Malik Nabers, Ihmir Smith-Marsette make PFF Team of the Week
The Giants put together their most well-rounded performance of the season on Sunday, as all three phases contributed in the 45-33 victory over the Colts in Week 17.
Among the players that had perhaps their best outings of the 2024 campaign in the win were wide receiver Malik Nabers and kick returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette, both of whom earned spots on the Pro Football Focus Team of the Week.
Nabers caught seven passes for a season-high 171 yards and two touchdowns. He is now currently tied for the third-most receptions in the NFL this season with 104, while his 1,140 receiving yards rank seventh. The receiving yardage was the highest by a Giants player since 2021.
His performance also earned him the honor of PFF's Rookie of the Week.
"Nabers had the best game of his young career as the Giants ended the Indianapolis Colts' postseason hopes on Sunday," wrote PFF's Gordon McGuinness. "He averaged 7.13 yards per route run, pulling in seven of the eight targets thrown his way for 171 yards, and he forced four missed tackles."
The 21-year-old increased his season total to 104 receptions, the second-highest total in Giants history and only three behind Steve Smith, who had 107 in 2009. Nabers is four shy of the new NFL rookie record of 108 catches, set by Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers, who also had seven catches while playing in the early afternoon time slot on Sunday, when the Raiders won in New Orleans.
Nabers is tied with Miami's Jaylen Waddle (104 catches in 2021) for the third-highest rookie receptions total in history, behind Bowers and the Rams' Puka Nacua, who had 105 catches for the Rams last season. Bowers has played all 16 games this season, while Nabers has played 14. Nabers can set the rookie record against the Eagles but will begin the day four catches behind Bowers.
Bowers and Nabers rank second and third, respectively, in the league in receptions this season, trailing Cincinnati's Ja'Marr Chase (117). Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown has 101 catches and plays tonight in San Francisco.
Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. became just the third pair of rookies in NFL history – and second since the 1970 merger – to each have 1,000+ scrimmage yards. This is the first season since 2018 that the Giants have had two players exceed 1,000 scrimmage yards.
As for Smith-Marsette, the returner had the biggest play of the day when he returned the opening kick of the second half 100 yards for a touchdown. This earned him the punt/kickoff return spot on PFF's Team of the Week.
It was the franchise's first kickoff return touchdown since 2015, which snapped a streak of 155 games without one, the NFL's fourth-longest streak entering Sunday's games.
"It was great," coach Brian Daboll said about the kickoff return touchdown. "It was another explosive play. It was blocked well. I don't think he broke stride. He hit it. It was well blocked. Ghoby (Michael Ghobrial), Stephen Thomas and Cam (Achord) are good football coaches. It came together on that play and gave us some juice there. Indianapolis (and us) were scoring back and forth until we got that turnover late. But it was a good day for the players and for the coaches on the sideline."
The New York Giants host the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium for their Week 17 matchup.
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17)
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