The book is out on how to rattle Odell Beckham Jr — just bait him. Play intensely physical at the line of scrimmage and talk lots and lots of trash.
He has continually failed to learn from his mistakes and still gets rattled when these tactics are employed.
But Los Angeles Rams head coach Jeff Fisher says his players won’t “go there.”
“We’re going to play between the snap and the whistle, and that’s it,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher told reporters (h/t Alden Gonzalez of ESPN). “… No, we’re not going there. Our guys are going to play hard and play fast, tackle, and have been instructed not to hurt the football team.”
Perhaps the head coach is just going the extra mile to ensure his defense does not do anything that comes close to resembling dirty play. After all, the Rams have come under plenty of fire since Gregg Williams took over as defensive coordinator (more on that here).
Beckham Jr. is known for taking the bait. And when he isn’t performing well, the New York Giants generally struggle on offense.
When he is focused, he’s almost unstoppable.
Last weekend was a prime example of what kind of impact the receiver has when his head is in the game. He scored two long touchdowns, including the game-winner — a 66-yard play that showed off his spectacular skills (watch here).
Unfortunately, he also earned a stiff fine for removing his helmet in celebration following that big touchdown.
Clearly, he’s a young man who struggles to contain his emotions. It’s going to be interesting to see if Rams defensive backs hold true to what Fisher is preaching.