Barring a really unforseen circumstance, Giants wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz won’t be on the field at the same time as Atlanta’s Julio Jones and Roddy White.
That doesn’t mean they won’t be competing.
White said earlier this year on NFL Network that he and Jones were “a better group” than the Giants wideouts, and numbers bear him out.
Except for that one number.
“Numbers don’t lie, or Super Bowl rings don’t lie, neither,” Nicks said, via Jenny Vrentas of the Newark Star-Ledger. “So when you get (into) that battle about who’s the best, I think you just let your play on the field talk for you. You ain’t got to be talking with your mouth.”
A novel concept, for sure.
Simple stats point to the Falcons pair, which has combined for 140 catches this year. That trails only New England’s Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd (152) and Indianapolis’ Reggie Wayne and Donnie Avery (146).
Then comes Denver’s Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker (138) and Dallas’ Dez Bryant and Miles Austin (130).
Nicks and Cruz have 126, a number that would likely be much higher if Nicks hadn’t missed time and been slowed by knee and foot injuries.
“We (aren’t) going to get into that battle, that argument of who’s the best, who’s better, because that’s not what it’s about,” Nicks said. “It’s going out there and playing team ball, and who’s going to win. . . .
“Yeah, but it’s always a would have, and should have, and could have, in every situation. It’s just the way the hand was dealt to me this year. Y’all know me, I don’t make excuses. So I’m going to keep working hard and keep grinding, and it’s about how you finish. We all know that.”
Credit Nicks for not getting drawn into a silly comparison that doesn’t have anything to do with the game, and realizing that their stats only matter within the context of team success.