The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the hot seat after Odell Beckham Jr accused them of targeting the (recovering) injured wide receiver.
Beckham was targeted five times in the preseason contest and did not catch a pass, some may say that this is good coverage and secondary work others will say that this is a result of Beckham being targeted all night long. The Giants ended up winning the preseason game but an injury to Odell Beckham could have proven more costly.
Odell Beckham commented on the Jaguars aggression.
Beckham stated
"This year, that's just what the case is going to be, so, protect yourself. I know that, by the time the season comes, on those plays I'm going to have to sit there and take the hit, because I want to catch the ball and I want the quarterback to keep throwing those balls and him giving me opportunities. Even towards the back end of the season, I know there were plays just like in this preseason that guys have an opportunity to make a play on the ball and they're not making a play on the ball. Instead they're going towards me. I know it's part of the game and I'm not going to be the one to sit there and complain about it. But it's just like, man to man, if you have a chance to make a play, make a play. Don't make the play on me or try to blow me up."
Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz also noticed some hits focused on the receiver not the ball.
Victor Cruz stated..
"I was a little unhappy last week because I felt some of those DBs were gunning for him. It was sad to see that go down because I felt like I couldn't help him. Couldn't go out there on the field and run routes with him, take some of the pressure off him, things like that. When guys have an opportunity to get an interception and they don't even go for the ball, that's what you don't want to see. From the sideline you could see it. When you're running a vertical route and you take a peek at the safety and see him, head down, trying to spear you. You can see that from a mile away."
The Jaguars vehemently denied such allegations proclaiming that "it is just football". Specifically Sergio Brown spoke about Odell and Cruz's comments.
Brown said,
"No. That's just football. It's a preseason game," Brown said. "That's how you play football in the NFL. It's not practice. It's live, so if they throw the ball up, you've got to be prepared to catch it or protect yourself. No gunning."
Could this be the Giants two best players reacting to the fact that they may not be as quick or as dominant as they once were or is it the Jaguars holding some type of pent up feelings about the Gmen, after all the Giants did play the Jaguars last season. The Giants are going to have to get used to having their main wide receiver being targeted as I am sure that other defensive backs do not want his famous catch happening to them as well.
