Thursday 11 October 2018 10:39, UK
Odell Beckham Jr. believes he is not being put in a position to succeed by the New York Giants, and he is unsure if quarterback Eli Manning is part of the problem.
Beckham signed a five-year contract extension worth $95m, with $65m guaranteed, during training camp but has not gotten off to a fast start this season.
Manning and Beckham have hooked up for 38 touchdown passes since the wideout entered the NFL in 2014, but have yet to connect this season.
When asked if the Giants have an issue at quarterback, Beckham told ESPN: "I don't know.
"Like I said, I feel like he's not going to get out the pocket. He's not - we know Eli's not running it. But is it a matter of time issue?
"Can he still throw it, yeah, but it's been pretty safe and it's been, you know... cool catching shallow [routes] and trying to take it to the house. But I'm, you know, I want to go over the top of somebody."
Through four weeks, Beckham ranks 14th among receivers with 331 yards, while averaging 10.7 yards per catch.
The Giants installed a new offence under first-year head coach Pat Shurmur, who was highly successful as a playcaller for the Minnesota Vikings last season, but Beckham feels the scheme is not helping him to get open.
"I haven't been in this situation. I haven't been in the place where I felt like I could really go out and do everything that I'm capable of doing," Beckham said. "I don't get 20 targets like some other receivers, you know.
"I feel like in the past five years, they found a way to run a Cover 2, keep everything in front, and that's how they played me.
"And there's no way to - how do we beat this? I feel like I'm being out-schemed, and then I also don't have a chance to, like, do something where I've got to take a slant and go 60.
"And not to say that's not fun, but it's like I want some easy touchdowns too. I watch everybody across the league.
"All the top receivers get the ball the way that they, you know, should. And if they don't, they say something about it."
