HOUSTON — Now everyone has seen what Malik Nabers has been doing for the Giants all summer.
Nabers made the first four unofficial catches of his NFL career Saturday, taking the explosiveness that he has shown in training camp and joint practices into the preseason in a 28-10 loss to the Texans.
The rookie, who had 54 yards receiving, played the entire first half alongside quarterback Daniel Jones.
“You never know when it’s your next time to get the ball,” Nabers said. “So I want to make every opportunity I get the ball to show the quarterback that every time he throws the ball my way I’m going to be able to catch it, any way, somehow.”
Any concerns that Nabers might be slowed by an ankle sprain suffered six days earlier proved laughable long before his acrobatic toe-tapping catch to set up a late first-half field goal.
He adjusted to a back-shoulder throw after winning his release.
“Me and Daniel have been on page,” Nabers said. “The chemistry is there.”
Nabers only got one hand up on a third-down incompletion on the game’s opening drive.
He wasn’t hot-dogging against fellow LSU product Derek Stingley Jr.
“There’s a lot of plays that I didn’t make. I’m still mad I didn’t come down with that one,” Nabers said. “Sting had one of my arms. I tried to get it free, but by the time I tried to get it free, I just had to shoot out one of my hands. It was a late contested catch. I have to be stronger going up for the catch.”
Nabers wasn’t targeted on any of his 12 snaps in the preseason opener with quarterback Drew Lock.
He was fed six times against the Texans.
“When I was in college, we always said the receivers are the spark of the game,” Nabers said. “When you make a tough grab, or a spectacular catch, it fuels the offense. To have that in the receiver room, it’s a want. We need that in the offense.”
Head coach Brian Daboll said that he utilized all medically cleared players, so Nabers was no different.
The five offensive line starters Saturday — Andrew Thomas, Aaron Stinnie, John Michael Schmitz, Greg Van Roten and Jermaine Eluemunor (left to right) — played three series together.
Stinnie was in for injured LG Jon Runyan Jr.
All but Schmitz — who returned this week after missing eight consecutive practices with a shoulder injury — played a fourth and fifth series with the other starters. Austin Schlottmann took Schmitz’s place.
You won’t find it in the box score because a penalty negated the play.
But 278-pound undrafted rookie DT Elijah Chatman chased down RB J.J. Taylor along the sideline from about 40 yards away, continuing an excellent summer for the 23-year-old out of SMU.
“He just made the football team, folks,” analyst Carl Banks said during the television broadcast.
RT Evan Neal and WR/PR Gunner Olszewski were in street clothes.
Olszewski is expected to be sidelined “a little while” with a groin injury suffered in Thursday’s practice.
LB Micah McFadden (hip), DT Ryder Anderson (hamstring), LB Mat Adams (groin) and OT Yodny Cajuste (unknown) left the game injured.
FB Jakob Johnson (no practices) and RB Joshua Kelley (one practice) lined up in the backfield together during the second half after signing late in the week. Neither veteran was in camp with another team.