Malik Nabers was quiet on the field but ready to explode in the locker room.
The rookie receiver called the Giants “soft as f–k” for their effort Sunday in a 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers and questioned why he is not more involved in the offensive play-calling.
“First, second quarter, I don’t get the ball,” Nabers said. “Start getting targets at the end. I mean, can’t do nothing. Start getting the ball when it’s 30-0. What do you want me to do?”
Nabers had zero targets in the first half and finished with six catches for 64 yards on nine targets. It was his fifth straight game since a return from a concussion that looked nothing like his red-hot four-game start.
And now head coach/offensive play-caller Brian Daboll has a fire on his hands.
“Talk to Dabes about that,” Nabers said when asked why he isn’t getting the ball earlier in the game. “They come up to me and ask me what plays I want and that was that. I don’t know.”
The quarterback change from Daniel Jones to Tommy DeVito did not provide the “spark” Daboll hoped. It didn’t sound like Nabers blamed either of them.
“Obviously, it ain’t the quarterback,” Nabers said. “Same outcome when we had DJ at quarterback. Take a look: It ain’t the quarterback.”
So, what is it then?
“I don’t know what it is,” Nabers said. “Everybody knows better than me.”
Nabers was seated away from the other receivers on the bench at one point during the game.
“I’m tired of going out there and losing,” Nabers said. “It’s just that.”