Giants' Malik Nabers Drew 2 of 11 Second-Half Targets Against Cardinals, None in Fourth Quarter
The Giants threw 18 passes before halftime and 11 after, and Isaiah Likely drew four of the five fourth-quarter passes. Nabers, limited Thursday with a knee injury, wants more throws down the field.
Malik Nabers said he didn't get targeted much after halftime of the Giants' 36-24 win over Arizona, and the play-by-play backs him up. He was targeted five times in the first half and caught all five for 84 yards and a touchdown. He was targeted twice after halftime, both in the third quarter, and caught one for 28 yards. The Giants did not throw to him in the fourth quarter. He finished with six catches for 112 yards on seven targets.
Most of the decline came from fewer Giants pass attempts. Jameis Winston attempted 18 passes in the first half and 11 in the second, not counting sacks or two-point tries. Nabers' share of the targets fell from 28% to 18%. Isaiah Likely drew six of the 11 second-half targets and four of the five in the fourth quarter.
"I felt like I didn't get targeted much after halftime," Nabers said at his Wednesday media availability. Asked about his postgame talk with coach John Harbaugh, he said, "I think we need to implement more things after halftime," and that he wanted more throws down the field.
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was asked Thursday about Nabers demonstratively asking the sideline for the ball. He said he likes it "as long as it's done the right way," and that the two of them talked Tuesday. "Don't ever try to not get him the football," Nagy said.
The second half
The Giants led 19-17 at halftime. They had five possessions and 28 offensive plays after the break, not counting plays wiped out by penalties, compared with seven possessions and 33 plays before it. Two of the five second-half possessions ended in turnovers.
Nabers caught an 8-yard pass on the second snap of the third quarter, but an Arizona offside penalty wiped it out. The drive ended three plays later when Winston was intercepted on a deep throw to Likely, and Arizona scored to go ahead 24-19.
On the next possession Nabers caught a 28-yard pass on first down, his only second-half catch. After a sack, Winston threw incomplete to him on second-and-20. On third-and-20, Winston hit Malachi Fields for 40 yards. Nagy cited that play on Thursday. "It was two go's on the outside, and they played cover two over the top," he said, adding that Arizona "played shell over top of Malik." "You're helping somebody else get open," Nagy said. Theo Johnson later caught an 11-yard touchdown pass, and Najee Harris' two-point run made it 27-24 with 1:44 left in the third quarter.
The Giants led 27-24 for all but the last 2:11 of the fourth quarter. They ran 10 times, threw five passes and took one sack. Their three possessions ended in a Harris fumble, a punt and a 52-yard Dominic Zvada field goal with 2:11 left. That last drive included five straight Cam Skattebo runs. Deonte Banks returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown on Arizona's final play.
Deep throws
Nabers said Wednesday that creating explosive plays down the field "was just helping us get in a better position to score touchdowns."
Winston threw four passes that traveled 20 or more yards past the line of scrimmage in the first half, two of them to Nabers. He threw three in the second half, one to Nabers. The Giants completed three passes of 20 or more yards after halftime: Nabers' 28-yarder, Fields' 40-yarder and a 34-yard catch by Likely on third-and-4 early in the fourth quarter. Both of their 20-plus-yard completions before halftime went to Nabers, a 39-yarder and a 25-yard touchdown.
Four games
Through four games, Nabers has drawn 17 of the Giants' 65 first-half targets, or 26%, and nine of their 47 second-half targets, or 19%. He has not had more than four second-half targets in a game. The four came in the opener against Dallas.
| Week | Opponent | 1st-half targets | 2nd-half targets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 5 of 15 | 4 of 14 |
| 2 | at Los Angeles Rams | 3 of 17 | 1 of 15 |
| 3 | Tennessee | 4 of 15 | 2 of 7 |
| 4 | Arizona | 5 of 18 | 2 of 11 |
| Total | 17 of 65 (26%) | 9 of 47 (19%) |
Nabers hurt his shoulder in the first quarter of Week 2 at Los Angeles, and the Giants trailed by at least 11 points every time they threw in the second half of that game. For the season he has 26 targets on 112 Giants pass attempts, about 23%. Through three games, his share was just under a quarter, as GiantsGator's look at his return from a torn ACL showed.
He was on the field for 51 of the Giants' 67 offensive snaps against Arizona, the most among their wide receivers and tight ends.
Washington
Nabers did not practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday with a knee injury. He said Wednesday that he was more sore than usual for that point in the week but expected to work through it.
Winston was asked Wednesday how to get Nabers more chances down the field. "Find him," he said. "I think it's as simple as that."
The Giants' final injury report, with game designations, is due Friday. The Giants (3-1) play at Washington at 1 p.m. Sunday.