Giants WR Odell Beckham has a love-hate relationship with Patriots
Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Nov. 1, 2015 in New Orleans. Credit: Getty Images / Chris Graythen
Odell Beckham Jr. despises the Patriots. And that's a compliment.
"I've loved-hated the Patriots for a long time," the Giants receiver said Thursday. "I respect everything that they've done and everything they do year in and year out as far as being one of the top teams in the league. They get the job done, they win championships. But on the other end, they've beaten all the teams that I like."
Beckham said he remembers Adam Vinatieri kicking field goals to beat many of the teams he rooted for in Super Bowls he watched while growing up. As a New Orleans product, he likely was pulling for Peyton Manning's Colts in some playoff battles as well.
"You hate them because nobody was really beating them and you love them because no matter what they go through, even what they've gone through this year [with DeflateGate] to see how they've come out, they play football," Beckham said. "There's something about it I admire. But it's still one of my least-favorite favorite teams of all time."
The respect, apparently, is mutual. Bill Belichick was asked about Beckham this week and said what stands out most to him is not his speed or catching ability but his toughness.
"He's not a big guy, but he competes well, he goes inside, goes after the ball, takes a hit, hangs on to it," Belichick said. "He's a tough, competitive player and very good with the ball in his hands, not just going up and getting it. He's got obviously a bunch of highlight catches, but when he catches the ball he can run with it and make plays with his quickness and with his open-field running ability."
That scouting report impressed Beckham.
"It makes me wonder, like, how much has he really watched?" Beckham said. "For someone to pick me and put that characteristic as the thing that they notice most means they're probably watching a lot of film. I'm sure he does."
Beckham will get his first chance to play against the Patriots on Sunday. And to know that one of the league's greatest defensive minds has been spending the week concocting ways to reduce his impact on the game gives him a thrill.
"There's no better way I could have ever pictured this," Beckham said. "Going into the league you get to do all of these things, and this is one of those ones that is at the top of the list. Playing against the Patriots and Belichick and [Tom] Brady and everything they have over there. It's definitely exciting."
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
