Will Daboll Give Nabers Targets He Deserves?

Rookie receiver Malik Nabers sounded off, airing his grievances that he didn’t see a target until the second half when the game was already over.

He’s right. And it may not have come in the form some fans would prefer, but his message was loud and clear. Daboll acknowledged as much on Monday.

“Leek and I talked last night,” Daboll said. “We talked this morning. He's a very competitive individual. Again, you want to get the ball in his hands, and I got to do a better job of getting the ball in his hands, early. He's a smart, young guy that is very competitive. When you lose like that, it's a frustrating thing. But we've had good communication, as we always have.”

With a healthy dose of targets against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, there’s reason to believe that tensions would fall. Nabers saw nine targets, six catches, and 64 yards in the loss, all of which came in the second half. It goes without saying that he should be getting the ball, but it’s also easier said than done. New York lacks the weaponry to stop defenses from honing in on Nabers, and DeVito was pushed off of reads by pressure early and often.

Nabers’ comments – which weren’t limited to joining others and calling the team soft – look like evidence that Daboll is on his way out. But New York can dispel the rumors by making Thanksgiving’s late-afternoon game worth watching.

Daboll didn’t publicly express concern with the comments, either.

“Yeah, I feel good about our communication with the players, with the coaches,” Daboll said. “Certainly not happy about the results but I expect a lot from those guys, and they should expect a lot from me. And again, there's a good communication process. But when you lose like that, it's a frustrating thing.”

Nabers blowing off steam after the game isn’t entirely surprising. It may have rubbed certain teams the wrong way, but he’s clearly passionate, even if it’s delivered suboptimally. Receivers around the league act the same way, and few have had as much early success as Nabers. The Giants knew who he was when they took him sixth overall. They wanted him because of his personality, not despite it.

Sometimes, when the team is rudderless and he feels he can do more, Nabers is going to get frustrated. That’s part of the deal with most elite receiving talents.

It’s on Daboll to make sure him and his teammates have less to vent about on Thursday night.

“We all got to do a better job. That starts with me and that's what we'll do.”