EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 30: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants in action against the New Orleans Saints on September 30, 2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Saints defeated the Giants 33-18. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The Giants are 1-3 and the locker room is starting to fray. Specifically, Odell Beckham Jr. is questioning whether or not his teammates have enough heart.
Pat Shurmur’s locker room isn’t a happy place at the moment. Not only are his Giants 1-3 to start the season, but there are now signs of serious tension amongst team members. Star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is openly questioning whether or not his teammates have enough heart to turn this season around.
The Pro Bowl wide receiver makes no secret of his belief that the Giants need to play with “more heart.” He didn’t mention any teammates by name, but it’s safe to say he thinks his offensive peers deserve some of the blame. New York heads to Carolina this weekend as the 29th ranked scoring offense in the entire NFL.
Beckham Jr. doesn’t think it’s all about emotion though. In the same interview he questioned his teammates heart, he also openly questioned the team’s offensive game plan. Eli Manning’s inability or unwillingness to throw the ball down the field continues to make things hard for this offense. Beckham Jr. is particularly confounded by his team’s lack of attempts to “throw the ball or more than 20 yards.”
The big question now is how the rest of the Giants roster will react to these flammable comments. It’s possible Beckham Jr’s criticism may galvanize the roster and force them to play with more energy. It’s also possible the rest of the roster will rebel against the flamboyant wide receiver. No one likes to have their love for the game questioned in the media.
These comments also present Shurmur with a difficult challenge. He certainly wants to assert his dominance over the roster, but picking an open battle with a big name player like Beckham Jr. is a great way for a coach to get fired. Expect Shurmur to avoid the subject completely for as long as possible.
The one certainty thing here is that Beckham Jr. isn’t going to stop talking unless the Giants start to win some games. The more they lose, the more willing he’s going to be to call out his teammates and coaches in the media. If things don’t improve quickly for the Giants on the field, they’re going to get even more uncomfortable in their locker room.