New York Giants: Odell Beckham Jr. Catching Lots of Heat
The New York Giants have hit some bumpy times and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. finds himself under some fire for getting a little hot under the collar.
About the only people who haven’t chimed in on New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and his recent issues are Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Give it time; there’s a debate coming within the week.
It’s been a rough two weeks for the talented but emotional third-year wide receiver. Then again, it hasn’t been a typical season for one of the more productive players in the league at his position.
During the team’s 2-2 start, OBJ has totaled 22 catches for 303 yards and zero touchdowns. We’re talking about a player that had amassed 187 grabs for 2,755 yards and 25 scores in his first two seasons and in just 27 contests. Pretty spectacular to say the least.
However, the last two weeks have been fairly forgettable for the young receiver. And what a surprise, the 2-0 Giants are now a .500 team after losses to the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings. As for Beckham, he’s not only been losing his composure but stands 0-1 vs. sideline kicking nets too.
It’s been somewhat embarrassing for not only the player, but the organization as well. His teammates and coaches have been asked their share of questions and some have surprisingly responded with a bit of tough love—and honesty.
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And the idea that the two-time Super Bowl champion has not supported his teammate or the opinion that he threw the third-year wideout “under the bus” (via Nick Wright of Fox Sports) is somewhat perplexing.
There have been some statistics thrown out supporting the fact that veteran Eli Manning became a better quarterback when Beckham arrived in 2014. And the numbers are indeed the numbers.
But has anyone heard of head coach Ben McAdoo? He was the newly-hired offensive coordinator who joined the team the same year that Beckham was the Giants’ first-round pick. He’s also been the guiding force behind Manning’s recent turnaround, following a 2013 season in which he threw 18 touchdowns compared to a league-high 27 interceptions. Add in three lost fumbles and the sometimes-erratic quarterback totaled a whopping 30 turnovers that season.
Enter McAdoo, now the man in charge after succeeding two-time Super Bowl champion Tom Coughlin (who also had some thoughts on this matter, via ESPN). In 36 outings since then, Manning has more than twice as many scoring tosses (69) than interceptions (32). And since we’re talking facts, he’s played five of those games without the gifted Beckham.
Stats are great to use but you also have to put them in their proper context. Before 2014, Manning somehow managed to throw, uh, 229 touchdown passes (compared to 171 interceptions).
As for the quarterback commenting on a teammate when asked a question, what’s the issue when the answer is constructive and honest? Isn’t that what we want from everyone? Zach Braziller of the New York Post documents both Manning’s and Beckham’s thoughts the last few days.
Let’s be honest. The only thing Manning has been throwing this season when it comes to Beckham is the football (he’s been target a team-high 39 times this season). There’s no doubt they need each other and once they get back on the same page, you can expect plenty of that magic. But a still-young OBJ also needs to understand that playing under control and doing what you can to help your team is always priority No. 1.
Take it from No. 10.
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