Giants Receiver Nabers' First Catch Postponed Despite Win

The New York Giants beat the Detroit Lions by a score of 14-3 on Thursday night to advance to 1-0 in the preseason. For those who made the trek to MetLife Stadium, paid the parking fees, and sat in the rain, the win was a small cherry on top of an otherwise quiet affair.

The star of the show, receiver Malik Nabers, the team’s first-round pick and most hyped prospect since running back Saquon Barkley, played for a decent portion of the first quarter.

To the ire of the New York faithful at home and in the nosebleeds, he was held catchless.

After months of anticipation and a dominant training camp, Nabers had the opportunity to face a hostile opponent when the Lions visited for joint practice. He was utterly dominant, sending fans into a frenzy and the Lions into fights.

Yet, on Thursday, Nabers’ box score was empty. For those looking for a culprit, look no further than backup quarterback Drew Lock.

Lock would ultimately leave with an injury , but his 10 passes found just four completions and 17 yards were a stain on an otherwise promising Giants performance.

As for Nabers, his dominance continued, even if largely out of frame. Lining up on the left side, he was open consistently (to the excitement of those in attendance) but wasn’t targeted. On the right sideline, he found the honey hole in Cover 2, open again, but with a safety likely crashing down, Lock looked elsewhere.

It was somewhat surprising to see Nabers not get a manufactured touch or two, but the panic button need not be pressed. He’s a rookie, and the NFL transition can be difficult, but if the Giants needed to see more from him, they would’ve asked for it. Instead, Nabers was out of the game quickly, joining the ranks of the starters New York cannot afford to see injured.

Related: Giants Insider Praises 'Absurd' Nabers After Joint Practice

Slightly annoying? Yes. Reason for concern? Absolutely not.

Starting quarterback Daniel Jones has far too much on the line to not target Nabers in bunches. The targets will come when the games count and perhaps, as a treat, sprinkled in during the exhibitions.