Shurmur deflects Beckham's criticism, but receiver's dissatisfaction could linger
Giants coach Pat Shurmur's play-calling in the second half came under fire Sunday after a brutal loss to the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Credit: Getty Images/Elsa
Pat Shurmur said he isn’t worried about any fallout from Odell Beckham Jr.’s frustration after Sunday’s 25-22 loss to the Eagles. No matter that Beckham came close to going over the line in criticizing Shurmur’s game plan against an injury-riddled secondary.
“That’s one man’s opinion after an emotional loss,” Shurmur said Monday when asked about Beckham’s comments. “What happens is you get a good night’s sleep, watch the tape, maybe change his opinion.”
Maybe. But not likely.
Beckham clearly was agitated after the game and went as far as he could without calling out Shurmur. “Coming in, knowing that they struggled in the secondary, personally, I would have loved to attack them,” he said. “But it wasn’t in our game plan.”
He deferred to Shurmur when pressed further about the game plan. “I just do what I’m told to do and go out there and execute,” Beckham said. “Whenever I get the opportunity to do something, I try to make the most of it. If I don’t have that many opportunities, all I can do is what I can do when I have an opportunity.”
Beckham was careful not to directly undercut his coach, but a player who has been as outspoken as Beckham surely understands that he is getting his point across without having to use a sledgehammer. In this case, he used a scalpel.
And you’d better believe that a player of Beckham’s caliber, who thinks getting him the ball is one of the best ways to win, won’t be placated with a good night’s sleep and a deep dive into the game video.
Beckham has been mostly careful not to make waves this season. Except for an ESPN interview in which he offered tepid support for Eli Manning and left open the possibility that he wasn’t entirely happy living and playing in the New York market, Beckham has toed the company line. He even apologized to his teammates and coaches for any misunderstandings about his comments to ESPN and hasn’t come close to creating any further distractions with his words.
What he said Sunday didn’t rise to the level of insubordination, but it did raise the possibility that Shurmur will have to carefully manage a potentially disturbing situation involving the best player on his team.
Shurmur offered a plausible explanation for why things went wrong and why Beckham may not have been entirely accurate about what seemed to be a more conservative game plan against a battered secondary.
“We ran the ball 18 times, we threw it 37,” Shurmur said. “That’s twice as many throws as runs. We had seven explosive gains in the passing game. The only [game] we had more was Carolina, we had eight. There were many times [Sunday] we tried to throw it to him.
“You’ll have to ask him to define it after he watches the tape, but I felt like we were trying to do the things necessary to win the game. We still got production in the running game. Had a couple of third-down calls in the red zone that were close. We get those in, it’s a different story.”
But the day-after “woulda, coulda, shoulda” couldn’t mask that Shurmur’s play-calling left much to be desired in the second half. Penalties and sacks created obstacles. Even so, Saquon Barkley should have had way more than five touches, especially after such a dynamic first half (94 rushing yards, 37 receiving yards, two touchdowns). Beckham was targeted nine times and had five catches for 85 yards and no touchdowns, well below his usual standards.
Beckham’s comments pointed to a potentially deeper sense of frustration with Shurmur’s play-calling. It’s a situation that bears watching as the 3-8 Giants play out the schedule with no realistic chance at a playoff berth.
To Shurmur, a good night’s sleep and a peek at the video will be enough to address Beckham’s unease. Knowing Beckham, that might be wishful thinking.
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.”
