For just the second time in his career, Odell Beckham Jr. was on the field for a playoff game and not only did he come up big for the Rams, but he also made some NFL history during his team’s 34-11 blowout win over the Cardinals.
Beckham came up with multiple big plays in a game where he caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. In a twist, one of OBJ’s biggest plays through the air didn’t come on a play where he caught the ball, but on a play where he actually THREW the ball.
In the third quarter, Rams coach Sean McVay called for a trick play that involved Beckham throwing the ball and as you can see below, that trick play worked out to perfection.
That 40-yard pass to Cam Akers eventually led to a touchdown for the Rams, who pushed their lead to 28-0 with the score.
That throw was one of two long plays Beckham had in the game with the other coming on a 31-yard catch in the second quarter.
With the long throw and the long catch, Beckham became the first player in NFL playoff history to have a 30-yard reception AND a 30-yard completion in the same game, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Not only did Beckham come up with those two big plays, but he also scored the first touchdown of the game when he caught a four-yard pass from Matthew Stafford in the first quarter.
Beckham looked thrilled to be on the field and it’s easy to understand why. Before Monday, the receiver hadn’t participated in the postseason since January 2017 when his Giants lost to the Packers 38-13 in a game that was played just days after his infamous boat photo was taken with several teammates.
Although Beckham was on the Browns‘ roster last season, he didn’t get to play in either playoff game due to the fact that he missed most of the season after tearing his ACL in October 2020.
Beckham has already come up big for the Rams in one playoff game and if he can do it again in the divisional round, there’s a chance that he could help lead his team to an upset over the defending champion Buccaneers.
