LANDOVER, Md. — It took exactly two games with the Giants for Kenny Golladay to act like a big-money diva wide receiver.
Golladay embarrassed himself during Thursday night’s epic collapse at Washington — a 30-29 Giants loss — by screaming at Daniel Jones on the sideline late in the game, for at least 10 seconds. This is a terrible look for Golladay, showing up the starting quarterback.
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TV cameras captured Golladay berating Jones and gesturing intensely with his arms, as Jones sat on the bench. Jones looked at Golladay for a moment and said something, though apparently not as emotionally as Golladay was speaking. It is unclear what Jones said.
Jones told reporters after the game that part of Golladay’s frustration stemmed from him not getting the ball enough. Golladay was targeted eight times Thursday (second-most on the Giants) and had three catches for 38 yards.
“Yeah, I think that’s part of it,” Jones said. “You certainly want the receivers that want the ball. We’ll keep working through it.”
Maybe so. But this is a bad, early sign for the Giants’ chemistry — and for Golladay’s fit with coach Joe Judge’s supposedly disciplined team — especially since they are 0-2 for the eighth time in nine seasons.
Jones said, in his opinion, Golladay “wasn’t showing me up individually. Part of the game. He’s emotional and wants to win. And we all do. I respect that.”
The Giants gave Golladay a lucrative contract this past offseason, hoping he can be a reliable No. 1 receiver for Jones. And he still might be. But these sort of antics won’t help.
Through two games, Golladay has no touchdowns. In the Week 1 loss to the Broncos, he was targeted six times and had four catches for 64 yards.
The Giants did not make Golladay available to reporters after Thursday’s game.
Jones did speak, as he usually does, and tried to downplay Golladay’s histrionics.
“I think he was frustrated at the situation,” Jones said. “We’re all good. I love Kenny.”
When asked what he meant by the situation, Jones said, “Just plays. And I’ve got to do a better job of finding him in some places.”
Jones did not specify what he said back to Golladay on the sideline. Jones did say he spoke to Golladay in the locker room after the game.
“We talked, and everything’s good,” Jones said. “Me and Kenny have a great relationship.”
Lobbying for more targets is one thing. But is Jones OK with a teammate demanding the ball so loudly and visibly on the sideline? Jones talked around that question.
“There’s lots of ways to communicate, and we’ll work through it,” Jones said. “There are a lot of emotions to the game, and I certainly understand that. I know we can communicate and do what we need to do there. I appreciate his passion and emotion.”
It’s not the same exact situation, but a volatile Giants receiver, Golden Tate, caught heat from Judge last season for looking into a TV camera — and then at the sideline — during a game and demanding more targets. Tate, a disappointing big-money signing, was cut this offseason.
Coincidentally, Tate was left home from the Washington trip last year due to his actions. Judge benched him. It is unclear whether Golladay will be punished for screaming at Jones.
Golladay is considered to be a more mild-mannered player than Tate, so Thursday night’s outburst came as something of a surprise.
Giants receiver Sterling Shepard said Golladay was upset with “the flow of the game.”
“We need some big plays, and he was heated at the situation,” Shepard said. “That’s what happens in this game. Your emotions get into it. We all love each other.”
After the game, Judge claimed he was unaware of Golladay’s antics.
“I just saw those guys hugging in the locker room a second ago,” he said of Golladay and Jones. “That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”
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Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com.
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