David Kull
Baltimore Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has mastered the art of the one-handed catch during his NFL career. But now his teammates are putting it into practice as well.
In the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins, linebacker Roquan Smith and tight end Isaiah Likely made sensational one-handed catches only four plays apart to help stake the Ravens to a 28-13 lead at halftime in a game between the top two seeds in the AFC.
Smith, one of the game’s best middle linebackers having another All-Pro season, got his first interception of the season when he reached out his right hand to nab a pass from Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and rumble 30 yards.
Then, the Ravens capitalized on Smith’s pick with a touchdown on another one-hander. On a fourth-and-7 play, quarterback Lamar Jackson threw to Likely, who reached out his left paw to secure the ball and then scampered up the sidelines for a Baltimore touchdown.
Likely has filled in admirably for Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews, who is out for the season. A fourth-round pick in 2022 out of Coastal Carolina, Likely entered Sunday’s game with 17 catches for 249 and two TDs over the past four weeks.
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Odell Beckham Jr. does his thing as well
For his part, Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t going to be outdone. While he only caught one pass in the first half, it was a big one that would rank among the best of his 10-year career.
Midway through the second quarter with Miami leading 10-7, Jackson, on the move in the pocket, threw a pass up the sidelines for Beckham, who somehow managed to leap, catch the pass, and get both feet down while falling backwards out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
Gus Edwards scored on a 1-yard run on the next play to put the Ravens up 14-10.
According to NFL’s NextGen Stats, the completion was the most improbable of Jackson’s career.
It’s not surprising, considering Jackson was continuing to cement himself as the NFL’s MVP, even though the Baltimore Ravens were playing the toughest schedule in the NFL over the final four weeks.
