Giants’ offense needs Odell Beckham Jr.

The first week of the NFL season was rough on the Giants’ offense. Odell Beckham Jr. was sidelined with an ankle injury he suffered in preseason, and his absence was felt on the field. Beckham was back in Week 2 and seemed to be at full strength in Week 3.

One thing is clear after this week: The Giants need Beckham to have any chance at being good, and they need to do whatever they can to keep him happy.

Beckham missed the Giants’ voluntary workouts this offseason and made it clear that he wants a new contract. He returned for the team’s mandatory minicamp in June and was with the Giants through training camp before he was injured in a preseason game against the Browns. The ankle injury sidelined him until last week.

The contrast between the Giants’ offense with and without Beckham has been stark.

Manning’s stats from Week 1 illustrate how much the team missed Beckham. He threw for 220 yards, no touchdowns, and one pick. New York lost to the Cowboys, 19-3. Roger Lewis, an undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green State University, was the team’s leading receiver with 52 yards. No offense to Lewis, but he’s no OBJ.

Beckham wasn’t at his best against the Lions in Week 2, but it was his first game back after an injury that typically takes about eight weeks to fully heal. He had just 36 receiving yards, but Manning was able to spread the ball around more effectively. Manning hit 10 different receivers over the course of that game with Beckham drawing coverage from his teammates. New York still lost, 24-10.

In Week 3, Beckham was back to form. He had 79 receiving yards and two touchdowns, including this one.

Here, he puts a double move on Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills. Then he places himself exactly at the spot where Manning will put the ball, and exercises impeccable body control to get both feet down in bounds for the score.

His other touchdown, a one-handed wonder, was just as pretty.

That one tied the game up for the Giants, 14-14. Unfortunately for New York, it wouldn’t matter in the end. Jake Elliott, the Eagles’ rookie kicker, was able to send the game to overtime with a late-game field goal to make the score 24-24. Elliott hit a 61-yarder in overtime for an Eagles win, and the Giants started the 2017 season 0-3.

But Beckham’s impact and the difference in the offense with him fully healthy and on the field cannot be overstated. Manning finished with 366 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks. He had thrown a grand total of one touchdown over the previous two weeks.

New York picked up the option on Beckham’s rookie contract this offseason, but he’s far outplayed its value. Beckham wants to be the highest-paid player in the the league, and while that’s not really the way the NFL values receivers, Beckham has made a strong case for his worth.

Beckham was the 12th-overall pick in 2012, and he signed a four-year, $10.4 million contract with New York before his rookie season. His fifth-year option will pay Beckham just under $8.5 million next season, and that’s a far cry from this year’s pay.

Beckham’s name is often thrown around with the likes of Antonio Brown and Julio Jones as one of the top wideouts in the league. But this season, Beckham is bringing home just $1.8 million. Brown signed an extension with the Steelers this offseason that averages $17 million per year, which makes him the highest-paid receiver in the league. Jones brings in $14.25 million per season on his current contract.

It’ll be hard for the Giants to bounce back from an 0-3 start, even with Beckham on the field. This season may already be a wash. But if the Giants want to build for the future, paying Beckham is the right place to start.