Happy birthday, Odell Beckham Jr.
On the day the star broad receiver turned 31 years previous, he scored his first landing with the Ravens within the fourth quarter of a 37-3 blowout win Sunday over the Seattle Seahawks at M&T Bank Stadium.
It’s a major milestone for a participant who thought-about retiring from the NFL after struggling a torn ACL within the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in February 2022. Coincidentally, that was the time Beckham scored a landing, as he sat out your complete 2022 season.
“It feels good to finally get that one off you,” he mentioned.
Sunday’s huge catch — approaching a 6-yard cross to the nook of the tip zone from backup quarterback Tyler Huntley as Lamar Jackson cheered from the sideline with the result already determined — couldn’t have come at a greater time.
Earlier within the week, Beckham mentioned he’s “obviously not where I want to be” by way of manufacturing after being held with out a catch for simply the second time in his nine-year profession in final Sunday’s 31-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The three-time Pro Bowl choice entered Sunday with simply 14 catches for 162 yards after signing a one-year, $15 million deal, however he caught 5 passes for 56 yards towards Seattle and celebrated each emphatically.
Beckham has been telling himself “today’s the day” every sport this season, hoping to will a landing catch into existence. It appeared as if Sunday can be one other touchdown-less, up-and-down afternoon for Beckham, who led the broad receiving corps in yards but additionally misplaced a fumble within the second quarter. But his want lastly turned a actuality — one 630 days within the making.
“I’m truly blessed,” Beckham mentioned.
Added coach John Harbaugh: “To see him come back — that’s what you expect out of a player like that, a veteran player who has done it before. Odell ran a great route [on] a double move back out to the corner. Yes, it was good to see.”
Jackson wasn’t the one to throw the landing cross to Beckham, however he was the one earlier within the week who predicted the star would quickly discover the tip zone.
“He’s going to get on the scoreboard,” Jackson mentioned Wednesday. “I believe it’s happening fast. It’s going to come.”
After the rating, Baltimore’s sideline erupted, and no participant was extra excited than Jackson, who met Beckham with a handshake after the rating.
“I was definitely fired up and my brother [Huntley] threw the touchdown and it was great,” Jackson mentioned. “He made a great pass and [Beckham] made a great catch. I don’t know what the celebration was, I was just pumped because he got his touchdown.”
“It was just a great moment,” Beckham mentioned of his quarterback’s enthusiasm. “He knows we’ve all put in hard work. It’s been a long journey for me since February 22nd of 2022 all the way until now. It’s been a very long, long journey. Tough days, dark days, hard days. Just to see him smiling and excited, he’s been saying for weeks: ‘When it rains, it pours.’ He was like ‘it’s gonna happen.’”
The landing was the 58th of Beckham’s profession, however a distinct rating Sunday was the spotlight of the sport in his thoughts.
“My favorite play of the game was when I seen Keaton [Mitchell] bounce it and get loose and seeing how fast he is and watch him score,” Beckham mentioned.
After Mitchell’s 40-yard scamper for the primary landing of his NFL profession, Beckham made certain to select up the ball whereas the undrafted rookie celebrated with a dance.
“I seen him dancing and everything, but that’s a special ball,” mentioned Beckham, an professional on dancing to rejoice touchdowns. “I just wanted to make sure he had that.”
Beckham mentioned Thursday that he didn’t count on to place up huge numbers when he signed with Baltimore this offseason. He maintained in the course of the session with the media that his foremost focus is on profitable a Super Bowl and that he believed higher days have been forward.
With the Ravens wanting increasingly like Super Bowl favorites, Beckham’s endurance may be paying off.
“There’s so much that I want to do for this team, this organization, and also the city of Baltimore,” Beckham mentioned. “They’ve embraced me and that’s all want to do is to put on for ‘em and make ‘em proud.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com