With the New York Giants off to a terrible 0-3 start, everything that the team says and does will be under a microscope until their troubles are rectified. Much was the case Sunday following the team's embarrassing 38-0 road loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 when wide receiver Hakeem Nicks tried to calmly and rationally talk to reporters after the game until one statement caught fire.
ESPN reported that Nicks was calmly answering questions and didn't seem at all upset but when asked about why he didn't have any catches in the shutout, Nicks simply replied, "I can't throw it to myself."
Those words taken on their own without knowledge of the receiver's demeanor look pretty bad, and that's exactly how head coach Tom Coughlin felt when he saw the quote on Monday.
"That's not a smart thing to say," Coughlin told ESPN Monday. "He's on the field. The quarterback was sacked seven times. That's not a smart thing to say."
The Giants offense failed to get anything going on Sunday, and Nicks was targeted just once on an incomplete pass from quarterback Eli Manning, who took a tough beating throughout the game.
A video highlighting the game can be viewed here.
Nicks has nine receptions through the first three games so far for 197 yards, but he's yet to reach the end zone and the team's offensive line has struggled to protect Manning, which was most notable on Sunday.
Manning has a completion percentage of 58.8 percent as he's gone 67-for-114 for 931 yards while his interceptions (8) have outweighed his touchdowns (5). After being sacked seven times on Sunday, Manning now has hit the ground 11 times on the season.
While Coughlin publicly insulted Nicks' intelligence for the quote, Manning tried to dance around any hint of controversy within the locker room.
"Any time a receiver doesn't get a reception, it's tough," Manning said Monday per ESPN. "I like for all of my receivers to be happy. He knows I have great confidence in him, and trust and he'll get back and have great games for us."
The Giants have not been sharp thus far this season, dropping the season opener to the Cowboys in Dallas after turning the ball over six times and then losing the team's home opener to Eli's brother Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos before the loss to Carolina this week. Sunday was a train wreck for the team as Manning was able to complete just 12 of 23 passes for 119 yards and the team couldn't muster up anything offensively and left the scoreboard empty.
Nicks' words Sunday echoed the fact that how the offense plays is sometimes out of his control.
"You've got to control what you can control," Nicks said, according to ESPN. "You've got to step up and be a playmaker when you're called on, and that's what I'll continue to do."
The Giants (0-3) go on the road Sunday to square off with the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs (3-0), and if the losses continue to pile up, more stories of dissent may pour out of New York's locker room, not matter how accurate they actually are.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.