The Giants mustered just 119 total yards of offense Sunday, and even prized rookie Malik Nabers’ return from a concussion couldn’t boost those paltry numbers in a pitiful, 28-3 home loss to the Eagles.
The Giants’ first-round pick had four receptions for 41 yards in his first appearance since a Sept. 26 concussion against the Cowboys, but all of Sunday’s stats came in the first half.
“I mean, I was open,” Nabers said flatly after the game when asked what changed in the final two quarters.
The rookie may have been correct, too, but Daniel Jones was on the run throughout the game behind an offensive line without starting left tackle Andrew Thomas.
Jones and backup Drew Lock — who replaced Jones in the fourth quarter — were sacked a combined eight times in the game.
Other than Nabers, no other Giants player finished with more than Wan’Dale Robinson’s 23 receiving yards.
“It was very difficult out there. We gotta do a better job of just making plays and protecting the quarterback and trying to do our best to score points,” Nabers said. “Our defense was doing a hell of a job, playing a good game. But it’s hard when you’re going 3-and-out, and when they get back on the field, they’re tired.
“We gotta give our defense some time to get some breathers, so when they get back out there, they’re still playing at a high level.”
Nabers, who said he “felt good” after clearing concussion protocol earlier in the week, caught Jones’ first pass attempt of the game for a 13-yard grab. He also had two receptions for first downs on the Giants’ lone scoring drive late in the second quarter.
But they also didn’t run the ball effectively — aside from a few scrambles by Jones and Lock — with Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary combining for 41 rushing yards.
“That’s not my job. My job is to run routes, get open, catch the ball,” Nabers said. “We’ll watch film about it, see what we can do better. Just continue to go out there with a next-play mentality, and put the game behind you.
“If you continue to think about this game going into the next game, it can lead to the same outcome. So just flush and move on to the next week.”
Nabers, the No. 6 pick in the draft out of LSU, had totaled 35 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns in his first four NFL games.
He had averaged 15 targets over his previous three appearances, but his eight on Sunday marked his lowest total since he was targeted seven times with five receptions in his Giants debut Sept. 8 against the Vikings.
