The Cleveland Browns entered their Week 6 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers riding a four-game winning streak. Previously upset over his lack of involvement in the team’s offense, Odell Beckham Jr. played well in those four games.
What followed Sunday in Pittsburgh sent all of these good vibes packing, leading some to wonder if these Browns are in fact for real. Cleveland fell 38-7, its second blowout loss to a top-end AFC North contender. Beckham Jr. caught all of two passes for 25 yards on four targets.
As you might imagine, Beckham Jr. was not happy about this performance or his lack of involvement on offense. It’s something he should throughout the game.
It was noticeable during the latter stages of the Browns’ 31-point blowout loss. At one point, Beckham Jr. could be seen taking off his helmet and cleats late in the game. The Browns attempted to downplay their star receiver’s frustration after the fact.
“Just normal frustration when you come out and you get beat like that,” coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters. “You just have to make sure one (loss) does not turn into two. That is this game, and then we have a big one next week.”
While Stefanski tried to throw cold water on OBJ's actions, there’s speculation that the relationship between the star WR and struggling third-year quarterback Baker Mayfield is not great.
Beckham Jr. has caught 23 of 43 targets for 319 yards through six games. That 53.5% catch rate is alarming given that the receiver hauled in a mere 56% of his targets in his first season with the Browns in 2019.
The Browns find themselves at 4-2 on the season. They have winnable games coming up against the Bengals and Raiders before a Week 9 bye. There’s no reason to short change this roster right now.
Even then, it would not be a shock if we heard Beckham Jr. trade rumors persist leading up to the deadline and following the 2020 season should things remain the same. Simply put, his marriage with the Browns has not worked.
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