Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith is looking forward to a physical matchup on Sunday against New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Smith is well aware that the two will engage in a physical matchup and is fine with that — assuming of course that the physicality occurs during the play.
“All of that extra hitting and talking, that’s not going to fly,” Smith said, via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “That’s not my game. I like to line up and play. ‘Give me your best shot, and I’ll give you mine.’ But if you hit me after the whistle, there’s going to be a fight.”
History tells us that if he’s guarding Beckham enough, Smith will have a chance to back his words up. Beckham is one of the the NFL’s most-talented stars. Corners have had the best success against Beckham while playing a physical game.
He’s also shown a willingness to respond to physical play with a shot or two of his own. More to the point, plenty of those shots have occurred after the whistle.
So, regardless of what’s happening in this game, this matchup can certainly be a fun sideplot for fans everywhere on Sunday.