Tyler Nubin’s line from the Giants’ 28-6 loss to the Rams can fool you if you only glance at the box score. The numbers don’t scream disaster at first blush, but the film and the usage told a much uglier story.
Los Angeles clearly came in with Nubin in its sights, and it worked. He was picked on all afternoon, then again under the lights, and the Rams kept finding room to cash in. Nubin gave up 108 receiving yards, one of only two defensive backs in Week 2 to allow more, and his 106.3 passer rating allowed sat well above the league average of 91.4 in 2025.
That rough outing carried extra sting because it came on the heels of what had looked like a promising start to the 2026 season. Instead, the progress evaporated fast. The low point was impossible to miss: Davante Adams spun him around on a sharp route, and it summed up the night for New York’s safety.
Nubin was targeted eight times, and that stood out even more because Matthew Stafford attempted only 31 passes. No other safety around the league was targeted more than five times across the entire slate. The Rams also had All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua sidelined with a hip injury, which only adds to the sense that Nubin caught a break by not seeing an even more dangerous passing attack.
There was also a strong case that Los Angeles wanted to stay away from Jevón Holland, who forced two fumbles, recovered one of them and added an interception without being targeted in coverage once. But that only sharpened the contrast for New York. The Rams found the softer spot, and Nubin became it.
For the Giants, that makes the 2024 offseason decision look worse by the week. Letting Xavier McKinney leave for the Green Bay Packers and hoping Nubin could fill the void has not worked out. McKinney, once the Giants’ own second-round safety bet in 2020, has grown into one of the league’s premier players at the position in Green Bay, with two All-Pro selections, a four-year, $67 million contract and two captaincy nods to show for it.
New York took a swing on replacing him. So far, that bet has backfired.
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