There were a lot of doubters and critics when the Rams decided to sign Odell Beckham Jr. following his messy split with the Browns. Many thought it was a bad idea for a team with such great chemistry to add a perceived headache in the middle of the season. Others questioned his fit in the Rams offense.
Well, now almost three months later, it looks like a move that helped get the Rams to Super Bowl LVI. And despite not putting up massive numbers in L.A., Beckham has contributed in meaningful ways, especially in the postseason.
He has an innate ability to get open for his quarterback, and now he has a QB who can (and will) hit him with accurate throws. According to Next Gen Stats, Beckham has gotten open on 61% of his targets this postseason compared to just 35% of the time in the regular season as a member of the Rams. He’s averaging an extra yard of separation in the playoffs, too, with an average rate of 3.6 yards compared to 2.6 from Week 10-18.
The result? Almost double the yards gained per route run in the postseason, picking up 2.5 yards per route.
Odell Beckham Jr. has been able to find and create more separation on targets this postseason compared to the regular season:
🔹 Weeks 10-18: 35% open, 1.3 yds/route
🔹 Playoffs: 61% open, 2.5 yds/route(Open % = 3+ yards of separation on targets)#SuperBowlLVI | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/6pT5H7YUpR
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) February 7, 2022
Stafford has had a ton of success when targeting Beckham in the playoffs. They’ve connected on 19 of their 23 targets, gaining 236 yards with one touchdown. That’s good for a passer rating of 123.9, higher than Stafford’s overall passer rating (115.6) in the playoffs this year.
After seeing the impact Beckham has had in Los Angeles, it’s impossible to dispute the fact that it was a good signing by the Rams. They probably wouldn’t be here today if they hadn’t signed Beckham, especially after losing Robert Woods to a torn ACL in November.
