Players to watch in Week 18 matchup

Similar to Lock, Malik Nabers put together the best game of his young NFL career in Week 17. The rookie wide receiver caught seven passes for a season-high 171 yards and two touchdowns. The receiving yardage was the highest by any Giant since 2021. While the final stat line is obviously impressive, the performance looks even better when you look more closely at it. Nabers generated 105 yards after the catch against the Colts and +63 yards after the catch over expected. The latter was the third-most in a single game by any player this season. His touchdowns came from 31 and 59 yards out, showing just how dangerous the young wideout is with the ball in his hands.

The 21-year-old increased his season total to 104 receptions, the second-highest total in Giants history and only three behind Steve Smith, who had 107 in 2009. Nabers is four shy of the new NFL rookie record of 108 catches, set by Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers last Sunday. Nabers is tied with Miami’s Jaylen Waddle (104 catches in 2021) for the third-highest rookie receptions total in history, behind Bowers and the Rams’ Puka Nacua, who had 105 catches for the Rams last season. Bowers has played all 16 games this season, while Nabers has played 14. Bowers and Nabers rank third and fourth, respectively, in the league in receptions this season, trailing Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase (117) and Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown (109). The Giants’ rookie receiver also ranks eighth in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,140.

Nabers wasn’t the only Giant rookie to etch his name in the NFL record books last week. Tyrone Tracy Jr. totaled 73 yards of offense against the Colts (59 rushing, 14 receiving), which brought his total to 1,057 yards on the season. Nabers and Tracy became the third rookie duo in NFL history, and only the second since the 1970 merger, to each have 1,000 yards from scrimmage. In 1960, the American Football League’s Dallas Texans – who later became the Kansas City Chiefs – had Abner Haynes (1,451 yards) and Johnny Robinson (1,069) reach the 1K mark, while the 2006 New Orleans Saints had Reggie Bush (1,307) and Marques Colston (1,038) top 1,000 yards, as well.

Nabers and Tracy rank third and fourth, respectively, in yards of offense among all rookies in Giants history, trailing only Saquon Barkley (2,028 in 2018) and Beckham (1,340 in 2014). Heading into Week 18, Tracy ranks third among all rookies in rushing yards (780) and fifth in yards from scrimmage. The Eagles currently rank inside the top 10 rushing yards, rushing yards per attempt, and rushing touchdowns allowed on the year. However, the unit has allowed four of their last five opponents to run for more than 110 yards against them.