He was bound to be asked, but Brian Daboll wouldn’t be drawn on what he said to Malik Nabers after the rookie wide receiver unleashed a verbal tirade against the New York Giants, following the 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.
Instead, Daboll simply excused Nabers speaking out by calling the 21-year-old “a very competitive individual,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Daboll also admitted getting Nabers more targets and catches is his responsibility: “You want to get the ball in his hands and I’ve got to do a better job of getting the ball in his hands early.”
That’s a diplomatic response from a coach put under pressure by Nabers’ post-game outburst. The first-year pass-catcher accused his team of being “soft” and lamented not getting the ball until it was too late.
Increasing Nabers’ workload won’t be easy when Daboll is overseeing a quarterback situation best described as a mess.
Brian Daboll Defiant Amid Struggles on Offense
Nabers wants more targets earlier in games, but his hopes depend on whoever is playing quarterback. It was Tommy DeVito against the Buccaneers, but the former third-stringer’s struggles have already prompted calls for Daboll to quickly make a switch.
Expensive deputy Drew Lock would be the next man up, but promoting the veteran would hardly ease concerns about how the Giants attack defenses through the air. Those concerns are compounded by Daboll failing to make a difference since he took over calling plays.
Offensive coordinator Mike Kakfa was reduced to a figurehead because Daboll having the headset was supposed create a more expansive passing game. It hasn’t happened, with the Giants ranked last in the league for touchdown passes and 28th in yards.
Daboll is undeterred, confirming he’ll continue to call the plays, per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos: “We’ll stay status quo here.”
The Giants won’t change how the offense is run, but they do need new ways to keep Nabers onside.
Malik Nabers Becoming Increasingly Frustrated
Nabers’ frustrations are becoming a recurring and public problem for the Giants. His brutal comments after the Bucs game should have Daboll and his staff worried.
Those words made ESPNs Jordan Raanan think of “something I was told after he was drafted. A source told me: “He’ll speak his mind. He’s honest, sometimes to a fault.”
Yet as Raanan also pointed out, “Nabers wasn’t wrong about anything he said after Sunday’s blowout loss.”
The most talented and dynamic and skill player on the roster needs the ball in his hands more often. More importantly, Nabers needs better opportunities to gain yards after the catch underneath, as well as to stretch the field vertically.
Struggles in both areas help explain the wideout’s discontent. Nabers hasn’t even managed two yards after catch per reception in any of his last four games, according to Pro Football Reference. The 2.4 deep targets he’s getting each game, per Player Profiler, shows the Giants aren’t letting Nabers take the top off of defenses often enough.
It’s obvious where the work needs to be done, but Daboll doesn’t have the talent at quarterback or along the offensive line to make the play designs Nabers needs a reality. So there are sure to be more uncomfortable conversations between coach and player behind closed doors.
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