Odell Beckham Jr. one of few bright spots for Giants
Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham gestures as he jogs up field during warm ups before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Oct., 19, 2014, in Arlington, Texas Credit: AP / Brandon Wade
In what has become another lost season for the Giants, who soon will face elimination from playoff contention unless they go on an unexpected lengthy winning streak, at least there is Odell Beckham Jr.
The rookie wide receiver, who began his run with the Giants by nursing a hamstring injury and incurring the wrath of impatient coach Tom Coughlin, has become a revelation since he finally got into the lineup last month. The Giants' playoff chances appear close to the end, but Beckham has given the Giants reason to believe they have an important building block for the rebuilding process.
Beckham is coming off his second straight 100-yard receiving game and can become the first Giants rookie receiver to top 100 in three straight games. He has drawn praise from teammates and coaches, and opponents have noticed his talents, too.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman offered unsolicited shout-outs to Beckham after Sunday's 38-17 loss in Seattle.
"I thought he showed that he was a really good football player, and they've got a great one in that kid,'' Carroll said after his seven-catch, 108-yard outing.
"You're the real deal,'' Sherman told Beckham when they met on the field after the game. "You're going to be a great player. Keep working.''
High praise for a rookie who has played only five NFL games, but it's hard not to see stardom with Beckham, the Giants' first-round pick (12th overall) out of LSU last May.
There is an "it'' factor with him when you watch him play, that undefinable yet unmistakable quality that sets a player apart. The way he cuts in and out of breaks with his precise route-running ability. The flat-out speed. The jump in his movements. And the hands. Oh, those gifted hands. They seem to have a built-in adhesive that makes his catches seem so effortless.
Just watch Beckham in pregame warm-ups or practice, and you'll see him make some impossible catches. Before the Colts game, for instance, he made some one-handed catches in which he snatched the ball out of midair with his hand actually on top of the ball. He wound up with eight catches for 156 yards.
In practice this week, Beckham treated reporters to some more magic. On Wednesday, he made a one-handed catch of Steve Weatherford's punt, then caught another punt with his other hand while holding the first. Then he threw each ball back -- one with his right hand, the other with his left.
"Catching the ball with one hand is something you just have to practice,'' Beckham said. "The opportunity sometimes presents itself and you know you want to be prepared. That is one of those things that I have been doing for a long time. Jarvis Landry and I would always do that every day in practice. We wouldn't compete, but we would see who could make the most ridiculous catch.''
Before the Seahawks game, there was another eye-opening display. And in the game, too, although there was one play he desperately wanted to have back. Beckham tried to snatch the ball away from Sherman in the end zone in the third quarter but wound up tipping the ball up in the air, and Earl Thomas intercepted it. That set up a TD.
"I was just trying to make a play on the ball,'' Beckham said. "I was trying to bring it in to me, but I couldn't do it. I was really disappointed that it was intercepted.''
Beckham no doubt will start to receive special attention from opponents who have now seen his work on tape, something offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo will be mindful of.
"We anticipate moving forward that teams are going to make an effort to minimize his production, whether it's personnel-driven or scheme-driven," McAdoo said.
Beckham knows there will be double-teams ahead but insists he's ready. "I am just trying to do the best that I can and provide a spark for the offense and try to make as many plays as possible,'' he said. "I know what I want to be and I am not there yet, so I am just a work in progress.''
But it's not all about Beckham, as he'll be the first to tell you. At 3-6, it's about his team.
"It is just frustrating in general, losing,'' he said. "No matter what you are doing, no matter whether you are having a good game or bad game, losing is never fun.''
At least there's some consolation for the Giants. At least they've found a potential star to build around, even if the turnaround will take some time.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
