Odell Beckham Jr. Quiets Some Critics vs. Green Bay Packers

Odell Beckham Jr. was able to keep his head against the Green Bay Packers despite constant struggles from the New York Giants.

Odell Beckham Jr. has been the center of attention the past couple of weeks. The emotional New York Giants wide receiver has received criticism for how he carries himself throughout the game. He has been seen on the sideline blowing up and it began taking a toll on the rest of his teammates.

Some people would say he is showing passion and the Giants trying to reel him in would do more harm than good. Others say he is selfish and needs to shape up because he is being a distraction and causing the team to lose.

Whatever side of the conversation you fall on, you were tuning in to watch Sunday Night Football to watch Beckham Jr. against the Green Bay Packers. Would he have another meltdown on the sidelines if the Giants struggled? Would the Packers, without their top two cornerbacks, be able to get into his head and slow him down?

Under the bright lights of yet another primetime game, all eyes again were on Beckham Jr. While the Giants struggled once again on the field, little to none of the blame can be directed towards Beckham Jr. or his antics.

The Giants got Beckham Jr. involved early, something they hadn’t been doing yet in the season. He was targeted early and often, but Eli Manning battled accuracy issues throughout the evening. Despite the poor performance from his quarterback, Beckham Jr. stayed composed throughout the evening.

More from New York Giants

• Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
• When will the New York Giants’ First Win Come?
• New York Giants Look Horrible in Loss to 49ers
• New York Giants to Play an Injured 49ers Team Sunday
• New York Giants: Breaking Down the Devonta Freeman Signing

This was a  matchup that he should have dominated in a big way. Without Damarious Randall and Sam Shields, the Packers were going deep down their depth chart for defensive back help. Quinten Rollins and LaDarius Gunter stepped up in a big way to slow down the Giants passing attack.

This is something that we have seen Beckham Jr. get upset over already this season. He so badly wants to help the team win and believes he can deliver that his emotions will sometimes get the best of him. We saw it against the Washington Redskins in Week 3 when he cried on the sidelined and then slammed his helmet against the kicking net.

We didn’t see any Vine-worthy reactions or outbursts like that against the Packers. The Giants tried to force feed Beckham Jr. the ball early and often but were mostly shut down. Beckham Jr. kept at it though, and his hard work eventually paid off with a spectacular toe-tapping touchdown along the sideline in the back of the endzone for his first touchdown of the season.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/785322646418264064

In what can be taken as another step in the right direction, Beckham Jr. did not celebrate after the touchdown catch. Beckham Jr. is known for elaborate celebrations, but given the time of game and situation, he made the right decision to just go to the sideline after the catch. You can even see him waiving off Sterling Shepard who was coming over to celebrate the touchdown reception.

It was good to see Beckham Jr. remain focused on the task at hand, as the Giants still had a shot at coming back and winning the game. He did allow his true colors to shine on the sidelines after the score was official, as he ran over to the kicking net and gave it a hug.

There will probably be people that crush Beckham Jr. for that move, but it was a funny, harmless act. It should be taken as a sign that he is not going to let the last couple of weeks change who he is, which is a good thing. The Giants should want players as passionate and caring as Beckham Jr. on the field; who wants to play alongside someone that doesn’t care about winning?

The Giants should be embracing Beckaham Jr. for the player that he is, not trying to change him. Yes, he could control his emotions better at times, but that passion is what makes him the player that he is.

Next: New York Giants vs Green Bay Packers Recap and Highlights

Tonight he was able to perform, leading the team with five receptions for 56 yards and the one touchdown. The Packers blanketed the Giants all night, but he didn’t let that negatively impact him on the field in the way of dropped balls or penalties.

It was a step in the right direction against the Packers for Beckham Jr. Now only if the rest of the team would follow suit, as the Giants have now lost three in a row after starting the season off 2-0.