Odell Beckham puts playoff demons in past to power Rams’ dominant win

He punched a hole in the wall outside the visitors’ locker room in the bowels of Lambeau Field, and sobbed in the visiting locker room because he didn’t show up in his first playoff game five long years ago, and Eli Manning had no chance against the Packers without him. 

Odell Beckham Jr. would learn that just because you can be celebrated for a one-handed catch for the ages doesn’t mean that you can’t be thrown overboard following an infamous Boat Trip the previous weekend in Miami. 

You can go from hot to cold in a blink of an eye. 

Beckham caught four passes for 28 yards, didn’t catch a potential touchdown pass and added a pair of other drops as Manning lost his last shot at a third Super Bowl championship in that 2017 playoff loss in Green Bay. 

And Beckham lost his last shot at becoming a New York legend. 

His return to the postseason waited until Monday night’s NFC wild-card game against the Cardinals, following an unfulfilling stop in Cleveland with Baker Mayfield. 

Dream Teams never guarantee that dreams do come true. 

Sean McVay had a Super Bowl dream, and it featured Matthew Stafford replacing Jared Goff and Von Miller joining Aaron Donald and Beckham joining Cooper Kupp. 

Dream night at SoFi Stadium for the Rams. 

Dream night for McVay, even without his two successful first-half challenges. 

Dream night for Stafford (13-for-17, 202 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 6-22-1 TD rushing). 

And dream night for OBJ. 

“I feel like I’ve gotten to a certain age where I’m a realist and not an idealist,” Beckham said, “and I understood the situation of what I was coming into with this team and everything that they were capable of. And it just feels amazing to get the first one off your back, now knowing it’s just time to put it together and make a run.” 

Odell Beckham reacts during the second quarter.
Odell Beckham reacts during the second quarter.
Getty Images

OBJ caught a fade for a 4-yard TD against Marco Wilson in the left corner of the end zone that ignited the Rams’ 34-11 victory over the Cardinals. Caught it with two hands, too. 

“Not trying to downplay the moment, it feels very good to get the win,” Beckham said, “but I think our eyes are all focused on something bigger.” 

He caught a 31-yard bomb down the left sideline to the Cardinals 2 to position Stafford for the 1-yard QB sneak that made it Rams 14, Cardinals 0. 

And he even threw a 40-yard rainbow to Cam Akers on the first possession of the second half that set up Stafford’s 7-yard TD pass to Kupp that made it Rams 28, Cardinals 0. Giants fans might remember OBJ tossing two TD passes, one of which was a 57-yarder to Saquon Barkley against the Panthers in 2018. 

To that point Monday night, OBJ (4-54-1 TD) had 40 passing yards while Kyler Murray had 28. 

Stafford: “Probably could’ve thrown it lefty, too. He’s a freak.” 

Odell Beckham hauls in a four-yard touchdown pass.
Odell Beckham hauls in a 4-yard touchdown pass.
USA TODAY Sports

Miller: “There’s really not much he can’t do.” 

Miller contributed a sack while Donald was doing disruptive Donald things — one unnecessary roughness penalty, but plenty of necessary roughness — that cut Murray down to size, as well as sighs. 

So yes, Bring on Tom Brady. 

Bring on the defending-champion Bucs on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium. 

“Respected what he did in the past, but it’s a whole new year,” Donald said. 

For McVay, it will be a chance to soothe some of the pain from losing Super Bowl LIII to Brady and Bill Belichick in 2019, and this time he will bring a better quarterback to the NFC Divisional Round. 

“What a team effort,” Stafford said. 

Odell Beckham and Matthew Stafford celebrate.
Odell Beckham and Matthew Stafford celebrate.
AP

It was McVay’s second challenge — a violent hit on A.J. Green by safety Nick Scott after the ruled catch — that kept Murray backed up at his 4 following a Johnny Hekker punt that had been formed at the 1. 

Under pressure from blitzing linebacker Troy Reeder, Murray suffered a shocking meltdown. He held the ball too long in the end zone before attempting a panicked underhand fling that became a 3-yard pick-six gift for CB David Long. 

Murray (19-for-34, 137 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs) was bewitched, bothered and bewildered, and stunningly rattled. His decision-making and accuracy gave the Cardinals no chance. A rushed screen that deflected off James Conner’s hands became a Marquise Copeland interception. 

Kyler Murray throws a pick-six.
Kyler Murray throws a pick-six.
AP

Stafford, struggling lately and facing Super-Bowl-or-Bust in his first playoff game following an unfulfilling 12-year career with the Lions, was the better quarterback in part because he had a head coach who made him comfortable with a Ground & Pound assault led by Akers, who flattened Budda Baker (concussion) late in the third quarter and sent him to the hospital, that rendered J. J. Watt’s inspirational return from shoulder surgery moot. 

And because he had Beckham on a night when Kupp was mostly a double-teamed decoy. 

“He’s a great asset to our team,” Akers said. 

Murray, without the semblance of a running game, without DeAndre Hopkins (torn MCL), looked lost. 

The Rams’ Week 3 victory over the Bucs means nothing. Beckham, 29 now, is well aware that there is a 100-foot-long pirate ship behind one of the end zones inside Raymond James Stadium. If he has learned his lesson, he won’t be entertaining Justin Bieber there, or in Miami, before the game. He’s singing Hooray For Hollywood these days, on The Love Boat.

source: nypost.com