Coming into Sunday’s game, Giants tight end Chris Myarick had just a handful of NFL games under his belt, and had zero receptions to his name.
So of course, in a week where the Giants fired their offensive coordinator and were down two receivers and tight ends, leave it to Myarick to make not only his first-ever catch, but do so for a touchdown – the only one the Giants scored in a 13-7 win.
“Crazy play, crazy first catch and touchdown for me, but it was kind of something we ran back against Kansas City,” Myarick said. “Kyle Rudolph caught something similar to that. We worked on it all week, and was just glad it got called. I knew I was the first read, so I was ready for it.”
Glad it was called…and even happier he hung on for this ridiculous reception:
“I was thinking just hold on to it as hard as I can, secure it and just make sure it doesn't hit the ground,” Myarick said. “It wasn't the cleanest catch, but it still counts. I'll take it.”
A sweet moment for any player, but although you’d think that Philly native and Temple alum Myrick would relish it coming against his hometown team/his current team’s division rival, he never even let that thought enter his head.
“It would have been just as sweet against any team. I mean, I didn't really put too much into being from Philly and growing up in Philly going into this game. It's just the next game for me,” he said. “Once you get to college, you kind of lose your home team; you root for guys you know in the league. I have a lot of family and friends who are Eagles fans, and they might be a little mad at me, but that's all good. I'll take our win for sure.”
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That said, Myarick modeled his game a little bit after tight end Brent Celek, who was a mainstay of the Eagles’ offense in the Andy Reid era he grew up watching – and just like the workmanlike Celek, Myarick’s approach to this game day remained the same, despite the fact that he knew he was likely to be the No. 2 tight end behind Evan Engram.
“It was pretty much just like any other week for me. I always try to prepare like I'm playing, prepare like I'm starting, even when I was on the practice squad. Not much of that changed. Obviously, a little bit more reps here and there, but that was pretty much it,” he said.
In case you were wondering, Myarick has the souvenir of his first NFL catch, as Saquon Barkley was able to get the ball for him.
“I was holding on to it at first and they wanted me to spike it. Saquon went and got it for me. I appreciate him for that,” Myarick said.
“I was first telling him to spike that, but it was a big play. Happy for him,” Barkley added.
But after that, it was back to work, and Myarick added a second catch later in the game that was almost as impressive: he fell down on a block, did a belly roll, and got up to present himself as a target for Daniel Jones.
“I got knocked down, and I think I kind of got held a little bit. I managed to get up quick and make eye contact with DJ and he was able to get it to me,” Myarick said.
Two catches that weren’t pretty, but both were huge in the grand scheme of things, and for the second straight week, the Giants’ lone touchdown came from an unlikely source. Jones joked that the Eagles “were doubling Andrew Thomas and had a safety over the top” to prevent another tackle-eligible touchdown, but there’s no doubt how important Myarick, and everyone else on the offensive side of the ball, can be at any given time, even on a team with a lot of playmakers when all are healthy.
“We knew he was going to be the guy in there all week, so this wasn't a situation where Chris just by happenstance was in there,” head coach Joe Judge said. “That was a play designed for a couple different reads and he ended up being involved in it, and did a good job making it right there.”
Just goes to show you that the cliché “Any Given Sunday” is a cliché for a reason.
“It’s pretty cool, but I don't look at it as me necessarily being the playmaker,” Myarick said. “Any time my number is called, I try to do my job and make the play.”
Added Barkley: “We've got to continue to get creative and find ways to get in the end zone.”
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