Odell Beckham Jr. is back.
At least to the end zone. His first score in over a year came on a 54-yard pass from Matt Stafford with 14:52 left in the fourth quarter. This was just Beckham’s second game since the deal was signed that brought him to southern California to team up with Stafford and Cooper Kupp. The touchdown was his first since Week 4 of the 2020 season. A two-point conversion from Kupp followed and put the Los Angeles Rams within two scores of the Green Bay Packers, but the game ended in a 36-28 loss.
After a season-ending knee injury sidelined Beckham for most of last season and reports began swirling of lack of chemistry with Cleveland Browns quarterback, Baker Mayfield, Beckham was released from the Browns. He generated interest from multiple teams, including the Packers, but settled on the pass-happy Rams who brought in other big names, like Von Miller, to boost the team during the season.
The Rams’ loss on Sunday puts their record at 7-4, with three of those losses coming in their last three games. Stafford committed six turnovers in those games, and some of his teammates agree that the reasons for their losses have been self-inflicted.
“There are still six games left,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “The only thing that we can do is get ourselves back in alignment, have a good week of preparation, and try to get back on track against the Jaguars. We have six left for sure and that’s a lot of football. This story isn’t written yet.”
Beckham could be key to getting the Rams back on track, especially with starting wide receiver Robert Woods moved to injured reserve after suffering an ACL tear two weeks ago. Beckham will be asked to play an increasingly larger role in the offense as he gets acclimated.
It remains to be seen if Beckham is truly back. Will he be able to avoid injuries and return to the level of play that made him a star in the league? Two games is too early to tell, but Sunday was a good start.
