Odell Beckham Jr., Big Blue's $90 million star receiver, will miss a second straight game Sunday when the Giants (5-8) host the Tennessee Titans (7-6) with a quad bruise that he initially sustained in a Nov. 25 loss at Philadelphia. Head coach Pat Shurmur said no determination had been made on Beckham's status past Sunday, calling him "day-to-day." And OBJ was at the team facility on Friday. But he wasn't on the field, and he won't be again Sunday after missing last week's win in Washington.
"He just can't go," Shurmur said. "No setbacks. He just can't go."
Beckham, after the initial injury in Philadelphia, felt well enough to play in the following week's win over the Chicago Bears, but aggravated the injury. Then last Friday, he reported discomfort that led the Giants to rule him out the day before the Washington game.
Beckham didn't even make the trip and participated on a limited basis in this Wednesday's practice to test how he felt. But after a Thursday scan at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, the Giants determined on Friday that OBJ would be sidelined.
Beckham's injury progression, as the Daily News wrote Thursday, is consistent with what is known as a hematoma, or a mass of blood pooled in one area of tissue, that can slowly develop over time. Medically, that could explain how Beckham had an injury that didn't bother him for the Chicago game but suddenly gave him and the Giants pause late last week. It is an injury that can be managed _ hematomas often are drained, for example _ but it also requires caution because hematomas can indicate larger underlying issues, such as tendon or muscle injuries, per medical experts consulted by the Daily News.
The theoretical timeline, therefore, could be anything from day-to-day to shutting Beckham down for the season depending on the severity or existence of any underlying issues. And that's why the Giants' "day-to-day" diagnosis is encouraging for a potential Week 16 or 17 return.
Because even Beckham seemed to indicate a 50-50 attitude toward Sunday's status on Thursday, saying "I honestly (won't) know until Sunday gets here." So he and the Giants clearly are assessing the injury regularly to see if he can go.
That said, if the Giants lose Sunday and are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, then it would make sense for them to shut Beckham down at that point even if he were physically able to give it a go.
First thing's first, though: win on Sunday, with the same receiving corps led by Sterling Shepard, Corey Coleman, Russell Shepard and Bennie Fowler III that helped the Giants beat Washington, 40-16.
All four factored in a big way, with both Shepards and Fowler catching touchdowns and Coleman snagging a 30-yard completion to stretch the field.
"From a coverage point it changes it, because you have to pay attention to Odell whenever he's on the field," Sterling Shepard said. "And when he's not out there they can get into base looks ... so we have film on all that."
Shurmur added: "(Beckham is) a very valued member of this team, but the challenge is for the guys who play in his place to do a good job. And it's a one-game basis, but the guys that did it last week did a good job."
