When Odell Beckham Jr. thrives with the Rams, it doesn’t look like he’s a problem for the Browns

Justin Jefferson had a message for Odell Beckham Jr haters. after the Rams’ 30-23 win over the Cardinals on “Monday Night Football”.

The Vikings receiver and LSU production wanted everyone to admit that Beckham was “not a problem” during his difficult tenure with the Browns.

Indeed, Jefferson was right. Beckham isn’t the problem, and he’s proving it by hitting his stride in Los Angeles.

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Beckham was arguably his best performance of the season in the Rams’ 30-23 Week 14 win over the Cardinals. He caught six 77-yard passes and a touchdown while helping catalyze the Rams’ attacking behavior in the first half.

The score is a great thing from Beckham. He ran a perfect run near the goal line and beat the Cardinals defense back inside with a beautiful swing to open the scoring for the Rams. It marked his third straight game with a touchdown.

Incredibly, Beckham now has as many touchdowns in four games with the Rams as he did in his last 13 games with the Browns over the past two years. His production work in Los Angeles as a whole has nearly outpaced his work in Cleveland this year despite the fact that he played two fewer games with the Rams.

If you exclude his first game against the Rams, in which Beckham played just 15 snaps, he averaged 4.3 catches for 62 yards and one touchdown per game for the Rams. That equates to 1,054 yards and 17 TDs in a 17-game season. Sure, the Rams will take those numbers for a #2 receiver.

It’s also important to note that Beckham’s catch per ball average is about the same for the Rams as it is for the Browns. What does it mean? That means that while it looks like he’s playing more with the Rams, his catches with the Browns have had a similar impact. They’re just infrequent, as Baker Mayfield doesn’t target him much because they’ve never developed chemistry.

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The Rams’ offensive ability certainly looks better to Beckham – especially when they need a replacement for Robert Woods. What about the Browns’ offense? Well, they certainly didn’t improve by dropping Beckham.

It’s fair to point out that the Browns played two additional games without Beckham to start the year, and when those games are included, they average 22.1 points per game, 200.8 yards and 1.1 times pass TD without Beckham. While their total could be slightly better without Beckham, it’s still hard to say he was the problem with the Browns’ foul. They are definitely a more effective passing attack with him.

And while Beckham was drawn to some drama the Browns’ dressing room heated up when his father posted a video criticizing Mayfield With social media, he is certainly not a careless guy in the dressing room for the Rams. In fact, he has served as a valuable mentor and source of encouragement to second-year Van Jefferson beneficiaries, as Jourdan Rodrigue detailed in The Athletic.

“I was really disappointed after the (San Francisco) game,” Jefferson said. “Odell sent me this long list of people who just spoke badly of him, and how he could be better, and he said, ‘Look, man, I’ve been there, I’ve been there, I’ve experienced. Don’t dwell on this. ‘ So that encouraged me a lot, for him to do that.”

Since that game, Jefferson has totaled 11 catches from 192 yards and three touchdowns.

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To be fair, the Browns wanted a fresh start as Beckham and Mayfield struggled to connect, but Beckham was clearly not the root of the problem. After all, Mayfield cryptically hinted at the “inside things” that were troubling Cleveland in an interview with NFL Network’s Kurt Warnrer.

So Cleveland still has some soul searching to do as they look for a playoff spot in the crowded AFC. Meanwhile, it looks like the Rams have found something in Beckham and will see if he can keep his form as they battle for the NFC West title.