When it comes to writing this column, some weeks are easier than others. That really has nothing to do with the actual writing that takes place. I’m getting an MFA in creative writing so typing 1,000 words at a clip is already part of my daily routine. The hard part is getting the players to cooperate.
Last week I requested to cover the Rams/Bengals game, not because I wanted to see Cincinnati knock Nick Foles back into the Stone Age, but because I thought Todd Gurley might generate some nice Vines. Naturally, he stunk up the joint with just 19 yards on nine carries. Instead of making my readers suffer through 10 Vines of Gurley getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage, I changed course and wrote about the Seahawks/Steelers game. It wasn’t my first choice, but when life gives you lemons, you go on Vine and make some Doug Baldwin highlights.
Fortunately, this was one of my easier weeks. For that, I have Odell Beckham to thank.
When you think of the modern NFL superstar, Beckham checks off all the boxes. He’s got a cool name, sweet hair, he plays for a big-market team, his catches go viral on a weekly basis—did I miss anything? But what really stands out to me is Beckham’s insane consistency. Sunday’s loss to the Jets marked his fifth straight 100-yard game. He’s averaged 126 yards over that stretch with six touchdowns. Most of those touchdowns have been of the highlight-reel variety. Try this one on for size.
A good receiver will move the chains for a first down. A great receiver will break a couple tackles on his way to a big gain. But a once-in-a-generation talent like Beckham will take it all the way for six—and he’ll make it look easy.
This is one of the simplest plays you’ll see in football. Beckham has probably been running crossing routes like this since he was in Pop Warner. The reason this play goes for a 72-yard touchdown instead of just an average completion is pure speed. It’s almost embarrassing to watch Marcus Gilchrist get torn apart like this. Usain Bolt would have had a hard time catching Beckham on this play. And look at that hurdling technique.
We’re not even at the good part yet. Yeah that run was something, but check out this one-handed grab with Gilchrist right on his tail.
It’s not like Eli Manning just lobbed it in there, either. He put some mustard on that throw. Watching the Patriots lose to the Eagles on Sunday, I’d wager most of New England’s wide receivers couldn’t have caught this ball with both hands. Beckham only needs one for the 22-yard completion. It’s the first quarter and Beckham is already in alien mode. Did I mention Beckham turned 23 last month? It’s frightening to think about, but it’s possible Beckham’s best football might still be ahead of him.
On to the next highlight. Beckham doesn’t even touch the ball on this punt return by Dwayne Harris. But the mere threat of Beckham draws three defenders away from Harris, who takes it all the way for an 80-yard touchdown. Even as a decoy, Beckham has an enormous impact.
Beckham was one of the most expensive players on daily fantasy this week. He’s always one of the priciest wide receivers but I had never seen him reach $9,400 before.
It’s easy to see why FanDuel bumped up his price. With Darrelle Revis (concussion) and his replacement Marcus Williams (knee) both sidelined, the general consensus was that Beckham would rip the Jets’ patchwork secondary to shreds. For the most part he did, but that didn’t stop the Jets from trying.
One of the more intriguing matchups from Sunday featured Beckham against safety Calvin Pryor. It’s an unusual pairing because safeties usually stick to one side of the field instead of shadowing wide receivers.
Pryor actually got the better of Beckham on this play. Beckham very nearly hauled in his second touchdown of the afternoon but Pryor swooped in at the last second to knock the ball loose. Beckham went to the sidelines after this play but didn’t show any concussion symptoms. The Giants eventually settled for a field goal and went into halftime with a 20-10 lead.
Pryor matched up with Beckham again early in the second half. Here on third-and-15, Manning uncorks a high throw to the left side. Beckham, who is known for making leaping catches of this sort, does a great job to keep his eye on the ball even with Pryor coming in to lay a huge hit on him. Many wide receivers would hear footsteps and give up on this play. But as we’ve seen throughout his career, Beckham’s concentration is second to none.
The Jets have one of the league’s top receiving duos in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Receiving tandems work well because they mostly eliminate double-teams. Put two defenders on Marshall? Fine, we’ll beat you with Decker. It’s a lose-lose for the defense because focusing on one receiver leaves the other wide open. The counter would be to play man coverage. Of course, that doesn’t work because Decker and Marshall win most of their one-on-one battles. It’s a vicious cycle.
We’ve never really seen that with the Giants, at least not since Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks were both in their primes. With Cruz hurt and Nicks barely a factor anymore, it’s been Odell or bust. That makes the Giants pretty one-dimensional, especially when you consider how awful their running game has been. Like Decker and Marshall, Beckham wins most of his one-on-one matchups. But unlike those two, opponents can freely double-team Beckham and not worry about the consequences.
We watched this scenario play out early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game. The Jets decided to take away Beckham by bringing two defenders on this play. Essentially they were daring Manning to beat them with Rueben Randle or Dwayne Harris. But Manning’s trust in those receivers is so limited that often he’ll force a bad throw to Beckham even in tight coverage. The other option would be to sit in the pocket forever and wait for Beckham to get open. It never happened on this play and Manning had to take a sack.
This drive ate up 11 minutes and 21 seconds and somehow the Giants still couldn’t score. Instead of kicking a field goal, the Giants went for it on fourth-and-two from the four-yard line. Rueben Randle and Manning had a miscommunication, which led to an easy interception for Rontez Miles. With momentum back on their side, the Jets responded with 13 unanswered points.
The Giants would eventually lose in overtime on a missed field goal by Josh Brown, but give Beckham credit for extending the game with this brilliant catch on fourth-and-seven. One play after failing to connect on a deep pass, Manning looked to Beckham again, this time along the left sideline. It’s good coverage by Buster Skrine but a better catch by Beckham.
At 5-7, the Giants are playing for their playoff lives. They’ll need a lot of Beckham down the stretch. So will fantasy owners. I can’t wait.
