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| New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) sits on the bench during the second half against the Carolina Panthers on October 7, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Nell Redmond/UPI |
By The Sports Xchange
New York Giants co-owner John Mara was direct in his message involving star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who had plenty to say during a recent interview with ESPN.
Mara, in fact, let loose on a number of topics involving the slumping Giants (1-5) on Tuesday during a break at the NFL owners meetings.
"I wish [Beckham] would create the headlines by his play on the field as opposed to what he says and what he does off the field," the 63-year-old Mara said. "I think he needs to do a little more playing and a little less talking."
Mara said that he didn't speak directly with Beckham after the interview, but said others within the organization did.
Mara's words on Tuesday come on the heels of Beckham venting his frustration over the Giants' slow start and sputtering offense. Signed to a five-year, $95 million contract extension prior to the start of the season, Beckham also had comments that didn't appear to support quarterback Eli Manning during the interview.
"I'm still embarrassed being 1-5," Mara said. "I can't stand up here and make any excuses about that. You are what your record says you are, as a wise man once said, and there's nothing I can say to make people feel better about that. I'm suffering just as much as our fans are, probably more."
Per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur took issue with Beckham saying the team lacks heart in the interview and was "absolutely livid" about the wideout saying that he didn't know if Manning is the problem with the Giants' offense.
As for his thoughts on Manning's performance this season, Mara appeared to tread lightly.
"I think when you're 1-5, it generally means that everybody needs to play better, so he's not alone," Mara said. "We still believe in him, but everybody needs to do their jobs in order for us to be successful, and right now that's not happening. I know he's the punching bag right now, but a lot of guys need to play better when you're 1-5."
One guy that is playing well is rookie running back Saquon Barkley, the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
"We went with the best player in the draft," Mara said. "I still believe he was the best player in the draft."
The Giants return to action on Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons (2-4).
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