The 10 Most Impactful Plays of Week 14
5. Slant it Like Beckham
Win Probability Added: +25.51
NEP: +6.00
It’s not as though New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning aired the ball out a ton to superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham in this game -- or ever does, really. Manning doesn’t need to when the incredible speed and agility of Beckham does more than enough to take ordinary passing plays and make them highlight reel performances.
That one-handed grab that is now legend? A simple over-the-top fade route. The play that follows is no less ordinary, nor any less awesome.
In a tightly-knit 7-3 game where the Giants were trailing late in the third quarter, it made sense to dial up a play for their best playmaker to see if they could spark the offense. Beckham went into a short slant pattern out left, breaking in to meet Manning’s pass. He caught it, stiff-armed a defender, and from there it was off to the races for a 61-yard score.
