Odell Beckham is taking heat from all angles after his poor performance in the New York Giants Wild Card playoff loss to the Packers.
Quarterback Eli Manning chose his words carefully when, after the 38-13 loss Sunday, he basically told reporters that as the team's top playmaker, more is expected of Beckham both on and off the field.
General Manager Jerry Reese is the latest to pile on, saying very directly that it's time the third-year superstar started growing up.
"He's a smart guy, but sometimes he doesn't do smart things," Reese told Newsday. "We all had to grow up at different times in our lives. I think it's time for him to do it now. He's been here three years now."
Beckham faced criticism a week before the embarrassment at Lambeau when news surfaced that he, Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard and Roger Lewis, Jr. took a vacation to Miami. The four were pictured shirtless on a boat, then several of them recreated their bare-chested act just prior to the game in frigid Green Bay temperatures.
But when game time came, all were largely absent. Particularly, Beckham, who sank to his second lowest output of the season—-4 catches for 28 yards to go along four critical dropped passes.
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And Beckham didn't do himself any favors after the game, either, by punching a hole in the wall outside the visitor's locker room. It was exactly the sort of behavior Reese seemed to be alluding to when he suggested that it's time for Beckham to start taking stock in himself.
"I see a guy who needs to think about some of the things he does," Reese continued. "He needs to look in the mirror and be honest with himself. We'll help him with that, but he has to help himself."
