It has been quite the journey for star receiver for the New York Giants Odell Beckham Jr. he went from a sleeper in the draft, to one of the most talented receivers in the NFL putting jaws on the floor with his one-handed catches, to the most sure-handed wide out in the league, and now, according to some, thin-skinned overrated cry-baby. How did we get here you ask? Very simple.
It all goes back to week 15 of last season when the Giants played the Carolina Panthers. All football fans remember that infamous day when OBJ matched up against one of the best cornerbacks in the game and notorious trash talker Josh Norman. It did not take long at all for Norman’s trash talk to get under Beckham’s skin and before any of us knew it, the young rising star had become more obsessed with hitting Josh Norman, than with running his routes. The receiver went so far as to blindside Norman with a head first dive at his head which could have easily concussed the cornerback. Beckham’s actions resulted in a one game suspension and a hefty fine, but perhaps the biggest consequence of that game was the damage to the receiver’s reputation.
Ever since that one game, Odell Beckham Jr. has been viewed by opposing teams as someone who can easily be triggered by words. Someone who is more likely to take themselves out of the game mentally, than be taken out physically. The results of this philosophy have been on display for weeks with no sign of letting up. OBJ found himself without a touchdown for the first four weeks of the season, most notably lashing out at a kicking net. He had another on the field outburst against the Vikings in a Monday Night Football game, after which he was quoted by reporters as saying “I’m not having fun anymore.” Most recently, his week 6 performance against the Ravens has shown two things. Number one: Odell Beckham Jr. is by far one of the most talented players to ever set foot on the gridiron. Number two: If he doesn’t learn how to control himself, and fast, then he will be by far the biggest waste of talent to ever set foot on the gridiron.
While many Giants fans shared this opinion when OBJ wasn’t producing, that was quickly abandoned with his performance on Sunday. The jeers and calls for a change in the wide receiver’s attitude switched to some version of, “If he catches 10 passes for 220 yards like he did this week, then he can do whatever he wants.” Do you really want this super talented, and almost comically thin-skinned player to do whatever he wants? After scoring the go-ahead touchdown on Sunday, Beckham Jr. ripped his helmet off in the middle of the end zone. A move he knows will be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and cost his team 15 yards, but he did it anyway, and nearly cost his team the game as Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense nearly drove down the field to win the game only to come up just short.
I wish I could say I could see changes in OBJ’s future, but I don’t. He could be just a kid who needs to mature and find his footing in the league. However the fact is that this is Beckham’s third year in the league. He has gone through two head coaches and Eli Manning who has led two Super Bowl teams, but none of those people could get Odell to control his emotions on the field. It’s such a blatantly obvious principle, that if Odell Beckham Jr. keeps his composure, he plays well. If he plays well, then the Giants play well. Anyone who fails to understand that, is well on their way to being the biggest waste of talent in NFL history.
