Odell Beckham Jr. played one of the worst games of his brief NFL career against the Vikings on Monday night. He caught just three passes, picked up a career-low 23 receiving yards, and was flagged for taunting Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes in the second quarter. He also appeared to be frustrated on the field throughout the game and was one of the reasons the Giants never really got into a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball.
After the game, which the Giants lost 24-10, OBJ spoke with reporters about his poor play and the personal foul penalty that was called against him following his interaction with Rhodes. He said that he believes he is being targeted by referees who are making calls against him because of his reputation, and he acknowledged that he needs to do a better job when it comes to ignoring his opponents and not allowing them to get inside of his head.
"I just have to understand if I sneeze the wrong way, it will be a flag," he said. "It will be a fine. If I tie my shoes the wrong way, it might be a fine or a flag. It is what it is. You have to understand that. As tough as it is to understand that for a 23-year-old who has been blessed with a lot that God has given me—an amazing amount of ability and an amazing amount of everything—it seems like it’s all working against you. But what are you going to do? You gonna back down, or you gonna stand up? I’ve never been one to back down. I’m going to stand up. We’re going to work to get better."
Giants quarterback Eli Manning agreed that OBJ has become a target for NFL referees, but he also said that he thinks his wide receiver needs to do a better job of controlling himself.
"He’s got to be aware," Manning said. "People are looking for him. He’s got to play smart, and he can’t afford to do anything there. They’re going to call him. He’s brought that on himself, and he’s got to realize that."
This is becoming a theme for the Giants. After an emotional sideline outburst during a game against the Redskins last week, New York head coach Ben McAdoo said OBJ needs to learn to "control his emotions." And while he didn’t take things as far as he did against Washington during the Giants game on Monday, he was clearly still a little bit way too emotional for his own good.
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