Giants' Malik Nabers, Dexter Lawrence soften their criticism of team playing 'soft' against Buccaneers
Malik Nabers #1 of the New York Giants makes a catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife on Sunday, NOV 24, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey Credit: Mike Stobe
Malik Nabers and Dexter Lawrence, arguably the Giants’ two biggest stars, sought on Tuesday to reframe their blunt comments after a 30-7 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday, in which both used the word “soft” to describe the Giants’ play.
“After watching the film, I wish I would have used different words to describe the game afterwards,” Nabers said. “I don't think it was really soft. I think it was just a lack of technique. We were playing our butts off. We just lacked technique.”
Nabers, a rookie receiver, said that coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen both have discussed the comments with him since Sunday.
“They know I'm a competitor,” said. “They said, just after watching the film, they don't think that we played soft, as I said after the game. After I looked at the game, it wasn't soft.”
Nabers chalked up his outspokenness to his competitive personality, and he made no apology for being willing to speak up as a mere rookie.
“I'm not going to just sit back and just let it go down just because I'm a young player,” he said. “Clout don't mean nothing. I still play football. I play it at a high level.
“So, whoever is saying I don't have the authority to be speaking up, that's on them. I don't care.”
Lawrence believed his sentiments after the game were conveyed unfairly by journalists.
“About the soft thing, I think you guys need to be held accountable for how you put it out there,” he said. “I didn't say, ‘We are soft,’ as a team. I think I said we ‘played’ that way. We lost 30-7. That's not OK.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
