Giants weather forecast vs. Lions should put Malik Nabers in a protective bubble

The New York Giants and Detroit Lions will kick off the NFL preseason Thursday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. ET in East Rutherford. It has been an exciting lead-up to the game, with multiple chippy practices to chum the waters and raise the spirits in both locker rooms.

We should never place too much stock into preseason games, but it's our first chance to get a read on various perceived issues surrounding both teams. The Giants won't have Saquon Barkley to lean on in the backfield, for starters. The Lions will get an extended look at the QB depth chart beyond Jared Goff, while New York will get to compare Daniel Jones and Drew Lock in short succession.

Of all the players drawing interest ahead of this game, Malik Nabers is probably the most anticipated. The reigning No. 6 overall pick is an electric athlete, regularly propped up as the next offensive cornerstone for a team in need of continuity and, most importantly, talent on that end of the field.

The LSU product was absolutely electric in his final college season, accumulating 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns through the air. In terms of raw athletic talent, Nabers is up there with the best WR prospects in recent memory. He was shrouded by vague labels, such as "high-maintenance," but that is just hollow misdirection more often than not. Nabers has a chance to meaningfully elevate the Giants offense and to lead in the locker room.

It's only natural to want to see Nabers on the field as soon as possible, but external risk factors could tempt the Giants to reconsider his expected debut on Thursday night. At the very least, those factors will be enough to raise the blood pressure of New York fans across the state.

Weather for NY Giants-Lions preseason game raises Malik Nabers concerns

Look, the National Weather Service is not 100 percent correct all the time. But, generally, it's best to leave these prognostications to the professionals. If there's rain on the radar for Thursday's game, odds are it will rain during Thursday's game.

The current weather report for tomorrow night in East Rutherford cites "periods of rain" with a low temperature around 70 degrees. The chance of rain is 70 percent, with around a quarter inch of expected rainfall.

That is far from a torrential downpour, but it's enough to muck up a football field. Moreover, the Giants play on turf. A notoriously fickle turf.

Nabers is a precision athlete, his success predicated on explosiveness and sharp, sudden directional changes. Watching the Giants' prized rookie zig and zag on wet turf in his first preseason game is probably not how New York fans dreamt it up

Maybe the clouds shift and the Giants are blessed with a clear night. Nabers will only play limited snaps regardless, as the preseason is never an occasion to burn out star talent. But, if we end up watching two teams slipping and sliding on slick turf Thursday evening, you can bet New York will need to think twice about letting Nabers run wild on his usual route tree.