As it stands now, Odell Beckham Jr. cannot play Sunday night when the Giants visit the Vikings.
The star wide receiver, whose mother was a track star at Windom High School in Minnesota, has appealed a one-game suspension for his acts in Sunday’s Giants-Panthers game, and he’ll likely find out shortly after an appeals hearing Wednesday if he’ll remain suspended.
If Beckham can’t play, the Vikings won’t have to find a way to defend the most prolific receiver since Randy Moss. In fact, Beckham’s numbers are so impressive this season that his stats alone make Minnesota’s entire passing attack look mediocre (which it has been most of the season).
Beckham’s Receptions: 91
Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph each have 47 receptions to lead the Vikings.
Beckham’s Yards: 1,396
Diggs (693), Rudolph (442) and Wallace (440) combine for 1,575 yards, not even 200 more than Beckham alone.
Beckham’s Touchdowns: 13
The Vikings have 13 touchdown receptions total: Diggs (4), Rudolph (4), Wallace (2), McKinnon (1), Ellison (1), Line (1).
As impressive as he’s been, it will be a major liability for Giants quarterback Eli Manning if Beckham isn’t in the game.
According to the Star Tribune, Beckham owns 26.1 percent of Manning’s completions, 35.8 percent of his passing yards and 40.6 percent of his touchdowns.
Las Vegas has taken note of Beckham’s suspension, changing the line in the game dramatically. Daily Norseman points out that the betting lines pre-suspension had the Vikings as a four-point favorite, but since Beckham was suspended the line moved to make the Vikings a seven-point favorite.
