WR Malik Nabers: ‘Keep going forward and try to get a win next week’

Pat Leonard (0:00)

Why did you decide last night to leave without speaking to us after that difficult loss?

Malik Nabers (0:06)

I had a family emergency back home. When I came back, everybody was gone, man. I had a family man back home.

Pat Leonard (0:15)

Everything okay?

Ryan Dunleavy (0:16)

Everything's straight.

Pat Leonard (0:18)

Good to hear.

In that game, you lose a fumble for the first time in your career? Yeah. What was it like to handle that setback in a game where you're trying to make plays for the team and it doesn't happen on that time?

Malik Nabers (0:35)

Yeah. I mean, you're thinking about plays that could have been a difference in the game, and that could have been one of those. We was in the red zone, could have got a field goal or a points, I mean, or a field goal or a touchdown, and sadly went away just off a mistake that I made. But I mean, just try to do better, try to be better, and I'll be better on just protecting the football, having awareness of where I am, and just, like I say, protecting the football to give the offense the opportunity to score points on that drive.

Pat Leonard (1:09)

One more if you don't mind, guys.

Malik, you and Jaden are great friends, obviously, and you have a friendly rivalry. How much is it bugging you now, though, that you haven't beaten him yet head to head?

Malik Nabers (1:22)

Yeah, it's pretty bad. It's bugging me pretty bad, and he calls me all the time. He's probably trying to call me right now, but I can't answer that phone call.

Pat Leonard (1:35)

Thanks. Ryan Dunleavy.

Ryan Dunleavy (1:40)

Malik, first, I'll echo what Pat said. Hopefully, everything's okay at home. Thanks for doing this for us.

Malik Nabers (1:46)

Thank you.

Ryan Dunleavy (1:48)

Can you talk us through the last play there, the jump ball with Rasul that ends up as an interception? Is that a play? Like, how did you track that ball? Is that a play you think you should catch or at least knock down?

Malik Nabers (2:01)

I mean, talk about the play. I mean, you know, seeing the ball go up at the time. Didn't really see him or where he was, so I'm not really aware that, you know, my head is looking up at the bottom, even though he was driving on the ball. So, you know, just seeing how high the ball was and just waiting for it to come down and, you know, made a jump to catch the ball and then, you know, got hit and he made a play.

Ryan Dunleavy (2:26)

What do you think there of taking shots? I mean, I think the play before that was a shot to Mooney. What do you think of that versus, like, trying to line up, trying to get in position for the field goal with two timeouts? Like, what's the, what do you see there as the risk reward of going deep and maybe going for the win?

Malik Nabers (2:48)

You know, I think, you know, as far as that play in the, you know, in the end of that game, you know, I'll say we will be better on just finding a better situation on, you know, trying to score points quickly. I mean, not trying to score points as quickly as we were, but just make smart decision on, you know, what we want to get to after seeing the cover zero that they was giving us at the moment. So trying to just get the ball out fast instead of trying to, you know, create, you know, a home run ball. So just got to be better in situation.

And that's really all.

Pat Leonard (3:25)

Evan Barnes.

Evan Barnes (3:28)

Hey, Malik.

I know Harbs always talked to us about how these two games this week were very important for the season. Now that you guys have split those games and the schedule is going to get tougher afterwards, how do you guys now try to approach what these next two games are going to mean for you guys if you want to keep this playoff push that you guys are obviously going for?

Malik Nabers (3:49)

I mean, I think every game is more, every game is important. I mean, these games are, you know, the games in the division are way more important than, you know, any other ones. But we take every game serious, and we're going to take this game that's coming up just as serious as any other game. You know, we're going to continue to, you know, try to win as many games as possible.