Giants' Malik Nabers and DJ Reader Named to PFF Team of the Week

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers and defensive tackle DJ Reader were both named to PFF's Team of the Week for their Week 6 performances. The league-wide recognition is a sign that their work stood out even in a loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Nabers was one of the two starting wide receivers on the team, alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while Reader joined Quinnen Williams as one of the two starters on the interior defensive line. The news was shared by Big Blue Film Room on X.

Both honors came out of the Giants' 34-27 loss to the Saints. For the full story of that afternoon, read our recap of the Giants vs. Saints game.

How Malik Nabers Earned His PFF Team of the Week Spot

Nabers had one of the biggest receiving days of the week. He finished with 12 catches for 165 yards against the Saints, a stat line that would stand out in any game and helped the Giants stay within reach of New Orleans until the final whistle.

The Giants played the game with two quarterbacks, as JJ McCarthy entered in relief of Jameis Winston. Afterward, Nabers was quick to credit McCarthy, saying he did "a great job" delivering the football, as we covered in Malik Nabers Praises JJ McCarthy's Giants Relief Outing.

His teammates have been working to create those chances. Tight end Isaiah Likely said earlier this month, "I told Leek since the day I got here, my job is to make sure no team is able to double cover you." When defenses cannot focus all of their attention on Nabers, he is in position for games like this one.

Why DJ Reader Made PFF's Team of the Week

Reader's case was built on dominance against the run. He was the Giants' highest-graded defensive player by PFF in Week 6, earning an 88.5 grade, and he recorded seven run stops, four more than any other Giants defender. We broke that down in DJ Reader Leads Giants Defense in PFF Grades vs Saints.

A run stop, in PFF's charting, is a tackle that counts as a failure for the offense, such as stopping a ball carrier for little or no gain on early downs. Seven in one game is a heavy workload for an interior lineman and shows how often Reader beat blocks to make plays at or near the line.

The honor also continues a strong stretch for the veteran defensive tackle. Entering Week 6, Reader was the second-highest graded interior defensive lineman in the league by PFF, at 85.8.

What the Honors Mean for the Giants

Individual recognition does not erase a loss, and the Giants are still dealing with plenty after Sunday, as The Athletic's Dan Duggan described in Dan Duggan: 'Weird Vibe' in Giants Locker Room After Loss. Still, having two players on PFF's Team of the Week shows the Giants have difference-makers on both sides of the ball.

For a team that is 3-2-1 and in first place in the NFC East, that matters. If Nabers keeps producing and Reader keeps controlling the line of scrimmage, the Giants will have a strong foundation as they turn their attention to the Houston Texans.

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