Catch, title prediction

ball is coming to you, it’s a split-second of decisions that could last, you know, a lifetime.”

If anyone is conscious of legacy and consequences, it is Beckham. And it is encouraging to hear, therefore, that despite all his fame and record Nike contract and through-the-roof Q-rating, Beckham, 24, still is so driven and so unsatisfied and not indignant at the idea he must win in the postseason to take the next step.

Sure, the desire to cement an expensive new contract extension drives Beckham, but it’s more than that. Interviews like Monday’s provide a window into the side of Beckham that is earnestly trying to be accountable, exhibit maturity and think of his team first.

Beckham’s impromptu Super Bowl guarantee, after all, came in the context of a question about whether he would mind sacrificing statistics with Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram added to Eli Manning’s arsenal.

Beckham’s response was to point out, literally, that his goal and the Giants’ goal is a championship. However they have to win, he’s OK with it. And that demonstrates maturity, to say he wouldn’t mind his numbers decreasing slightly for the good of the whole.

Still, who really believes the Giants will be able to win a Super Bowl, even if the defense remains strong, unless Beckham plays to his elite, star potential into and through the playoffs?

It’s a delicate line for Beckham to straddle in the bright spotlight he constantly walks within: to assert himself as the alpha-dog while simultaneously trying to prioritize team first.

But that’s what needs to happen now. Beckham has to lead the Giants into the season, into the playoffs, into the Super Bowl, and up onto the stage in Minnesota. When he says, “If you can’t see where I’m at, then I’ll make sure you that you do,” it sounds as if he’s not running from that responsibility. He’s asking for it.