NFL PRIMTIME FLEX: 'No Father To His Game?'

The feud with Josh Norman against the Carolina Panthers last season.

The feud with Norman again against the Washington Redskins this season, including the subsequent tirade and dubious incident with sideline practice equipment.

Constant self-promotion.

Tactless comments in response to media scrutiny.

Key dropped passes in his playoff debut followed by another incident with an inanimate object while exiting a press conference at the Green Bay Packers training facility.

Shirtless dancing.

The club.

The yacht.

It hasn't exactly been a smooth start for Odell Beckham, Jr. in his first three NFL seasons as a New York Giant, but it definitely hasn't been all bad either.  ODB's persona and celebrity has made him look wilder than the Brooklyn Zoo, but his numbers over 43 career games put him right up there with some of the best dirt dogs to ever do it.

However you feel about him as a person, based on football numbers alone, Beckham hasn't done anything to remove himself from the conversation as one of the greatest receivers of all-time.

Stats over first 43 games via pro-football-reference.com

Odell Beckham, Jr. 2013-16

Catches   Yards     Y/C     TDs

    288       4122     14.3     35

Terrell Owens 1996-98
    142        2198     15.5     21

Randy Moss 1998-00

    207         3752     18.0    38

Jerry Rice 1985-87   
    197         3485     17.2    38

Julio Jones 2011-14
    236         3590     15.3    23

Antonio Brown 2010-13
    192         2560      13.3    9

Throwbackz: 'College Dropout' NCAA Football Legends/ NFL Busts: Peter Warrick, WR, Florida State Seminoles, 1996-99

Matt Leinart, Heath Shuler, and Brian Bosworth aren't the only guys that could've been cast in that DISH Network 'going back to college' commercial, where these former college greats with lackluster NFL careers link in a coffee shop and pine the days of their college glory. 

Many college stars and can't miss talents over the years have proven the concept that professional football is an entirely different entity in itself. 

For every late-round gem like Tom Brady and Terrell Davis, you have a Ryan Leaf or Ki-Jana Carter. 

It's just how the game works.  Potential in football is so unpredictable. 

As the 2014 college football season approaches (the first that will feature a four-team playoff rather than the Bowl Championship Series polling format), I recall some of the most electrifying and hard-hitting players to ever play in college, but didn't quite make a name for themselves in the pros....

2012 NFL Week 1 'BIG UPS' 9-11-12

Moss swaggin' out in the end zone, per usual.

Week 1 NFL season in the books.  So much to talk about, so much to look forward to.  Time to give props where props are due. The players and teams that caught my eye or surprised me the most in the week of NFL....now without further ado, LEGGO!-Mr. AllDayEryDay



The San Francisco 49ers.  The Green Bay Packers were coming off a disappointing end to last season after going 15-1, and getting bumped from the playoffs early, and probably couldn't wait to knock the blocks off the Niners in Week 1 at Lambeau . . . Jim Harbaugh's boys weren't having at as they used a now trademark physical style of play to subdue Aaron Rodgers and the vaunted Packers offense 30-22.  I would be remiss if I failed to mention one Randy Gene Moss, who had a 14-yard receiving TD that was his first in the NFL since Oct. 24 2010.

Robert Griffin, III.  Andrew Luck, 3 INTS in a loss . . . Ryan Tannenhill, 3 INTS in a loss . . . Brandon Weeden, 4 INTS in a loss . . . RGIII, balled out for 320 yards on 19-26 passing, 2 TDs and 0 INTS in a road win against the New Orleans Saints.  A lot of screen passes early, and it's just one game, I know, but it was the first game that really mattered, and it came against a team that was probably amped up about the overturning of player suspensions from the 'Bounty Gate' incident.  It's too early for playoff talk or even 'Griffining', but you have to admire the young man's poise.

The Dallas Cowboys.  Spoiled that Super Bowl party for the New York Giants, Tony Romo and the 'Boys were oh so rude on the opening night of the NFL.  Romo found a rhythm making quick passes to avoid the Giants premiere pass rush and it eventually softened up the ground game for DeMarco Murray to run.  It had to be a sweet feeling for Dallas to start the year with a win like that, where you execute with precision against a division rival and a team that knocked you out of playoff contention in Week 17 last year.  Now the only question is do they make noise in January for the first time in what, like 15 years?

Julio Jones.  If Calvin Johnson is Megatron, then I can definitely see Quintorris Lopez 'Julio' Jones transforming into Optimus Prime this year.  Jones had six catches for 108 yards and 2 TDs in a season opening 41-24 Falcons win over the Kansas City Chiefs.  The numbers aren't what give Jones the BIG UPS nod.  It's the combination of speed, athleticism, and sheer strength and aggressiveness at the point of attack.  We all know Julio has game breaking potential but it really looks like he feels comfortable in the league now and has lost all the tentativity that young players experience.  Nothing but big things and more BIG UPS ahead for this kid, no doubt in my mind.


BIGGEST UPS
BALTIMORE RAVENS & ED REED.

Reed has 58 career interceptions and seven return TDs.

Reed, 34, set the NFL record for career interception return yards (1,497) after picking off Cincy's Andy Dalton on and returning it 34 yards for a TD.  Just another accolade to add that to the list of Hall of Fame-type play in Reed's illustrious career.  The Ravens rolled 44-13 over the Bengals and the defense looks dominant as ever.  Sack specialist and 'Ball So Hard' CEO Terrell Suggs will be out for a while after off-season knee surgery, but expect rookie OLB Courtney Upshaw to pick up the slack.  Joe Flacco gets better with every snap and has complete command of the Jon Harbaugh offense.

10 Things We Learned From The NFL Season

- Brett Favre loves to play football probably more than any man thats playing now and maybe ever has played or ever will play . . . But he also loves to play with boobies . . . just as much as the rest of us.

T-I-T-S!

- They could make a movie about what happended to Randy Moss this year.  They could call it "How to Lose Your Job & Alienate Teammates" or "Pariah".


I would pay straight cash homie to see this movie!

 - Sexual assault is a serious problem that the NFL has had to deal with over the years, and at the very least, it is a FAR worse offense than smoking a little weed . . . unless you are the Pittsburgh Steelers.

- The new reality TV show 'The T.Ocho Show' and the 2010 Cincinatti Bengals proved that former All-Pro wideouts Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson-Ochocinco-Johnson are over-paid, over-celebrated, kinda getting old, and un-entertaining, both on and off the field.

 


"We're terrible."

 
- Fat guys can be prima donnas too.

"There is NO WAY that I'm getting sweaty today . . ."

- A player receiving a touchdown pass in the endzone does not get credit for a receiving touchdown unless he comes down with possession of the ball, with both feet inbounds, with full control of the ball all the way to the ground, without bobbling it, tightly gripped to his fingers and/or forearm(s)/bicep(s), in a   continued football motion, for atleast 1.7 seconds, with the ball at a greater than 45-degree angle from the player's sternum, and cradled closely and securely to the chest as if it were God's only son sent to us from Heaven to Earth that he whoever believeth in him shall not die but have eternal life.

Blessed are the pass catchers . . .

- Professional football (John Facenda voice) not only a game, but a war -- a violent battle between seething gladiators, clashing furiously and with great tumult -- while trying not to hit their opponent in the helmet with one's own helmet, in fear of receiving a substantial fine and possible suspension . . .

- If you're gonna fake an injury, or if you really are legitimately injured, and it's the NFL playoffs, and you have a reputation of being sort of a whiny baby, you should grab some crutches, or at least look like you care, or else the situation will almost certainly define your career to this point.

Jay Cutler=FML

- Theres nothing funny about losing in the NFL . . . except players speaking after losing in the NFL.

- A game can be cancelled if there is too much snow, because the safety of the fans is very important to the NFL.  So its a good thing they don't plan on having a Super Bowl outdoors in a northern city anytime soon.

Can't wait! 2014, Super Bowl Sunday (or Tuesday)!