In the immediate aftermath of the New York Giants' frustrating 16-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, rookie Odell Beckham Jr. began shouting in anger, ripped off his helmet and slammed it to the ground. Though the rookie later apologized profusely for the outburst, he had plenty of reason to be upset.
Frustrated Odell Beckham Jr. apologizes for outburst
Beckham slammed his helmet on the field after the Giants’ Week 11 loss, an understandable reaction after his heroic performance was undone by his quarterback’s turnover issues.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Beckham tallied six receptions for 93 yards, including a juggling, 37-yard circus catch late in the fourth quarter that set the Giants up in prime position to take the lead. But that promising first-and-goal, like so many other New York drives on Sunday, ended with an Eli Manning interception.
Manning tossed five picks on the day, undoing a fantastic performance by his rookie receiver and the defense. But Beckham's brief burst seemed more directed at himself for not coming up with Manning's final throw -- a deep ball on fourth-and-6 that would have preserved a potential game-wining drive -- than at his quarterback.
“I just love this game,” Beckham told ESPN. “Sometimes it’s hard to control your emotion when you’re in the heat of battle. It’s something I shouldn’t have done. ... I’m not going to stop my love of the game or the joy that I have when I’m on the field, but I do apologize for throwing my helmet. That’s unacceptable.”
Manning, for his part, rightly owned the responsibility of the loss after the game.
“I’ve got to do better,” he said. “I’ve got to make better decisions, better throws. They’re all on me. It’s nobody else’s fault.”
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