Beckham talks about disappointment, not postgame criticism
EAST RUTHERFORD >> Despite being among the NFL’s top receivers in catches and yards, Odell Beckham Jr. of the Giants isn’t satisfied with his season.
His statistics coming off his first major injury aren’t as good as he would like, and there is frustration with the Giants’ 3-8 record that will keep the NFL’s highest-paid receiver out of the playoffs for the fourth time in his fiveyear career.
It’s not the result he hoped for after spending almost nine months rehabilitating from a broken ankle that limited his 2017 season to four games and 25 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns.
For the record, Beckham has played in all 11 games this season, catching 74 passes for 1,017 yards and five touchdowns.
“I don’t feel like it’s quite there,” Beckham said Thursday of his season after practicing for Sunday home game against the Chicago Bears (8-3). “Each year I come in, 1,000 yards is a minimum. I don’t look at it like: ‘Oh, I need to get 1,000 yards.’ My season starts after 1,000 yards. Trying to see how many yards I can get after 1,000. Ten touchdowns minimum. That’s just the goal.”
Beckham came into this season wanting to be more efficient, which he equated to his college days at LSU. If it was third-and-11, he was able to make a play to keep the drive alive, he said.
“It’s not like a down year,” Beckham said. “My numbers are still my numbers. I guess that’s where my mindset is different than everybody else. I expect way higher of myself. I’m trying to reach 2,000 yards. I’m trying to go for 20 touchdowns; 100 receptions is tatted on me. Those are goals that hopefully in my career, in my future along with championships, winning, because numbers really don’t mean anything without winning.”
Beckham understands getting a win over the Bears will be difficult. New York has struggled when the offensive line can’t protect Eli Manning, and the Bears come into the game with one of the best defenses in the league, led by linebacker/defensive end Khalil Mack, who has eight sacks.
“To be honest, when you’re playing receiver, the race isn’t between you and the DB,” Beckham said. “It’s always between you and the Dlinemen, and once I can learn and understand that, it helped me conceptualize more what was really going on. If he’s getting up the field, you don’t have to cut the route shorter, but you do need to be sharper, and you do need to be there on time.”
Beckham made news after the bye week when he said the goal for the Giants was to win their final eight games and to see if a 9-7 record would be good enough to make the playoffs in the weak NFC East. New York won two straight after the statement, but the long-shot big finish ended Sunday with a 25-22 loss to the Eagles, a game in which the Giants’ offense did almost nothing in the second half.
Beckham criticized the game plan after the game, saying the offense did not attack the Eagles’ banged-up secondary enough. Three starters were out for Philly.
He refused to discuss his comments Thursday, saying he was focused on the Bears. His goal now is just to keep winning.
“There’s no giving up,” Beckham said. “There’s no quit, not from me or anybody in here. We just got to win these last whatever games, and see what happens.”
NOTES>> TE Evan Engram (hamstring) and LB Lorenzo Carter (hip) didn’t practice Thursday. DL Kerry Wynn (concussion), LB Tae Davis (ankle), LB B.J. Goodson (neck), CB Grant Haley (hamstring) and S Curtis Riley (shoulder) were limited for the second straight day.