Giants’ Nabers downplays spat with Daboll, eyes better demeanor

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers had a conversation with coach Brian Daboll about his sideline demeanor after the two were caught on camera with an animated exchange during Sunday’s 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders.

Both Nabers and Daboll said afterward that it was the result of two competitors trying to win. Nabers said he thought the energy wasn’t right and the Giants were lacking. Daboll said he was trying to get him the ball.

The fiery exchange occurred after just one quarter of the season opener. Nabers said it prompted a talk with the coach afterward but added that the situation was being “blown out of proportion.”

Nabers, a Pro Bowl player as a rookie, is the Giants’ top offensive playmaker and one of their biggest names. With that comes a lot of attention.

“The cameras were just on me,” Nabers said. “I have to be more conscious of that, whether it’s stepping out of my box or talk to [Daboll] on the side. Just being overall aware of where I’m at.”

The sideline conversations Sunday were a biproduct of the Giants’ offense looking awfully similar to when they struggled badly last season. They had just 231 total yards and didn’t score a touchdown in the opener.

Nabers had five catches for 71 yards on 12 targets. His target share wasn’t the problem.

“Just 12 targets and five catches. Not how I want to end the day off,” Nabers said Wednesday. “I know everybody was more focused overall on me getting mad I wasn’t getting the ball. It wasn’t at all what I was concerned about. I had 12 targets. Why would I argue about getting the ball if I had 12 targets?”

Then what was it?

“Just overall how I played,” he said. “I don’t think that is why I was frustrated. Like I said, I was trying to get the offense going. I was trying to get people to, ‘Let’s get rolling.’ The lights were on. The game was on. It was time to play. I feel that just got pushed over and everybody was talking about how I had an attitude and stuff like that.

“I got an NBF. I got a natural b—- face. That is just what it is. That is my face. I don’t know. When you all talk to me, I look the same way every time. It’s just how I am. I guess I have to smile more.”

It wasn’t easy when Nabers went back and looked at the game tape of the season-opening loss. The Giants went 0-for-2 in the red zone and failed to move the ball consistently, even with a new quarterback in Russell Wilson.

At one point in the second half, it looked as if the offensive game plan turned into throwing jump balls to Nabers. The tape wasn’t something the star wide receiver wanted to consume afterward.

“I went to look at it a little bit, got frustrated again, turned it off,” he said. “Sick to my stomach.”

The Giants returned to the field Wednesday for practice and Nabers was limited with a back injury. He also sat out practice last Friday with the problem that dates back to earlier in the summer and forced him to miss several weeks.

Daboll and Nabers didn’t seem to think it would put his availability for this Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys in jeopardy.

“He’ll be out there practicing,” Daboll said before the Wednesday workout. “We’ll pull back a couple reps here or there, but he’ll be in full pads, and he’ll be practicing.”

Nabers confirmed afterward that he was fine.

“I felt good out there,” he said. “Felt great running around, getting back out there and catching the passes. Felt good.”

Perhaps a bigger challenge than getting on the field Sunday will be beating the Cowboys. Nabers and the Giants lost both of their meetings against Dallas last season. New York has lost eight straight in the series and 15 of 16 to the Cowboys.

When told of the recent history between the teams and asked about the frustration it causes to hear about those struggles, Nabers walked off the podium and ended the news conference, which was winding down.

“Not answering that one,” he said with a chuckle.