Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. getting close to a return
Forget about catching touchdown passes. Odell Beckham Jr. wasn't even healthy enough to celebrate other people scoring.
He watched the Giants' preseason debut on TV on Sunday, and when roommate Corey Washington caught the go-ahead 73-yard TD pass, Beckham had to restrain himself. "I didn't want to jump around or do anything," he said with a smile. He was afraid of causing more damage to his sore hamstring.
Beckham will miss a second preseason game Saturday but feels he is "definitely getting close" to returning to the field. Neither he nor Tom Coughlin would commit to a return to action next week, but that would seem to be a likely scenario.
In the last several days, Beckham has been running and cutting on the side during practices. He caught passes from a coach Thursday.
"It's almost that time," he said.
Snap count
Starters usually play a bit deeper into the second preseason game, but for the Giants, Saturday's contest against the Steelers is sort of like preseason game 1A. With five of them on their schedule, the Giants are treating this one more like an opener.
"Our guys will play the same amount or maybe a little bit more than they did before," Coughlin said of the starters, who went about 15 snaps against the Bills.
"I still want to see, if we can, everyone who is dressed. If they are able to play, I would like to see them all."
Giant steps
Two players who have been practicing but won't play in Saturday's game are CB Trumaine McBride (hip) and LT Will Beatty (leg). Both are coming off surgery . . . CB Zack Bowman had two interceptions in practice . . . Washington capped the workout with a long touchdown reception on a fourth-and-2 pass from Curtis Painter in a two-minute drill.
