, as a group. So just having those guys with me was a lot.”

As much as Nabers needed his teammates to keep his spirits up amid a difficult rookie campaign, one in which he was tested by countless losses and nagging injuries to his body, they relied on him and fully embraced the chance. being a leader despite being such a young part of the team.

Nabers became more comfortable talking publicly about the team’s frustrations and what they needed to do better. He made sure his words were backed up by his actions on the gridiron. Those actions included eight games with at least six catches over the last nine, keeping his mind in the game instead of wandering off when things went south.

Even against the Colts with a toe ailment and the prospect of the offseason looming around the corner, Nabers wasn’t shy about being a role model for his teammates and competing like it was the ball game. It was ingrained in his mentality to strive to win every game, and that spirit guided him and the Giants to a proud team victory.

“I mean because we’re still locked in this season. We had two games left, so to take my mind off those two games left to worry about next year, it wouldn’t be good and it’s not going to be a smooth ride,” Nabers said.

“It will be a bumpy road. I’ve learned that my whole life, but I’ve learned how to keep my mental strength, keep my focus on this year, what my legacy is this year, and then continue after the year is over.

“It’s hard to win in this league, for sure. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. There will be games you thought you should have won. There will be games you go into thinking you should win, and games you go into 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 you go into every game expecting to win, although it’s hard to win in this league. You expect to win every game you go into.”

The Giants will take the field one more time this season in Philadelphia to face the Eagles before bowing out in the 2024 season, and will no doubt want to feel the feeling of victory one more time after making it finally in the home final. .

It will be one last opportunity to build on his record NFL debut and help his team get off on the right foot with an eye toward a return in 2025.

With a game like the one they had on Sunday, the Giants should know they are nurturing who will master greatness after expecting it at such a young age.