Jameis Winston has spent the calendar year holding various roles, from New York Giants backup quarterback to World Cup contributor.
But for whatever reason, the 12-year vet never added “expert prognosticator” to his extensive résumé.
When speaking with reporters following the Giants’ comeback victory over the Cardinals, Winston took credit for rookie receiver Malachi Fields’ touchdown in more ways than one. The interim starter explained that he told the latter he would catch his first score on Sunday.
Indeed, Winston connected with Fields for a 12-yard touchdown deep into the second quarter. The Notre Dame product added a 40-yard catch in the third quarter to help set up an eventual Theo Johnson touchdown.
“All of us [are] eager just to make a play,” Fields said.
Should New York Giants fans finally be excited about Malachi Fields?
Sunday afternoon reiterated much of what we already knew: Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely are Winston’s top two targets, and second-year running back Cam Skattebo won’t draw many targets.
Fields has seemingly cemented himself as the Giants’ No. 3 option, especially with Darnell Mooney still being a non-factor. The third-round pick had two catches in each of his four games, though his 52 yards against the Cardinals marked his most yet.
Mooney didn’t catch either of his two targets on 37 snaps, so he’s still lined up on most of the Giants’ offensive plays. Barring injuries or drops, we’re skeptical that the ex-Bears wideout will have a breakout game and overtake Fields on the depth chart.
But should Giants fans buy stock in Fields? Without sounding like a Debbie Downer, that’s a conversation with a complicated answer beyond “we don’t know.”
Matt Nagy’s offense has been fairly repetitive through four games; Primarily throwing to Likely and Nabers while mixing in runs with Skattebo and Najee Harris. You don’t need analytics to understand that the Likely-Nabers duo have drawn 61 of the Giants’ 111 targets (55 percent), and Fields is the only other player with at least 15 balls thrown his way.
To be clear, that’s not necessarily a problem. The Cowboys have five such players in a pass-heavy offense, and they’re tied for second place in the NFC East; where Dallas has the advantage in that regard is their overall receiver (and tight end) depth.
If you’re an optimist, then you’ve been excited about Fields for nearly six months. He’s certainly doing his part to win over the doubters and the indifferent, and limiting his drops — he’s only had one through 16 quarters — should boost his target count.
Next up for Fields? A struggling Washington defense that’s allowed nearly 1,000 passing yards and a league-worst 11 touchdowns. Maybe you should invest after all.
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