Getty Ravens' Andrew Adams celebrates after Baltimore secured the No. 1 seed.
Going into the playoffs it serves you well if you are on a hot streak and that is the position the Baltimore Ravens currently find themselves in. The team’s chemistry has been immeasurable this season and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been a key in fostering that chemistry.
After the Ravens locked up the AFC’s No. 1 seed in their win against the Miami Dolphins the team celebrated in the locker room. Beckham took the opportunity to speak to the whole team, in a clip released by the Ravens, saying, “This is probably the best team I’ve ever been on.”
“This is probably the best team I’ve ever been on.”
The statement received “oohs and aahs” from his teammates. Beckham joined the Ravens at the beginning of this season on a one-year contract that has benefitted both sides.
Beckham was emotional in the locker room going on to say, “It’s gotta come through the bank, these black and purple unis. Going through this defense, this offense is crazy man.”
According to Pro Football Reference, the Ravens defense ranks 1st in points allowed and 4th in yards allowed, while the offense ranks 2nd in points scored and 4th in yards.
Beckham told his teammates, “Enjoy the moment.” The WR has been a polarizing character for most of his career but has found his place in Baltimore.
Odell Beckham’s Statement May Rise Some Eyebrows
It is a bold statement Beckham is making but also a calculated one to show confidence in his teammates. Beckham was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.
Beckham played five seasons for the Giants and only made the playoffs once with that team during the 2016 season. The season ended with a 38-13 loss and a lackluster performance against the Green Bay Packers.
The Giants had a solid team that year, but this Ravens team is undoubtedly better. Where the statement may raise differing opinions is Beckham was a part of the 2021 Los Angeles Rams that won the Super Bowl.
OBJ’S FIRST CATCH IS A TOUCHDOWN. #RamsHouse @OBJ
📺: #SBLVI on NBC
📱: t.co/K02y40b5Nu
While defensively the Ravens would have the edge, offensively that Rams team was stacked from topped to bottom. Quarterback Matthew Stafford led a group that included WR Cooper Kupp (who won the triple crown as a receiver), WR Robert Woods, and RBs Sony Michel and Darrell Henderson.
Beckham joined midway through the season giving the Rams one of the more potent offenses in the league. He was a key part of the playoff run, including catching the first touchdown in the Super Bowl.
The Ravens as a whole are the more complete team by the numbers, but this statement will be judged by the outcome of the season. If the Ravens do not win the Super Bowl the season will be seen as a failure by players, fans and critics.
Beckham’s Season Has Been More Than Just Catches
When Beckham was brought into the wide receiver room some assumed he would take the alpha role in the group. Instead, he became the veteran mentor for the young receivers and has taken a leadership role on the team.
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker wrote about the leadership that Beckham has brought to this team. He wrote, “His [Beckham] locker is next to Zay Flowers, who said that Beckham has helped guide him through the rigors of NFL life.”
OBJ and Zay😂
Flowers has responded by breaking out as a rookie and leads the team in catches and yards. To Beckham’s credit he is second in receiving yards and third in catches.
“I know what I bring energy-wise, I know what I bring leader-wise,” Beckham told Wacker. Beckham chose to sit out the last game of the season, foregoing his chance at some incentives, because he is focused on bringing a championship to Baltimore.
Beckham will be a free agent after the season but regardless of how the season ends the Ravens would benefit from bringing back the star receiver.