WR Odell Beckham Jr. -- November 23, 2018
Q: What is the one thing that has to change if you guys are going to come out with a win this time around?
A: Just continue to do what we’ve been doing. Putting it together in all three phases. I was really looking back on my career, I was trying to think of the last time we beat the Eagles, and I know that they’ve been giving it to us. So, it’s time for that to all turn around. Same thing I’ve been saying. We got to win all six games that we have left. That’s going to be the goal. It wasn’t a joke when I said it. I really believed it, but it starts one day at a time, one practice at a time, one meeting at a time, all of that good stuff. When we get to Sunday, to come out and do what we have to do.
Q: Is it psychologically possible for a team to have somebody else’s number?
A: I’m not a doctor, neurologist, or whatever, but I just know that it’s on our minds. It’s on my mind for sure. For the new guys who are just coming here, like (G) Jamon (Brown), and people who haven’t gone down to Philly and played in the Giants vs. Philly. It’s a fun experience. The fans are very nice, very welcoming (laughter). It’s going to be a battle. We’re both battling. They’re battling to get, in our division, first place, and we’re battling to win our last six games, and whatever happens after that is what happens. We just got to come out and we got to bring it to them the way that we’ve been doing the past couple weeks.
Q: Does the one-sided nature of the rivalry bother you?
A: Yeah, of course, it’s Philly and they’ve been beating us. I don’t like losing, period. It doesn’t matter who it is. The nature of it – Philly, Giants. It can’t go on forever.
Q: Why do you think it’s been the way it has been?
A: I couldn’t even tell you that answer. They’ve just won those games. That’s all I can really say. I don’t know if it’s something specific. I don’t know what it is. They’ve just come out with the wins.
Q: What do you tell (RB) Saquon (Barkley) about that atmosphere?
A: He doesn’t need to worry about it. It’s all noise. This dude is incredible. It doesn’t matter where we’re at. He’s going to go out there and ball. Philly, they’re going to have to stop him. The crowd is going to have to stop him. The team is going to have to stop him, and they’re going to have to stop us, too. We got to come out and bring our best game.
Q: How much would a win Sunday add to the momentum you guys have here?
A: If it wasn’t Philly, and it was any other team, it would be crucial for us right now. We got to win all games, no matter who we’re playing. I don’t care who’s in front of us. The goal is to win those games. Yeah, it may feel a little better to beat Philly in the division. I understand it, but it’s more important if you’re beating anybody who you’re playing.
Q: They have a pretty beat up secondary. Do you even know some of the guys back there?
A: To be honest, it’s hard to do a scouting report on them right now, because of the amount of injuries that they have. (Eagles CB) Jalen Mills with the foot. (Eagles CB Ronald) Darby with the ACL. It’s a lot going on right now. That’s kind of more up to the coaches, and what they game plan, and how they’re going to attack DBs, if they’re going to attack the DBs, whatever we’re going to do. Just find a way to win. We got a good opportunity here to win, even though we watched the Saints beat the Eagles like that, you can’t really ever take this team lightly. This is Philly, and they always play their best against us, I feel like.
Q: How do you prepare for a guy that wasn’t even on the roster the last time you both played?
A: I don’t care if they’re on the roster, highest-paid, rookie, 12 years in, I’m going to approach it the same way. I’m out there to beat them on any route I can, block them when I get the chance, and score on them any time I can. I’m out there to win on everything. It doesn’t matter who it is out there.
Q: Is there one loss to the Eagles that has stuck with you the most?
A: I think it was my third year when we were 11-5. I think we lost to them right before Week 16 before going to play Washington Week 17, and it took us from having to play in Green Bay, to having to play somewhere else. If we had of won that game, we would’ve clinched – it was something like that. That was probably the one game that, if any of them, that was probably the one I would say.
Q: What about the big kick last year?
A: Made a 63-yard field goal. You can’t do nothing but tip your hat to him. As I was standing there, I was watching, I was like, oh yeah it’s over. Hoping that it would’ve fell short and I would’ve for sure went left, gone back right, went right, gone back left, and try to score. I’ve been there before so we had the opportunity. Like I said, that one doesn’t hurt as much because he just made an amazing kick.
Q: Do you think it’s, like you said, it’s going to change eventually? They’ve gotten a 63-yarder. Do you think it’s kind of time?
A: It’s time. Time’s now. We got six more games, two down, six left so that’s what we’re focusing on.
Q: What’s better? You guys have been building something for the last couple of weeks, just whether it’s confidence or whatever it is. You seem to be doing some things differently since the bye week.
A: We’ve just been putting it together in all three phases. To keep it real, we only won the game by four points and three points. Some of the losses we had were by three points and four points, so it’s just finding ways. Like I said, we’ve been in these close games before, we know what it’s like when it’s down to the nitty-gritty. We know what it’s like when it’s down the nitty-gritty, so we just found a way to pull them up.
Q: A few days ago you were talking about, after the first win, running the table. How difficult is it to not keep your eye on – obviously the focus here is the next game, that’s what Pat’s (Shurmur) constantly preaching. How difficult is it to not look at yesterday and see the result go in a decent way for you given you got Philly coming up on Sunday, a chance to tighten it up even more?
A: Exact words weren’t run the table, but it was win eight games in a row and that’s the goal. Regardless, I don’t care who beat who yesterday, if we don’t handle our business, none of it matters. We need the Cowboys, the Redskins, and the Eagles to lose all their games for the rest of the season and we need to win all of ours for the rest of the season, but at the end of the day, if we don’t handle our business, it doesn’t matter what anybody else is doing. Our focus is us and beating the Eagles this week.
Q: How are you better than the last time you played them? You played them in what, Week 6. Now you’re five-six weeks later. What’s different about you guys?
A: We’re just playing well on all three phases. We’re not starting drives inside our own 20, Corey’s (Coleman) doing a good job of giving us field position, 40, 50 yards kick returns putting us – it’s different play calling when you’re there and you’re not backed up. We’re doing that, we’re running the ball well. The O-Line’s really been a difference. They’ve just come out and done a phenomenal job the past two weeks in run blocking, protecting for Eli, Eli’s making throws and like I said, it’s just all three phases. Defense coming up with four turnovers, everybody’s playing at a high level.
Q: Did you watch the Washington-Cowboys game?
A: Yeah, a little bit. I think I fell asleep. The food hit me.
Q: They put a graphic up of the remaining NFC East schedules and they didn’t even have the Giants listed with the other three teams.
A: Yeah, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’ve been doubted all my life. We’re being doubted, but we’re standing strong together and we just keep it pushing. It makes it for a better story when they leave us out of it and then it’s like, wait a minute, we’re right back in it, so none of what I’m saying matters, none of what we’re asking matters if we don’t go out and win Sunday. It’s all about going out there and winning, so that’s the goal. That’s what we plan on doing.
Q: Today is the four-year anniversary of the catch. Do you ever reflect back about how much things have changed?
A: I really forgot about it. No, honestly, any time someone comes up, anything happens comes up and you hear the talks and it’s funny when people are like, oh it’s only this one-hand catch and blah blah. Yet, anytime a catch happens, I’m compared to it, so it was a moment that obviously changed my life forever, for better or worse, whatever you want to call it, it changed my life. There’s no way that I can ever forget about that moment. I remember the smell of the stadium, I remember it all, so it’s a very, very special moment.
Q: Do you like being the standard against what all the great catches are compared against because that’s kind of what it is?
A: Yeah. It’s bittersweet because I think my career’s much more than one catch, but it was just a very iconic moment. It was just a very prolific moment in my career, so I don’t mind getting tagged on Instagram seeing a bunch of nice catches. Kind of gives me motivation to do something crazier.
