Giants WR Malik Nabers frustrated with ‘soft’ effort in loss to Buccaneers

With Tommy DeVito at the helm, New York’s offensive issues persisted with 45 total yards in the first half and a goose egg through three quarters. In fact, of the 245 yards of total offense on Sunday, nearly half were produced in the fourth quarter (107 yards) with the game already out of hand, including the Giants only score.

Nabers, who led the team in receptions and yards coming into Week 12 despite missing three games, didn’t see his first target on Sunday until the second half against, and that led to the Giants’ budding star questioning his usage.

“First, second quarter, I don’t get the ball,” said Nabers, who finished with six receptions for 64 yards. “Start getting targets at the end. I mean, can’t do nothing. Start getting the ball when it’s 30-0. What do you want me to do?”

Asked why he wasn’t getting the ball in the first half, Nabers answered, “I don’t know. Talk to Dabs (head coach Brian Daboll) about that.”

Giants head coach Brian Daboll didn’t have those answers, but was willing to admit “the game got away from us.”

“We didn’t have very many plays,” Daboll said of Nabers’ usage in the first half. “Certainly had some there dialed up, and they had whether its a coverage design — I’m not saying double him or anything like that — just a better coverage for the play in and of itself.”

DeVito was roughed up in his seventh career start and first of the 2024 season. Without a threatening rushing attack, the Buccaneers’ aggressive front had its sights set on an injury-riddled offensive line and the second-year quarterback behind it. DeVito was sacked four times and sustained nine QB hits, finishing 21 of 31 for 189 yards.

Nabers wasn’t putting any blame on DeVito for the Giants’ porous offensive display, however.

“Obviously, it ain’t the quarterback,” Nabers said. “Same outcome when we had D.J. at quarterback. Take a look, it ain’t the quarterback.”

The Giants have yet to notch a win at MetLife in seven games so far this season, and Sunday’s seven-point effort will bring down a 10.6 point per game average at home in 2024, which not only leads the league but would be the fewest by any team since the 2000 season if at holds up, per Next Gen Stats.

With the Giants sitting a 2-9, the losses and frustrations are mounting, and perhaps it could soon reach a boiling point that brings even more changes for the G-Men in the future.