Malik Nabers’ Giants frustrations not worrying Brian Daboll after ‘open’ comments

If the Giants are losing games, and if the Giants are getting blown out like they were in a 28-3 loss to the Eagles on Sunday when the offense managed just 119 total yards, then head coach Brian Daboll hopes his players are frustrated. 

That’s what appeared to happen in the aftermath of the game, when star rookie Malik Nabers told reporters to “watch the target tape” because he “was open.”

Nabers, who returned to the lineup after suffering a concussion and missing two weeks, caught four passes for 41 yards in the opening half but managed just two targets across the final 30 minutes — both occurring after Daboll benched quarterback Daniel Jones and replaced him with Drew Lock. 

When asked about Nabers’ comments, perhaps a sign of frustrations mounting as the Giants offense continues to sputter, Daboll said that he didn’t “want to imply” what Nabers meant or didn’t mean, though he did acknowledge that the wideout “was open a lot, yeah.” 

“I respect Malik,” Daboll said Monday. “I respect all our guys. Again, I don’t want to imply as to what he said or what he didn’t say. If he said he was open, he was open quite a bit.” 

Jones, who finished 14 of 21 for 99 yards before getting benched, threw his first two attempts to Nabers, with one going for 13 yards and another one falling incomplete.