The New York Giants’ 1-3 record about a quarter into the season isn’t the only worry for coach Brian Daboll, and it might not even be the most pressing.
The concern is likely greater when it comes to standout rookie receiver Malik Nabers. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft left Thursday night’s 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys late in the game due to a concussion.
Daboll mentioned that Nabers was at the Giants’ facility on Friday and was in concussion protocol. This means he cannot practice until he receives clearance from New York’s medical staff and an independent neurological consultant. He did attend team meetings as the Giants reviewed the game film from Dallas.
Nabers and the Giants will have more than a week to prepare for their game against the Seahawks (3-0) in Seattle on Oct. 6. Seattle is set to play at Detroit on Sunday.
“Yeah, we’ll just take it day by day here and see where he’s at,” Daboll said on Friday when asked what the team would do if Nabers wasn’t ready for the game against Seattle.
Nabers is leading the Giants with 35 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns. He had a career-high 12 receptions for 115 yards against Dallas, including a 39-yard catch, which was the longest completion of the season for the team. This was his second 100-yard game.
The LSU product has seven catches of at least 20 yards and 19 receptions that resulted in first downs, being targeted on 52 of Daniel Jones’ 144 pass attempts.
He has been a key part of an offense that is gaining yards but not scoring many points. Greg Joseph kicked five field goals to account for New York’s points against the Cowboys.
Despite the slow start, Daboll remains hopeful. The offensive line is performing better than last year. The receivers are making big plays, and the defense has kept three opponents to 21 points or fewer. The challenge is the offense, which is averaging just 15 points.
