Odell’s limited return hardly helps ugly ‘O’
Odell Beckham Jr. warned everyone on Thursday.
His return from a high left ankle sprain wouldn’t necessarily mean the old No. 13 would be back immediately. It was a sixto-eight week injury, he said, meaning Beckham might not be 100 percent until the middle of October.
That was clear Monday night when he was back in action, but was hardly a difference-maker in the Giants’ ugly 24-10 loss to the Lions at MetLife Stadium. He didn’t make any of his trademark game-breaking plays that have typified his first three years in the league.
“I felt like a little bit of myself,” Beckham said. “Just still not there. I do what I can.”
Used cautiously and on a pitch count, Beckham made four catches on five targets for 36 yards. He wasn’t an everydown player, didn’t start, and was certainly not the vertical threat Giants fans have come to expect.
He was in and out of the game, and his presence didn’t exactly wake up the Giants offense, which was again anemic. It was an improvement over the season-opening 19-3 loss to the Cowboys without Beckham, but not by much, producing just 270 yards of total offense.
“It felt good to be able to play again. It’s been a long time,” Beckham said. “Just kind of getting your feet wet. I felt all right. I don’t really know what percentage [I was at].
The Giants were adamant that they would not give Beckham the green light unless they were convinced he would not harm himself any further. He took the field at 6:25 p.m., with Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese already waiting for him. He looked more fluid this week and passed the tests he needed to pass in order to get the go-ahead. He did not receive medical clearance to play last week, but after working out before the game eight days later, that clearance was given.
“Mentally, I felt like I could do anything,” he said. “Physically, I don’t know how much it really mattered. I got my 20-30 plays, or whatever it was, and I just tried to make the most of them.”
All that time getting treatment since the injury paid off, all the early mornings at the Giants facility and the late nights. Beckham was back on the field. Now he has to take the next step, and regain his explosion to help get this offense righted.
“You have time,” Beckham said. “I didn’t have any setbacks today, so I’ll be able to be proactive, stay on it, and get as close to 100 percent as [I] can. That’s pretty much all you can do.”