The NFL has suspended Odell Beckham one game for his cheap shot helmet to helmet blow on Josh Norman. The penalty fits the action. Beckham let his emotions get the best of him. For this he gets the NFL’s version of a time out.
So what happened? With Norman clearly under his skin, Beckham launched his head through the side of Norman’s helmet. It was a dangerous play that could have caused serious harm to both players. But was this just old school football?
Absolutely not. This was not part of a play. This was Beckham seeing the target and running through said target just to do it. There is no room for this kind of play in football. In this era of concussion crazed rule changes, Beckham is lucky that he was not ejected from the game.
Many believe that Tom Coughlin should have pulled Beckham out of the game. The action merited benching Beckham, who clearly put his vendetta before the team. That being said, pulling your best player off the field in a game you have to have is tough to do.
Beckham clearly wasn’t thinking. This was not a decision made from a pros and cons list. This was a heat of the moment loss of control. This was emotion overriding logic. This ultimately is a lesson for a very young receiver.
The suspension was justified. That’s not saying Josh Norman was a saint on Sunday, he egged Beckham on. But at the end of the day getting in your opponents head is part of the game; childish cheap shots are not.