I might be crazy...but Odell Beckham might be one of the top 5 Wrs in the league. He looks practically unguardable.
Most of the time, Eli is doing a great job hitting him at the right time. The other times, it's a little nerving and I wonder what happens against a top DB like Haden. Beckham has fantastic fight to the ball and beats lesser CBs, but the better ones we'll have to see. Eli is a QB whose confidence can be shaken and their other WRs don't look so good.
He certainly plays like a veteran and is the best route runner in a long long time. I am not an Eli fan but I gotta give him credit, he's gotten it to him at the perfect time soooo many times it sure does look unstoppable.
Some of today's NFL QBs seem to know nothing about timing and wait a good second before throwing to an open WR. These guys would get Beckham smacked by big hits.
In fairness here... maybe Eli took too much of the blame for piss poor pass catchers. Reuben Randle doesn't impress me; Larry Donnell is his TE; the ghost of Hakeem Nicks was his other WR (who hasn't done a whole lot with one of the best QBs in the game)... not to mention running for his life like crazy behind the swiss cheese offensive line.
Perhaps Eli wasn't the problem?
Eli stunk last year and early this year. He is brutally bad when under constant pressure. We know this, can predict this, so the Gmen should have a backup QB each year that they feel confident in. If they get a couple significant OL injuries, it's backup time.
Anyhow, otherwise, Eli is a fine QB. He definitely has some dunderhead throws to him that are hard to shake off, but he's done plenty of things well also. I'm sure people in NY are thankful he's not Romo like in this regard, but really he has a bunch in common with Romo as far as the enormity of the bad throws versus the good they've done. Being a Cowboys QB is one of the highest scrutinized positions in all of sports and playing in NY, Eli knew he was getting into that some too. Eli's been a wonderful pick/trade and paid great dividends.
The Giants are a very interesting team because they were famously bad at drafting WRs for most of their very long existence until the last ten years or so. In fact, most players of the last 10-15 years hold almost all of the Giants receiving records.
Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks were excellent young WRs. Nicks hasn't looked the same since injury and Smith was shockingly different in Philly. I don't think either really have anything to do with Eli. The attrition is just a sad part of the game.
I've watched a number of Colts games and Nicks doesn't get in much or if he's in, I don't notice til after the fact. He's very much not a focal point there. TY is exceptional and Wayne is a potential HOFer winding his career down. You don't bench either. Their rook seems like a real talent but (which blows my mind because they are NOT) plays inexperienced like and ...I don't know maybe it's rookie comfort. So many of them look inexperienced and I'm like "you ran routes in college didn't ya?" I like both their TEs and...Anywho...I wouldn't put Nicks in over any of them except maybe the rook in certain situations. He's definitely an older banged up sort of different.
Beckham excitement is super high now. It is interesting to keep Smith and Nicks in mind. Even though he's better than they were, they were each very very good. His injury was so constant it was annoying all summer and into the season. I remember thinking it's just too long for a hammy, cmon already. I don't know his injury history from college. It should all be a decent prompt to hang on though before people put him in the HOF.
Michael Clayton's game was destroyed after a wonderful rookie year so obviously he's the best example. There's many rookies that get "found out" when a DC has all offseason to stare n stare at tapes. It's possible Beckham struggles to overcome whatever wrinkle they think up. I'd guess it's more likely he struggles then overcomes whatever it is.
I remember the Giants playing the fastest show on turf so rough that despite a pretty poor secondary, they actually held them to one of their worst games in their prime. Warner and Bruce and Holt and Faulk all overcame that easily.
I think people should just enjoy the show and roll along. Too many variables can change things, enjoy this now