Bailing Beckham made right call
Victor Cruz somehow was not the story for the Giants on Saturday night, despite making his first appearance in any NFL game since Oct. 12, 2014, and what that was supposed to mean for Big Blue’s sputtering offense in their third preseason game against the Jets.
Cruz finally got his hands on an Eli Manning pass for a 4-yard gain early in the third quarter. The fans certainly appreciated his involvement, sending that unmistakable and refreshing “Cruuuuuz” sound humming through MetLife Stadium once again.
Cruz even happily reported he came out of the game “unscathed.” Nevertheless, the indelible image of this night for the Giants’ offense was not the triumph of Cruz getting up healthy from a Rontez Miles tackle.
It was, instead, Odell Beckham Jr., after a Rashad Jennings rush for no-gain on 2-and12 in the second quarter, seemingly yelling back toward the huddle from the left side and gesturing, looking agitated. He would receive no targets in the offense’s first 16 snaps through that fourth scoreless series with just two total first downs.
Then, to start the next drive, with the Giants on their way to their ninth consecutive scoreless quarter, Manning responded immediately by throwing in Beckham’s direction on first down. Beckham turned to the middle on a crossing route and then, well, he tucked his arms into his body to avoid getting crushed by Jets safety Calvin Pryor, and Darrelle Revis picked up an interception that sent the Giants right back to the sideline shaking their heads. Beckham was not available for comment postgame on his alligator-arm act. Manning was left to answer for his wide receiver, and the quarterback responded by admitting he had put Beckham in a bad spot. “I just had a little play-action. They were one high but that safety was tight, he was low, my back was to it, so I wasn’t quite sure where he was. You’re kinda coming up throwing,” Manning said. “So I’ve just got to try to see him and don’t lead Odell into a big hit right there. It’s preseason, there’s no point in going in there and taking hits and throwing guys into big hits. So Manning approved of Beckham pulling up in that instance? “Under the circumstances, yeah,” the franchise QB said. Truthfully, it really isn’t worth it for Beckham to reach out for that ball in the preseason. He’s too important to the Giants’ cause. That’s probably what Manning said when he walked over to Beckham on the bench shortly after, slapping hands and trying to find optimism for the next drive.
The only problem? There was nothing positive ahead. The Giants’ first-team offense never even ran a play in Jets territory. Beckham caught an eight-yard pass on the following drive and that was it.
“Disappointed, disappointed we didn’t get more going and move the ball better than we did,” Manning said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to get completions, move the ball, get into a better rhythm … We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to play better.”
What a dud, just like Cruz’s first target from Manning on the Giants’ third series: Cruz had his man beat, but Manning floated a wobbler down the left and missed inside on an underthrow that Jets safety Marcus Gilchrist nearly picked off early in the second quarter. Cruz’s catch in the third also was offset two plays later by a Cruz illegal formation that led to a Giants punt.
He was excused from some rust, though. Not so much the rest of the offense.
“It did obviously raise some concerns for ourselves offensively,” Cruz said, “understanding that we have to figure out how to get off to a better start. And figure out how we can get the ball moving and get into a little bit of a groove.
“But that’s nothing we can’t fix, watch the film, see the good and the bad and take it from there.”
Head coach Ben McAdoo seemed determined to make his offensive line prove that it could establish a running game before he opened anything up at all. They responded by helping Jennings and Shane Vereen gain all of nine yards on 11 firsthalf carries. anning had little time to throw as the offensive line looked overwhelmed, missing left guard Justin Pugh (shoulder) for a second straight game with Bobby Hart in his place.
That’s why it was hard to blame Beckham for being so frustrated on Saturday. It might be the preseason, but this won’t fly come September, and No. 13 knows it.
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