The New York Giants kicked off their season with a 28-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, as multiple Giants offensive stars injured last season returned to play in "Sunday Night Football." Running back Cam Skattebo was back after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles, which kept him out for the rest of his team's 2025 campaign. On Sunday night, Skattebo had 18 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown, including a cartwheel/flip to celebrate the TD in the endzone. His teammate, wide receiver Malik Nabers, returned for his first NFL game in a year after tearing his ACL last September.
After the game, he revealed that head coach John Harbaugh had a unique method for ensuring he was game-ready and could play with contact. More news: Malik Nabers Makes Surprising Admission on Playing for Giants in Week 1 "Actually, Coach Harbaugh tackled me," Nabers told reporters in the locker room. "He tackled me in walkthrough.
He wanted to see if I could take a tackle." When asked if he went down after his head coach's walkthrough tackle, Nabers said, "Nah, I didn't go down." It might seem like an unorthodox method for a coach to prepare a player returning from injury for their first game back. However, Harbaugh achieved much success in his previous tenure as Baltimore Ravens head coach, including winning Super Bowl XLVII and Coach of the Year in 2019. Now that he's coaching the Giants, he may be using some unique strategies to help a team that went 4-13 last season.
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart shared his recollection of the pre-game preparations. He said Harbaugh spoke with him pregame when things were "up in the air" about Nabers playing. Dart said Harbaugh suggested that once Nabers "got hit" he'd realize he was fine to play.
In Sunday night's return game, Nabers had six receptions for 69 yards in his return game, helping the Giants pick up valuable field position. His teammate, wide receiver Isaiah Likely, finished with eight targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns to help the Giants win. Nabers' return to play was a major boost for a New York team that struggled with him and Skattebo last season.
Drafted sixth in 2024, Nabers went on to have a Pro Bowl season as a rookie, showing his immediate impact on the Giants' offense ahead of his unfortunate injury in 2025. More news: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson Sends Prayers to Kyler Murray After ‘Scary’ Injury For more about the New York Giants and NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.
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