Cleveland Browns Film Room: Examining Odell Beckham Jr.’s 2020 season

Odell Beckham Jr. is still as dominant as ever

Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL on the Cleveland Browns second offensive snap of their Week 7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, and given his middling numbers prior, many fans have forgotten the dynamic talent that set him on a Hall of Fame trajectory with the New York Giants. But despite the stat sheet not showing it, Beckham was as good as he ever was during his six outings in 2020, and should be primed for a triumphant return in 2021.

Huge things were expected from Beckham in 2019, as his arrival in Cleveland led to Super Bowl hype for the team. Things did not go as planned, as he caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in a very disappointing campaign.

2020 went even worse, as Beckham averaged a career-low 45.6 yards per game, catching just 53.5 percent of his targets before suffering a torn ACL on Baker Mayfield‘s first pass attempt in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns went on to a 37-34 victory that day, and Mayfield proved himself as an elite quarterback over the second half of the season, prompting many to wonder if the offense is really better without the superstar wide receiver.

That’s what the raw data would indicate, but a look back over the past 22 games of Beckham’s career shows otherwise; he’s still the same dominant player he’s always been. The problem was on the other end of the pass.