Malik Nabers was happy with the Giants’ win Sunday but not happy with how the Fox telecast portrayed him during it.
In a social media post after the team’s 19-11 victory over the Eagles in Philadelphia, Nabers took issue with Fox play-by-play man Joe Davis and analyst Greg Olsen, who criticized the third-year receiver’s body language at times during the game.
“Yall be trying [to] create a narrative on me soo bad, it’s actually crazy. If you [don’t] like the way I play the game, keep the camera off me!! SIMPLE!” he wrote as part of an Instagram story.
“But [Olsen] calling me a bad teammate when every team I’ve been on, there’s NOBODY I’ve played with has said dat bout me is crazy!
“My face the same way if I’m having a good game, bad, winning or losing. If it’s a problem: 1. Keep the camera off of me. 2. Pray bout it! Simple.”
Nabers had five catches on eight targets for 43 yards in the win, the first time since Week 3 that he has been held to fewer than 100 yards.
With the Giants nursing a 13-8 lead and driving early in the fourth quarter, New York quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw behind Nabers for an incompletion, with replays later showing the receiver waving the air and Olsen telling viewers that was a sign that Nabers wanted the ball thrown more in front of him.
“His body language has been terrible today,” Davis said.
Olsen then quickly added: “It’s just not good.”
The conversation continued around Nabers and his body language, with Davis questioning why Nabers didn’t look more positive after tight end Isaiah Likely scored a go-ahead TD for New York earlier in the second half.
“Yeah, listen, there’s a fine line,” Olsen said. “I’ve played with a lot of really good wide receivers. ... There’s never been a great wide receiver who hasn’t demanded the ball. That kind of comes with the territory. There are a few exceptions of guys that are just a different personality and a different approach.
“But there is a very fine line between being demanding, being a competitor and all of those great things. That’s great. It just can never cross [that line] where it feels like it takes away from the success of your teammates. So when your teammate catches a wide-open touchdown, you need to be the happiest guy on the field. You can’t still be worried about your targets. That’s the fine line. He’s a talented young, really good player. He’s just got to keep it in check.”
Shortly after, Nabers laid out for a third-down McCarthy pass in the end zone but couldn’t come up with it.
“Listen, you want to demand the ball; you can’t throw that ball any better,” Olsen said. “That’s a touchdown. You’re a premier player in this league. You’ve got an opportunity there, you’ve got to catch it.”
The Giants instead settled for a field goal to go ahead 16-8 with about nine minutes left in the game.