Angels in the Endzone
Odell Beckham Jr. is very good at catching footballs. I’ve seen plenty of one handed grabs in my day but never a play that had quite as much going on. ODB was running full speed, got fouled, had to reach back behind his head while jumping, caught the ball with 3 fingers, and hauled it in all while managing to stay in bounds. I personally don’t think it was the greatest catch of all time as some over-reactionary people called it (it was just an early game TD grab in a loss on a 3-8 team, missing the context and mystique of a truly legendary catch like Tyree or Santonio Holmes’s tip toe, or The Catch. I won’t deny the sheer athleticism of the catch though. I’ve seen a lot of people going “Yeah but he was wearing those sticky WR gloves” and I can’t help but feel like they miss the point. Does Beckham make the catch without those gloves? Probably not. But how often do you see a catch like that anyway? Every single WR in the NFL wears those exact same gloves with that exact same stick. Every WR is on the same level for those gloves, the gloves effect is basically nullified between players. If those gloves were so magical Cruz wouldn’t bobble everything thrown his way. Plus, catching a bomb like that during a game, as the he gets fouled, with 3 fingers, that’s amazing. It’s easy to one hand the ball in practice (like they love to show ODB doing) but doing it during a game, on a long bomb, that’s different. So you glove people can shut up, just admit the catch totally owned and stop trying to take away how completely ownage it was. Jerks. Let the man have his highlight.
A lot of Giants fans were frustrated with Beckham this preseason/early season. It looked like another “always injured first round pick by Jerry Reese” and we were impatient. I didn’t like those people, he’s a rookie and I’d rather have him healthy than rushed out and RG3’d, and rookie WRs aren’t usually this good right at the start. When he finally saw action against the Falcons, Giants fans started singing his praises and in that case I also objected, one good game against a bad team doesn’t deserve “Savior” status. I guess I was wrong on that one, kid is clearly the future (please stay healthy ODB). I look forward to seeing him and Cruz together and pushing Rueben “Whats a hot route” Randle back to #3.
Also while I’m on the Giants, I’m interested to see who we are going to pick up as our new Defensive Coordinator in the offseason. Perry Fewell is gone. We may have horrible injury luck, but at some point you can’t blame them anymore, and Fewell has been baffling this season. No reason old slow ass Kiwi should be in at DE on a final drive when they have to pass when we have Robert Ayers and Demontre Moore on the sidelines, two much better pass rushers(Not to mention far fresher). No wonder Romo had all week to throw the game winner. Goodbye Fewell, thanks for the one Super Bowl. Coughlin? I’m okay with him riding out his final year of the contract in 2015. I think McAdoo is heir apparent and he shouldn’t get the job after one so-so season as OC.
Everytime Giants fans start calling for their coaches heads, they win a superbowl. Maybe the falcons will turn it around now that everybody is calling for Mike Smith’s head?
Unfortunately, the reason the Giants won those two super bowls was because Coughlin was all about the heavy practices and maintaining team discipline. Early on, they weren’t buying into it, but in 2007 and 2011 they did. The new CBA, with its limits on practices, has effectively made him a relic of the past. Scheme is the dominant factor in games now, since you can’t keep running practice until they players have it down perfectly.
You know what’s a better question Dave? Why hasn’t anyone made a pic of Beckham where has has the thousand arms like that one India Goddess? But in all seriousness, Perry is gone and I’m saying that Tom is next. But the front office is doing everything iT can to keep Coughlin, so I’m assuming the G-Men will find someone else to blame….
It was an outstanding grab by Beckham. In my opinion, more skill and a better all around catch than Tyree’s was. But Tyree’s was a pivotal catch that for the most part all but delivered a Super Bowl. Beckham made a great catch that in the end, didn’t mean all that much. And while we’re on the subject, Giants fans should do what Jets fans do and blame Rex Ryan.
Gloves aren’t everything. They aren’t for everyone either. From 2008-2010 Eric Weddle was the starting free safety and wore gloves. He had 5 interceptions and about 5 more dropped. 2011 he started playing without gloves, and has 13 interceptions since then. He says the only difference now is that he isn’t dropping the INT’s anymore because the gloves threw him off.
I wouldn’t say this is the best catch of all-time since this isn’t the Super Bowl or the Playoffs (as if the Giants would even be close to the playoffs), but it was definitely the best pure catch of all-time. Brandon Carr holding onto him, had to dive back, keep balance and stay out of bounds in the process. Let’s not forget he used three fingers. It may seem that I am getting too excited but, let’s not forget this is his rookie year.
You know, I just realized. There’s only one thing that could have made this comic better… if the guy committing suicide was in giants gear instead of business attire.
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Rex Ryan for new Giants dc? He’s a bad head coach, but a defensive genius.
Brent Grimes never got this kinda mad love for his similar catch against Detroit, picking off a Megatron-targeted pass – and he was in MID-AIR.
And is Suicide Guy meant to look like Goodell here, or is it just me?
Did Grimes pick it off falling down after being interfered with, with three fingers?