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Giants’ Malik Nabers sets record, but suffers concussion against Cowboys
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Giants’ Malik Nabers sets record, but suffers concussion against Cowboys

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had another record-setting game in a 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys before leaving with a concussion late in the fourth quarter.

Nabers had twelve catches for 115 yards Thursday night. He now has 35 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns in four games this season.

The LSU product became the first player in NFL history to record at least 25 receptions and three touchdowns in his first four NFL games. He got his 25th catch of the season early in the second quarter and expanded from there.

“He’s doing some good things,” coach Brian Daboll said. “Again, glad we got him.”

Nabers was injured on a fourth-down pass late in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game. He tried to keep his feet in after a desperation pass from quarterback Daniel Jones near the Giants sideline.

Nabers’ facemask hit the turf hard as he tried to control the ball and get his feet on the ground. The ball came loose after hitting the ground and was called incomplete, leading to a turnover on downs.

The explosive rookie remained on the ground for about a minute before being helped to the blue medical tent and eventually the locker room. He was diagnosed with a concussion.

After the game, Nabers sat in the locker room talking with his fellow wide receivers. At one point, Daboll sat on a stool next to him and the two had a conversation.

Outside linebacker Brian Burns, while addressing the media, later shouted across the locker room to Nabers, “Hey ‘Lake, you okay? Straight?’

Nabers shook his head: no. He later posted a more optimistic message in an Instagram story.

“All good,” he captioned a photo taken after midnight, along with a prayer emoji. “Thanks for all the prayers!!!”

Nabers is now in the NFL’s concussion protocol. The Giants have ten days left before they play the Seattle Seahawks again on the West Coast.

“I just had to talk to him,” said wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who had 11 catches for 71 yards in the loss. ‘Nothing crazy. I think he’ll be fine.’

Nabers was again the center of the Giants’ attack on Thursday evening, scoring fifteen times. He continues to produce at a dizzying pace. His 35 receptions are the second-most through any player’s first four career games. Only Puka Nacua (39) had more for the Los Angeles Rams last season.

Nabers also had his second game of at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards. He also did it against the Washington Commanders in Week 2. The only rookie with more games of 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in NFL history is Odell Beckham Jr., who had four such games during the 2014 season with the Giants .

“He’s a baller,” Robinson said. “He just goes and does whatever you ask. He works really hard every week. He just goes out there and makes plays.”

Nabers’ impact was immediately palpable on Thursday evening. He had a 39-yard reception on the Giants’ opening drive, leaving cornerback Andrew Booth in the dust. According to NextGen Stats, Nabers had a distance of 40 feet when he made the catch.

It was his biggest play of the game.

“He had another great game and he showed up for us,” Jones said. “So we will continue to entrust him with this.”

The Cowboys tried to get their top cornerback Trevon Diggs to play Nabers more and more as the game progressed. Diggs guarded Nabers on the crucial fourth-down play in the fourth quarter as Dallas held onto its slim five-point lead and the Giants tried to drive for the potential game-winning score.

The Giants got the ball back one last time with 28 seconds left. But with Nabers unavailable, Jones threw his first interception since Week 1 on a Hail Mary attempt with just seconds left.