If the New York Giants needed an incentive to finally get Odell Beckham Jr. involved in their regular-season offense, having to replace injured quarterback Jaxson Dart with journeyman backup Jameis Winston may be it.
Beckham didn’t register a single catch during the 28-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football in Week 2. It marked the second-straight game OBJ wasn’t targeted, but hardly anybody noticed amid the furore over Dart leaving the field with a knee injury that’s turned out to be more serious than first thought.
The Giants leaving Beckham on the fringes of their “offensive plan is strange,” according to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Particularly since OBJ “arguably has the best chemistry with Jameis Winston of any receiver out there.”
That last note from Leonard is a cruel twist of irony. Dart’s setback could actually benefit Beckham, whose rapport with Winston can play a crucial role in the latter improving after his nightmare showing against the Rams.
Winston’s improvement is now the key to the rest of the Giants’ season after NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport revealed “An MRI on #Giants QB Jaxson Dart revealed a knee injury more severe than anticipated, sources tell me and @RapSheet. He’s out an extended period of time, possibly the season.”
That news means the Giants need to get every Winston-friendly weapon heavily involved in a post-Dart offense.
Jameis Winston Needs Odell Beckham Jr.
Head coach John Harbaugh offered a savage assessment of the Giants’ play-calling on offense at SoFi Stadium. Yet, Leonard believes the blame for not involving Beckham more belongs to the man in charge.
Leonard lamented how Beckham “played only three snaps last night. Three! Offense had 182 yards of total offense. Nothing worked. But John Harbaugh didn’t try using the veteran receiver who had a strong summer chemistry with Jameis Winston.”
It’s hardly surprising Giants’ QB2 Winston would be more comfortable connecting with receivers lower on the depth chart. He, Beckham and others got more reps together at training camp and during the preseason.
Beckham used those reps to turn his comeback to the Giants into a feel-good story by winning a roster spot. Plays like this 23-yard connection with Winston against the New York Jets in the Giants’ third and final exhibition game show what’s possible between this receiver and passer.
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Winston’s going to need all the help he can get to prove even an adequate replacement for Dart. The 32-year-old has won as a starter in the NFL, but Winston showed worrying signs of rust in Week 2.
He “had an off-target percentage of 33% against the Rams. Only Green Bay’s Jordan Love in Week 1 (35%) had a higher off-target percentage in a game this year,” per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
It’ll take more than getting Beckham onto the field for extra snaps to fix Winston’s struggles, but that’s a good place to start.
Giants Need Fresh Ideas After Jaxson Dart Update
Having Dart in the lineup gave the Giants a different kind of offense. One based around enhancing his mobility with run-heavy gameplans and plenty of read-option concepts.
Winston isn’t the same kind of quarterback. He’s more content to stand tall in the pocket and trust his arm, so sustaining better pass protection must be the Giants’ priority.
The only way should be up for an offensive line that surrendered “20 QB pressures on 34 dropbacks” against the Rams, according to Leonard.
Fortunately, Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy can supplement the line of scrimmage with blocking tight ends like veteran Chris Manhertz and hybrid all-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard. Putting too many tight ends onto the field at once won’t leave too much room for Beckham, so coaches will need to balance how they help Winston.
Making his job easier is now the Giants’ focus, whatever it takes.
Giants Urged to Ditch ‘Strange’ Odell Beckham Jr. Plan After Jaxson Dart News