Former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib, who enjoyed an 11-year career in the league, now serves as a co-host on the YouTube show The Arena: Gridiron. Earlier this week, the five-time Pro Bowler reflected on what he considers the worst game of his career — a matchup against Eli Manning and the New York Giants while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Talib was quick to clarify that his struggles weren’t against the receiver he shadowed, retired wideout Hakeem Nicks, but rather the quarterback calling the shots: Eli Manning.
“My worst game of my life. I played against the Giants. Man, listen. I followed around Hakeem Nicks and (expletive) Hakeem Nicks. I was playing against Eli Manning. He threw a back shoulder. I looked his way, he threw it back shoulder,” Talib recalled. “I’m like, ‘Alright, bet.’ I jammed him up. Looked his way again, he threw a back shoulder. I’m like, ‘Alright, bet. The next time…’ Ha ha, look this way! Ah! He threw that s–t over my head this way.
I’m like, ‘Alright, here we go, Eli,’ you feel me? Ha! Look back this way. He threw back shoulder. I look this way. He threw it over the top, it was like, ‘(Expletive)’ — I ain’t losing to Hakeem Nicks. I’m losing to Eli. So the placement of them footballs, you see? That’s a skill, Skip. Like, you throw the ball where it needs to be. Don’t just throw fades. Throw back shoulder. Throw it over the top, man — that s–t is a real skill. And it’s super tough for DBs.”
The Manning-to-Nicks connection torched the Buccaneers that day, with Nicks hauling in 10 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets during Week 2 of the 2012 NFL season. That 199-yard outburst marked a career high for the former first-round pick. Despite the onslaught, Talib paced his team with four passes defensed.
Nicks caught wind of the video on X and not only retweeted it but fired off a playful reply, jabbing at Talib.
Talib fired back at Nicks later in the week.
“Hey, Nicks, big cap. No work at the line of scrimmage. He [Nicks] had a great game. Eli had a great game. Nicks, you was, he was just any receiver woulda did that, it was Eli. He was a good receiver, though, I guess. I was in that throat, umm come ‘ere. I stopped five fades! You feel me? The work at the line of scrimmage, though, I don’t remember that. It’s all good,” Talib said.
Nicks’ prime proved shorter than he or the Giants would have preferred. Yet during his peak years, he emerged as a premier wide receiver for New York and a dependable target for Eli Manning throughout his tenure with Big Blue.
Manning, Nicks, and the Giants offense had ridden high off their Super Bowl XLVI triumph the previous year when they dismantled Talib and the Buccaneers defense. The Giants rallied for a 41-34 victory, exploding for 25 points in the fourth quarter to overcome an 11-point deficit. Clearly, the memory lingers vividly for Talib.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Aqib Talib admits worst career game came vs. New York Giants, Eli Manning
Reporting by Tyler Henry, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
