A Christmas wish list for New York Giants fans
By Ryan Disdier
1. Odell Beckham Jr. not regressing
Dec 7, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr (13) catches a pass for a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Out of all the things on this list, this item is probably the one I would circle twice, underline and highlight so Santa understands the importance.
Okay, at this point you know my opinion on Odell Beckham, and if you don’t, you can find it out here and here. To make a long story short, the ultra-talented rookie must be drinking his Ovaltine.
Regardless of whether or not you care for the Giants, there’s no denying the fact that Odell Beckham is an electrifying player that could very well become truly elite in the near future. Beckham is the only rookie to have seven games of at least 90 receiving yards, and he’s been absolute dynamite since debuting after an injury kept him out for the entire preseason and the first four games. He leads all rookies in receiving yards, and NFL.com even compared Beckham’s rookie year to Randy Moss’.
He’s setting records and manhandling defenses. He is the Giants offense. They have no run game, they have no reliable number two option. Nope, Eli Manning and Odell Beckham are the only dangerous pieces.
As I’ve previously said, one of the more impressive things about Beckham’s rookie campaign is that he’s doing it without Victor Cruz in the starting lineup. If Cruz can get healthy and return and Beckham can continue to dazzle, the Giants will have a dangerous wide receiver duo. Even if Cruz isn’t 100%, Beckham’s presence will alleviate some of the double-teams on Cruz. If Beckham can build on his stupendous rookie year, he can become a top-five wide receiver.
To be quite honest, there’s no indication that Beckham will become victim of the dreaded Sophomore Slump (knocks on wood). He’s too talented, too athletic and above all else, he truly loves the game of football. However, you can never really be sure about anything in the NFL nowadays.
And hey, if we can’t get any of these things, I’ll settle for a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club, as it’s the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.