EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Early in training camp last summer, Wan’Dale Robinson spoke to, as he said, “some guys up there in the front office. They told me I could hit 80 this year.”
That’s not how fast they expected him to drive, but the number of passes they wanted the Giants’ third-year wide receiver to catch this season.
Robinson’s first thought was, “Yeah, I can do that.”
And he has. As the Giants prepare to play their season finale Sunday in Philadelphia, Robinson has played in all 16 games – the first year he did not miss time with an injury – and has 83 receptions. That’s the exact number he had while playing 21 games in his first two seasons, including a rookie year cut to six games by injuries, most notably a torn ACL. He also has career highs with 656 receiving yards and three touchdowns, including one last week in the Giants’ 45-33 victory against Indianapolis.
Robinson’s notable numbers have been eclipsed by the accomplishments of rookie Malik Nabers, who has 104 catches, 1,140 yards and six touchdowns. But to his coaches and teammates, Robinson is anything but an unsung contributor.
“His production certainly speaks for itself,” receivers coach Mike Groh said today. “He does so many things for us offensively that probably go unnoticed. I think Wan’Dale has really improved as a blocker and his ability to sustain, he’s super tough and he competes on every down, and he’s been able to create separation and just been a really reliable and dependable performer every week.”
Robinson has been at his best on third down, when he has caught an NFL-high 32 passes. That’s two more than Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was this week was selected to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.
“That’s what I want my staple to be,” Robinson said. “That I’m a reliable guy on third down and you can always count on me to get open and go out there and make plays.”
Why is Robinson so reliable on that crucial down?
“He’s where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there,” Groh said. “He’s been able to create some separation. Some of that is scheme oriented, but he’s made those plays when they’ve come to him.”
Robinson said Nabers deserves some of the credit for his success on third down because of the attention he receives.
“Especially third-and-six or less,” Robinson said. “It’s a lot of man coverage and I feel like that’s what I do pretty well against. Having Malik being the number one guy,…
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