A spectacular one-handed touchdown catch, falling backward into the end zone on a Sunday Night Football telecast helped make Odell Beckham Jr. maybe the most talked about young receiver in the NFL.
A few more amazing catches have sent the Giants young wideout to even bigger stardom, mostly because of his breakaway speed and ability to elude double coverage by opponents.
After a record-breaking rookie season, he has become the top voted receiver in balloting for the Pro Bowl. Sunday, at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, OBJ faces his biggest challenge, hoping to get the 5-5 Giants past Washington, and widen their lead atop the NFC East as they chase their first playoff trip since winning the 2011 Super Bowl.
“You can definitely feel it in the atmosphere around this locker room. Everyone is focused on this game and the challenge it is as we come back from the bye and play the first of our last six games,” Beckham, Jr. said this week.
The Redskins are the Giants’ closest challenger in the NFC East. Despite a losing record and key injuries on the offensive and defensive units, Washington is a very formidable opponent at FedEx, where they are 4-1.
“It seems they are a different team playing here. I don’t know why that is, but they can be very dangerous,” OBJ said.
Having lost two of their last three games – on last-second field goals – the G-Men will have a new weapon in their pass game to compliment Beckham Jr. – recently signed former Giant Hakeem Nicks, who twice was a 1,000-yard receiver when he was running some of Eli Manning’s favorite routes.
Now it’s Beckham Jr. who has been doing that. OBJ, who has four touchdowns in his three games against Washington, has caught 63 passes for 863 yards and eight TDs from Eli.
“I take a lot of pride in myself and what I want to do four our team,” he said. “Everybody on this team feels the same way. This is the first game after the bye, and right now is the biggest one.”
“It is crazy how much things have changed for me in one year.”
Creating a dual threat with Nicks can be a blessing for Manning, who is off to his best start yet through 10 games.
“First time I saw Hakeem here and met him, I had to measure my hand against his, which was so big. Hakeem has been cool since I met hi m, He knows what is going on, and wants to help us win,” Beckham Jr. said. “I want to take my game to another level, and so does Hakeem.
If they can do it today, the G-Men could make it six straight wins over their oldest rival, and get a little more of a cushion in a division race that, while short on quality, has become the NFL’s most exciting.
***Center Weston Richburg is doubtful with an ankle injury, guard Justin Pugh has not cleared concussion protocol, and tight end Larry Donnell is gone for the season with neck issues.
