New York Giants head coach Pat Shurmur provided an update on his injured star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Wednesday.
After missing Week 14 against the Washington Redskins due to a quad injury, Beckham did not practice with the Giants on Wednesday. Per USA Today’s Art Stapleton, he participated in the team’s walkthrough.
Shurmur added that Beckham’s injury continues to improve, but cannot make a call yet whether the 26-year-old will be able to suit up on Sunday in Week 15 against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium.
Now in his fifth year in the NFL, Beckham leads the Giants’ aerial attack with 77 receptions for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns. He singlehandedly has accounted for over 30-percent of his team’s passing yards.
It’s a strong return from a 2017 season that was cut to just four games after an ankle injury. As one of the most explosive players in the game, he already ranks second in career receiving yards and fourth in receptions and touchdowns in Giants franchise history.
Beckham wasn’t necessarily needed last week against the Redskins, though. Week 14 quickly evolved into the Saquon Barkley show as the rookie running back thrashed through the NFL’s seventh-ranked defense for 170 rushing yards. He put up 159 of those in the first half as the Giants stormed out to a 34-0 lead at halftime in what would become a 40-16 victory.
It’s the latest example of the Giants offense shifting gears and making Barkley and the running game a top priority to get things going. It’s a philosophy that has worked considering the Giants have won four of their last five games coming off a Week 9 bye.
Against a middle-of-the-road Titans rush defense, the formula should remain the same. However, no Beckham would allow the Titans defense to key in just a bit more on Barkley and force veteran quarterback Eli Manning to win the game with his arm.
