Every one of his 23 catches is preserved in his stat log. The same with his 271 receiving yards and his three touchdowns. His 37 targets reflect that he is not one of the focal points — he is the focal point. The leaps into the air to snare the ball and quick pivots and spins to wriggle past defenders are newly minted memories for fans who went from wait-and-see to here-and-now when it comes to anointing this youngster as legit.
For all Malik Nabers has already achieved in his first three games with the Giants, he has no stats, no reflection points and no exploits stored up with the next opponent. What is achieved against the Dallas Cowboys does not earn more in the ledger — one catch is still one catch — but it does more loudly resonate in the hearts and minds of a general population that can be split into two distinct groups: Those who love the Cowboys and those who despise them.
Odell Beckham Jr. was an exciting, playmaking rookie in 2014. He notched the first two-touchdown performance of his career in his third NFL game, at Dallas in a Giants loss. Five weeks later, in a “Sunday Night Football” national television event at MetLife Stadium featuring the Cowboys, he turned into OBJ after the now-famous, breathtaking, leaping, reaching-back-behind-his-body one-handed grab, plucking an Eli Manning pass out of the air in a signature, meme-worthy feat that to this day is astonishing to see in highlights. The Giants lost but Beckham won ownership of a standard that he subsequently found impossible to maintain.
Thursday night, the national spotlight for the first time hones in on Nabers as he takes the field opposite the Cowboys. Anyone who looks at this as just another meet-up of NFC East rivals with matching 1-2 records is not paying attention. Nabers broke his NFL maiden with Sunday’s 21-15 victory in Cleveland, thanks in large part to the first two-touchdown outing of his career. The 21-year old already looks special. Coming up with something otherworldly when facing the Cowboys, well, that leads to all sorts of different perks.
In 20 seasons since Nabers was born, the Cowboys have compiled 13 winning seasons, four losing seasons and three break-even seasons. There have been 10 playoff appearances but never one year when they won more than one postseason game. Their playoff record in that span is 4-10. Nabers has never witnessed the Cowboys in an NFC title game, much less a Super Bowl. He might be wondering what all the fuss is soon to be about as he preps to battle with America’s [Pretty Good] Team.
For a quick lesson, Nabers can reach out to another former LSU wide receiver for details. Beckham’s amazing catch was nearly 10 years ago — Nov. 23, 2014 — and his stardom soared once LeBron James tweeted, “Man I just witnessed the greatest catch ever possibly by Odell Beckham Jr! WOW!!!!” and others were similarly wowed. With that, it was OBJ all night and day and it was a burden he could not carry without wobbling.
Four years after the catch, Beckham called it “a very special moment” but also somewhat of an encumberment.
“It’s bittersweet because I think my career is much more than one catch,” Beckham said in a moment of reflection during the 2018 season. “But it was a very iconic moment. I don’t mind getting tagged on Instagram and seeing a bunch of nice catches. It gives me motivation to do something crazier.”
The catch, Beckham assessed, “obviously changed my life forever, for better or for worse.” His time with the Giants was at an end and his NFL journey since then has been more nomadic than normal.
Nabers is not the same person as Beckham and linking them is convenient because of the position and alma mater they share. For now, Nabers feels less of a risk to sky into the air for a ball and come down with his head in the clouds. You never know what may happen, though, if he does something OJB-ish.
He was a wrecking crew in guiding the Giants to a 21-7 lead on the Browns. His 23 receptions are tied with Anquan Boldin for the second-most by a player in his first three NFL games. Nabers (21 years and 56 days old) is the youngest player in NFL history with two touchdown catches in a game. Mike Evans (21 years, 73 days old) did it in 2014. Beckham that year was a 22-year old rookie.
Nabers beat himself up after a costly drop late in the fourth quarter of the Week 2 loss to the Commanders, saying he let down the veterans on the team. The most experienced players in the locker room made sure to let him know he had been too hard on himself.
“I told him after I saw that you didn’t let anyone down, it’s going to happen and we’re pros, we’re gonna make some plays and miss some plays, all the greats do,’’ defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said. “It’s all about responding and that’s what the greats do.’’
It is also about when you do what you do. Doing it against the Cowboys is always bigger.
