New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (concussion) will not play in this Sunday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium.
Before Nabers went down late in the Giants’ Week 4 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, he was getting the lion’s share of the targets in the passing game (52 of 144, or 36 percent of the team’s targets).
This year, the Giants had been taking full advantage of Nabers’ presence, throwing on 61 percent of their offensive plays.
Last week, with Nabers sidelined, the Giants did not throw as much. They ran the ball 34 times and quarterback Daniel Jones took to the air 34 times.
Here’s who Jones threw to:
- Darius Slayton: 11 targets, 8 receptions, 122 yards, 1 touchdown
- Wan’Dale Robinson: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 36 yards, 1 touchdown
- Theo Johnson: 5 targets, 5 receptions, 48 yards
- Eric Gray: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 50 yards
- Tyrone Tracy Jr: 1 reception for 2 yards on 2 targets
Here’s who didn’t get targeted:
- Wide receivers Jalin Hyatt (48 snaps) and Isaiah Hodgins (25 snaps).
- Tight ends Chris Manhertz (19 snaps) and Daniel Bellinger (14 snaps)
- Running back Dante Miller (1 snap)
Nabers had been a crutch of sorts for Jones, but last week he reverted back to throwing to his favorite target, Slayton. Robinson continued to provide solid support underneath but there was some encouraging signs of life from some others.
Johnson displayed his ability to get separation and get some yards after the catch. Gray finally got a chance to strut his stuff as a receiver as well.
Now, all that needs to happen is for the Giants to finally get the ball in Hyatt’s hands, something the team has been intending to do since the season began but has failed to happen.
Through five games, the former third-round pick has been targeted just three times with no receptions while playing 29.1 percent of the offensive snaps.
Hyatt could be the big winner on Sunday night as the Bengals continue to struggle on defense that has allowed an average of 417 yards and 34.3 points per game over their last three.
“I think he’s done a good job of staying locked in and he’s a talented player. I’m excited for him to get his chance,” Slayton said of Hyatt this week. “As somebody who’s been in his situation before and had a chance like this, this is what it’s all about. When it does come, it’s time to show and I believe he will.”
The Bengals have also allowed an NFL-high 25.3 first downs over their last three games and are allowing opponents to convert on third down 57.8 percent over that span.
They rarely get to the quarterback with a next-to-last sack percentage of 3.73 percent, so Jones should have a clean pocket to work from most of the game.
