Malik Nabers breaks Giants’ rookie receptions record
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ATLANTA — The record is a significant accomplishment, but this is not the way Malik Nabers wanted to achieve it.
Nabers entered Sunday’s game against the Falcons with 90 receptions, one shy of the Giants’ single-season rookie record for catches.
It did not take long for Nabers to get what he needed.
He caught a pass for 6 yards on the first play on offense and on the second series caught another pass for a gain of 6 yards to claim the record.
“Kudos to me,’’ Nabers said. “But we didn’t win.’’
They did not come close, losing, 34-7, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, their franchise-record 10th consecutive loss.
Nabers finished with seven receptions for 68 yards, giving him 97 receptions for 969 yards.
He has two games remaining to reach 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards.
Yet the Giants are 2-13 and Nabers could not find much joy in the numbers he is compiling.
“I mean, it’s really how you look at it.’’ he said. “There’s some people who are going to say he did all the things he did but he was on a losing team. There’s people who are going to be saying he did what he did, it’s a pat on my back but I’m trying to win. The ultimate goal is to win. You celebrate all that after.’’
Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014 and running back Saquon Barkley in 2018 amassed 91 receptions as rookies.
Nabers on his second reception came down hard on his left shoulder and left the field for a few plays to get it checked out before returning.
He said he had a stinger.
Nabers was called for two illegal-shift penalties — the second negated his 23-yard reception — and has been called for that five times this season.
Head coach Brian Daboll said the second one was not Nabers’ fault.
“They’re calling that a lot, especially with the motions, the whole offense has to be set before you motion,’’ Nabers said. “So they’re gonna keep calling it if everybody’s not set.’’
Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. in his first NFL start was 18 of 27 for 202 yards.
He did not throw a touchdown pass and was intercepted once when the ball in the hands of TE Kyle Pitts deflected into the air and was picked off by CB Cor’Dale Flott on the goal line.
The Giants did not gush about Penix afterward.
“The game was simple for him,’’ OLB Brian Burns said. “They ran the ball damn near 40 times. A lot of their plays were double-side chips and boots and rollouts, quick-pass scenes. They kept it simple for him and they executed at a high level. So hats off to them.’’
S Jason Pinnock was forced out in the third quarter with an eye injury.
Injuries to John Runyan Jr. and Aaron Stinne dug deeply into the depth chart on the interior of the offensive line, reaching down to Jake Kubas, who made his first NFL start, moving in at left guard.
Kubas became the first undrafted rookie to start a game for the Giants at guard — in a non-strike season — since Dick Hanson on Dec. 19, 1971.
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