21 - 15

(Sep 22, 2024 · Week 3)

What happens when you take a receiver who previously wore the purple-and-gold in college, have him join the G-Men in the NFL Draft’s first round, and then give him a contested 50-50 opportunity down the sidelines? According to the New York Giants, nothing but great things. Generously previewing the types of plays his Week 3 highlight reel would soon entail, Malik Nabers races downfield, overcoming a lack of leverage — and the Cleveland Browns defender mirroring him step-for-step — by ascending through the skies for a 28-yard snag. Only just beginning, Nabers offers a seasoned-veteran type route, selling the intent of a slant flawlessly before maneuvering towards the far-left corner, working a breathtaking, poster-worthy catch and a 360-degree in-air adjustment to stay inbounds simultaneously. Returning to the red zone “neighborhood” just a minute-and-a-half later, Nabers works a splitting image of the previous touchdown, this time trusting the in-breaker for touchdown No. 2 on Sept. 22, 2024. Discovering rarefied air both literally and metaphorically, Nabers became NFL history’s first rookie with 20-plus catches and three-plus scores over his first three games; in the 21-15 win, he recorded a 10-touch, 82-yard, two-touchdown masterpiece.

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