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Beckham Jr. will test much-improved Rams secondary
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_bbd20e29-ab02-5d6b-a711-add76b0cc10e.html
Perhaps the Rams’ most improved unit from the start of the season to now has been the secondary. Missed tackles are down. Coverage has been generally tighter. And busted plays don’t happen very often these days.
Going back half a season — the last eight games — the Rams have allowed only four touchdown passes, the second-lowest total in the NFL over that span.
But with the New York Giants coming to town for Sunday’s 3:05 p.m. kickoff at the Edward Jones Dome, that improvement will be put to the test by one man. Namely, the man, the myth, the rookie sensation that is Odell Beckham Jr.
As much as the New York sports media can pile on when things are going badly for a team or individual, the hype can be out of control when the opposite is the case. So, yes, Beckham is getting all sorts of attention in Gotham.
Then again, what’s not to like with Beckham, who has been a ray of light — and occasional fireworks — in an otherwise drab and disappointing season for the 5-9 Giants.
In what has been a banner year for rookie wide receivers in the NFL, Beckham is at the head of the class with his 71 catches for 972 yards and nine TDs. And keep in mind, he’s done all that in just 10 games, having missed the Giants’ first four games with a hamstring injury.
“He’s come in and made a lot of plays,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning told St. Louis reporters on a conference call. “He’s got the big-play potential. He catches the ball very naturally. He’s got great speed and burst.”
Make no mistake, the Rams have noticed.
“He’s a very explosive player; makes a lot of great catches,” free safety Rodney McLeod said. “A playmaker for their offensive unit over there. You definitely take notice of him on film as someone that we have to worry about on Sunday.”
After Beckham Jr. returned from the injury, the Giants and new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo have gradually expanded his role. It has reached the point where he runs just about every route imaginable, be it short, intermediate, or deep. Bubble screens, slants, comebacks, crossing patterns, go routes.
As McLeod says, “The guy runs the whole route tree.”
He’ll line up both on the outside and in the slot. You can find him the backfield once in a while, and he’s even thrown a pass this season.
“They ran a reverse pass, and he threw the ball 40, 50 yards,” said coach Jeff Fisher, who appreciates the well-executed trick play. “They tell us that he throws with either arm.”
The Rams showed interest in Beckham Jr. during the pre-draft process. There has been some post-draft speculation that the Rams might have taken the LSU product last May at No. 13 overall had the Giants not nabbed him one pick earlier.
In doing so, the Rams would’ve passed on defensive tackle Aaron Donald, a leading contender for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“We spent a lot of time with him,” Fisher said. “Really liked him. Knew he was going to be a real good pro.”
Considered the favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Beckham has been just — a real good pro. And maybe a little bit more.
“As good a receiver out-of-frame as you’ll see, especially at a young age,” Fisher said. “The run-after-catch ability is off the charts. He’s an outstanding athlete.”
The ultimate out-of-frame catch by Beckham Jr. came against Dallas on Nov. 23, when he made like Gumby, bending backwards to make a one-handed leaping catch for a touchdown. The catch garnered instant national acclaim, and there’s probably not a serious NFL fan that hasn’t seen the replay at least once or twice.
Although not nearly as spectacular, Beckham Jr. made a couple of leaping grabs last week vs. Washington. That makes him a much bigger target than his frame (5-11, 198) would indicate.
“One of our coaches compared him to a young Steve Smith,” said linebacker James Laurinaitis. “To where he’s so competitive that when he catches the ball, the run after the catch is very impressive. And we all know about how good his hands are.”
Coincidentally, Beckham Jr. attended the same high school as Eli Manning in New Orleans — Isidore Newman High — 11 years apart. A soccer phenom growing up, Beckham had the potential to be a world-class performer in that sport, but opted for American football instead.
His godfather is none other than Shaquille O’Neal, the former LSU basketball great and NBA star. Beckham’s father, who played running back at LSU, was O’Neal’s roommate in college.
Trivia aside, the Rams want to make sure Beckham Jr. doesn’t single-handedly wreck the game for them, which he basically did last week against Washington, when he caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Beckham also gave the Giants an additional 40 yards by drawing two penalties for pass interference.
And what would’ve been a fourth TD catch was called back because of an offensive holding penalty against the Giants.
It’s unrealistic to think that the Rams can totally shut down Beckham Jr. They just don’t need him to set any records against them on Sunday.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_bbd20e29-ab02-5d6b-a711-add76b0cc10e.html
Perhaps the Rams’ most improved unit from the start of the season to now has been the secondary. Missed tackles are down. Coverage has been generally tighter. And busted plays don’t happen very often these days.
Going back half a season — the last eight games — the Rams have allowed only four touchdown passes, the second-lowest total in the NFL over that span.
But with the New York Giants coming to town for Sunday’s 3:05 p.m. kickoff at the Edward Jones Dome, that improvement will be put to the test by one man. Namely, the man, the myth, the rookie sensation that is Odell Beckham Jr.
As much as the New York sports media can pile on when things are going badly for a team or individual, the hype can be out of control when the opposite is the case. So, yes, Beckham is getting all sorts of attention in Gotham.
Then again, what’s not to like with Beckham, who has been a ray of light — and occasional fireworks — in an otherwise drab and disappointing season for the 5-9 Giants.
In what has been a banner year for rookie wide receivers in the NFL, Beckham is at the head of the class with his 71 catches for 972 yards and nine TDs. And keep in mind, he’s done all that in just 10 games, having missed the Giants’ first four games with a hamstring injury.
“He’s come in and made a lot of plays,” Giants quarterback Eli Manning told St. Louis reporters on a conference call. “He’s got the big-play potential. He catches the ball very naturally. He’s got great speed and burst.”
Make no mistake, the Rams have noticed.
“He’s a very explosive player; makes a lot of great catches,” free safety Rodney McLeod said. “A playmaker for their offensive unit over there. You definitely take notice of him on film as someone that we have to worry about on Sunday.”
After Beckham Jr. returned from the injury, the Giants and new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo have gradually expanded his role. It has reached the point where he runs just about every route imaginable, be it short, intermediate, or deep. Bubble screens, slants, comebacks, crossing patterns, go routes.
As McLeod says, “The guy runs the whole route tree.”
He’ll line up both on the outside and in the slot. You can find him the backfield once in a while, and he’s even thrown a pass this season.
“They ran a reverse pass, and he threw the ball 40, 50 yards,” said coach Jeff Fisher, who appreciates the well-executed trick play. “They tell us that he throws with either arm.”
The Rams showed interest in Beckham Jr. during the pre-draft process. There has been some post-draft speculation that the Rams might have taken the LSU product last May at No. 13 overall had the Giants not nabbed him one pick earlier.
In doing so, the Rams would’ve passed on defensive tackle Aaron Donald, a leading contender for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
“We spent a lot of time with him,” Fisher said. “Really liked him. Knew he was going to be a real good pro.”
Considered the favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Beckham has been just — a real good pro. And maybe a little bit more.
“As good a receiver out-of-frame as you’ll see, especially at a young age,” Fisher said. “The run-after-catch ability is off the charts. He’s an outstanding athlete.”
The ultimate out-of-frame catch by Beckham Jr. came against Dallas on Nov. 23, when he made like Gumby, bending backwards to make a one-handed leaping catch for a touchdown. The catch garnered instant national acclaim, and there’s probably not a serious NFL fan that hasn’t seen the replay at least once or twice.
Although not nearly as spectacular, Beckham Jr. made a couple of leaping grabs last week vs. Washington. That makes him a much bigger target than his frame (5-11, 198) would indicate.
“One of our coaches compared him to a young Steve Smith,” said linebacker James Laurinaitis. “To where he’s so competitive that when he catches the ball, the run after the catch is very impressive. And we all know about how good his hands are.”
Coincidentally, Beckham Jr. attended the same high school as Eli Manning in New Orleans — Isidore Newman High — 11 years apart. A soccer phenom growing up, Beckham had the potential to be a world-class performer in that sport, but opted for American football instead.
His godfather is none other than Shaquille O’Neal, the former LSU basketball great and NBA star. Beckham’s father, who played running back at LSU, was O’Neal’s roommate in college.
Trivia aside, the Rams want to make sure Beckham Jr. doesn’t single-handedly wreck the game for them, which he basically did last week against Washington, when he caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Beckham also gave the Giants an additional 40 yards by drawing two penalties for pass interference.
And what would’ve been a fourth TD catch was called back because of an offensive holding penalty against the Giants.
It’s unrealistic to think that the Rams can totally shut down Beckham Jr. They just don’t need him to set any records against them on Sunday.
