Nabers will certainly be missed. His 35 receptions are five more than anyone else in the NFL, nine more than Robinson, who is second on the Giants, and the second-most in a player’s first four career games in the Super Bowl era. He already has the second-most receptions in a player’s first five games – and he’s played only four. Nabers needs 11 catches in his next game to tie the Rams’ Puca Nacua’s record, set last year. Since Nabers caught 12 passes last week vs. the Cowboys, it’s certainly possible.
In addition, Nabers has at least five receptions in each of his first four games, which is tied for the fourth-longest streak to start a career since at least 1970. Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb has the record with a six-game streak in 2020.
Singletary has rushed for a team-high 221 yards on 56 carries and has scored two touchdowns.
Without Nabers and Singletary, Robinson is expected to be the only player in uniform Sunday who has scored a Giants touchdown this season.
“That’s why we have the other guys on the roster,” Daboll said. “Obviously, Malik is a talented player. Motor (Singletary’s nickname) has done a lot for us, but that’s the NFL. Every team deals with injuries, and you prepare the other guys that are backups to them to go out there and perform at a high level. So, we have a lot of confidence in the guys that are behind them, and that’s just an opportunity for them to go out there and to play at a high level.”
Nabers has missed only 24 of the Giants’ 268 offensive snaps this season.
“He’s very competitive,” Daboll said. “Obviously, he wants to be out there, but he’s active in the meetings. We watch one-on-ones as a group with the quarterbacks and all the skill guys. It’s a good teaching lesson, but it’s good camaraderie in there. He kind of took the lead yesterday, got up on the board. We do some things on it. So, he would love to be out there, but he can’t be right now.”
Daboll said Nabers has been working with the team’s athletic trainers, but he was not on the practice field this week.
“I’d say each day it’s getting a little bit better, but just not at the point where he can take the next step in the protocol for us,” Daboll said. “Again, you don’t want to force anything like that. You want to make sure that all the steps are very careful in that regards to concussions. So, he’s better. He’s getting better. He’s in the meetings, things like that. He’s doing some stuff with the trainers inside, and each day it’s been a little bit more.”
Singletary will travel to Seattle but didn’t sound confident he will be in uniform.
“We’ll see,” he said. “Gameday, game time, we’ll see. I think it’s going to be up to me, really. If I feel like where I’m comfortable enough to go, I’m going to go.”
Singletary said this is his first groin injury, and he is wary of making it worse.
“That’s part of it,” he said. “Especially a groin. Definitely, it can be tricky. So, you want to be smart.”
Singletary said he felt “pretty good” today after working on the field and was not ready to close the door on the possibility of playing.
“I’m going to see,” he said. “I’m going to talk with the trainers and then go from there. But like I said, today was the most I did, and it felt good.
“No one wants to miss a game. If I feel like I’m able to be out there, that’s what it’s going to be.”
*The Giants listed three players as questionable – cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Dru Phillips with calf injuries, and linebacker Matt Adams (quad), who is on injured reserve but was designated to return this week.