Ryan Nassib’s first NFL TD pass a bittersweet milestone
Ryan Nassib of the New York Giants warms up prior to his game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on October 19, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Credit: Getty Images / Rich Schultz
A first career touchdown is usually something that is to be celebrated.
Ryan Nassib and Myles White did not get that chance.
They connected on a 25-yard scoring pass with 1:54 left in Sunday night’s 49-17 drubbing at the hands of the Vikings. While it was the first touchdown for each of them, something both likely grew up dreaming about, neither was able to appreciate the accomplishment.
Nassib didn’t even bother to keep the ball, letting White have it if he wanted it. “It was a better catch than it was a throw anyway,” the Giants backup quarterback said.
White, though, wanted nothing to do with it. He just handed it to the officials after the score.
“We got blown out,” the receiver said. “It’s a loss. That ‘L’ will always be stuck with that ball no matter what.”
Nassib did allow himself a bit of happiness over what was his first regular-season action since last December. “It was nice to be able to get out and play for once,” he said.
And he played well, completing all five of his passes and posting a perfect passer rating.
“Ryan did very well at the end of the game,” Tom Coughlin said on Wednesday. “Of course, the circumstances had changed. Not that he didn’t perform well, he did. He certainly did.”
Still, despite the game Sunday not affecting either team’s already dashed playoff chances, Coughlin said he doesn’t expect to yank Eli Manning just for the sake of getting Nassib on the field against the Eagles.
“I’m concerned with winning the game first and foremost,” Coughlin said.
That’s no surprise to Nassib, who said he will be ready just like he always is to take the field at a moment’s notice . . . even if those moments are exceedingly rare.
“Business as usual,” Nassib said of the lack of any specific plan for him to play. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
