Season only gets worse for OBJ, Eli Manning and Giants – New York Giants Blog

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Odell Beckham Jr. wants the pressure on him. He’s got it now.

The heat is on the New York Giants receiver and quarterback Eli Manning after a crushing 33-31 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Giants (1-4) are in last place in the NFC East heading into their Thursday night matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles after they lost on a 63-yard field with one second remaining on Sunday afternoon.

In an interview earlier this week with ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Beckham said he “didn’t know” if Manning was the issue with the offense struggling. Beckham finished with eight catches for 131 yards and a 33-yard touchdown, his first score of the season. It ended a four-game drought.

Manning, meanwhile, threw a pair of interceptions and a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter.

Beckham and Manning undoubtedly weren’t alone with their uneven performances — the Giants committed an unthinkable amount of unforced errors. But Beckham will be scrutinized after recently signing a $90-plus million contract and continuing to be outspoken.

Beckham’s game began with a one-handed catch near the sideline on the Giants’ second offensive play of the game. It hit a rough patch after that.

Beckham dropped a fourth-and-3 pass from Manning with 50 seconds left in the first quarter. It was a play he has to make, especially given the extra bright spotlight shining in his direction on this day.

Then, forced to return punts because of the Giants’ ineffective return game, Beckham made a crucial mistake that cost them seven points. He tried to make a last-second block on the Carolina gunner at the Giants’ two-yard line on a second-quarter punt. The ball bounced off his foot and, after Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple were unable to corral the muff, ended with the Panthers’ Colin Jones recovering the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

It was the kind of mistake a losing team makes and was a miscue the Giants couldn’t afford. It put them in an early 14-3 hole.

It looked like Beckham’s TD grab might send the Giants in the winning direction. They took the lead with just over a minute remaining.

But these are the 2018 Giants. Not much seems to be going right for Beckham, Manning and Co.



Source : ESPN