Things looked good after the Giants had an undefeated preseason. As the team entered the regular season, they knew they needed to do well in the trenches and evolve. However, Sunday’s 6-21 loss to the Commanders showed they still have a long way to go. The team hardly showed any noticeable progress, and the optimism New York fans had in the offensive line quickly disappeared. Washington overpowered the Giants’ protection unit, leaving QB Russell Wilson unable to shine in his Big Blue debut.

The veteran recorded 17-of-37 passes for 168 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. He also added eight carries for 44 rushing yards. It’s not surprising that the fans and media wondered if HC Brian Daboll would consider benching Wilson and have rookie Jaxson Dart as the starter instead. So, when a reporter posed that question in the post-game press conference, the coach answered it in three words:

“I did not.”

Then came another question. Will he consider starting Dart in Week 2 against the Cowboys? Well, Daboll sidestepped the question and stated, “We’re going to get home and look at our game. Collectively, we all got to do better.” When pushed for more concrete information, Daboll still remained non-committal. If anything, he stated that he still had confidence in Wilson and that the outcome of the game was not solely on the QB.

Regardless, the quarterback controversy might not end soon. The fact that Dart is the backup only adds more to it. But how does Wilson feel about the growing demands of people wanting to see Dart play? Speaking about this post-game, the veteran said, “No. I just focus on what we can control.” He added that it was a physical game, and the team did everything in its power.

Here’s the thing: for the Giants, offense issues are almost every season’s story. When they picked Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, many thought they would see Dart play if Wilson struggled. The rookie also performed well in the games last month. Over three preseason games, the rookie completed 32 of 47 passes (68%) for 372 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. So, when Wilson struggled in Week 1, everyone looked to Daboll, expecting him to make a decision.

It looks like fans will have to wait for some time to see what happens. However, what is going on with the HC and WR Malik Nabers?

Tension is brewing between Malik Nabers and Brian Daboll

The Giants were supposed to be better this season, but Week 1 felt a lot like last year. The Commanders shredded their offensive line and got constant pressure on Wilson. He struggled, connecting on just 5 of 12 passes to his top wideout, Malik Nabers, for 71 yards. As for Wan’Dale Robinson, he caught six of eight targets for 55 yards. What about the running game? It struggled. Wilson led the running game with 44 yards on 8 carries. As for running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary, and rookie Cam Skattebo, the three of them combined for just 30 yards on 15 carries. That resulted in a disappointing loss to the Commanders.

Interestingly, the second-year wideout, Nabers, had an awkward moment with the HC. The events unfolded after the first quarter wrapped up. The Giants were trailing the Commanders 14-3 at the time when Daboll was seen in a huddle with Nabers and other receivers. Nabers seemed to have an animated discussion with the coach. Fox’s play-by-play caller, Kevin Burkhardt, stated that Malik Nabers was upset at something, and while Daboll was addressing it, some teammates came over to help. Later, when the 50-year-old went in for a high-five, Nabers left him hanging.

The content of their discussion is unknown, but post the game, the receiver said about it: “I was just trying to get guys going, trying to get everything going. I felt like we were lacking out there. The energy wasn’t right, so I took it upon myself to try to boost people up.”