New York Giants rookie receiver Malik Neighbors acknowledged he “let the team down” by dropping a key pass late in last Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.
If Neighbors had caught the fourth-and-down pass from quarterback Daniel Jones at the Washington 10-yard line, the Giants probably would have gone on to win the game, but they ended up losing 21-18 in the final seconds.
“I just need to forget about this moment and just keep going out there and catching passes after practice,” Neighbors told reporters on Wednesday. “I’ve always done that, just keep catching passes after practice.”
Obviously, the rookie is worried about this drop in performance, but he knows better times are ahead, and he might even use this drop in performance as motivation to get even better.
“We’ve got to keep our heads down and work a little harder,” he said. “We’ve got to stay together as a team with the guys in the locker room.”
Jones doesn’t think the drop in production will be a big burden for Neighbors, who finished with 10 catches for 127 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
“He’s very competitive and he holds himself to high standards and I think you can see that right away when you’re around him. He’s going to try and make every play,” Jones told reporters on Wednesday. “It was a tough game for him but I know he’ll bounce back. He’s a confident guy and I think obviously without his performance and what he did during the game we wouldn’t have been in that situation. He’s going to be back and continue to be a big part of what we do.”
Neighbors was targeted 18 times in the game. Through the first two games of the season, he has been targeted 25 times, more than only the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp (27). Neighbors’ 193 yards receiving are currently fourth-most in the NFL.
Jones knows his success is directly tied to Neighbours’ success and he’s been pleased with it so far.
“He’s done a really good job. He’s come out and played well,” Jones said. “I thought he’s won a lot of matchup situations one-on-one and made some explosive plays. He’s done a good job and has been a big help to us so far.”
This week, Neighbors will face off against three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward of Cleveland, who is second in passes defended through the first two weeks of this season.
Ward is a very talented cornerback, but Neighbors will need help from his teammates to make sure he doesn’t become a burden to them, and Jones said the Giants are well aware that Neighbors is a target for opposing defenses at this early stage in his career.
“I think there are a variety of different possibilities for him to be double covered — zone coverage, man coverage — and it just depends on how you strategize and react to it, but we’re confident he can beat double coverage,” he said.
If Neighbors is indeed the Giants’ next superstar, he can continue to build that legend with a comeback performance this week.
