LONDON — Odell Beckham Jr. conceded “traveling probably doesn’t help as much’’ but said Friday he is confident the painful hip pointer he is dealing with will not keep him out of Sunday’s game against the Rams.
The injury, which occurred in the second quarter of last week’s victory over the Ravens, did not prevent Beckham from returning to the field and coming up with the game-winning 66-yard touchdown catch to complete a career-best 222-yard performance.
Asked if he has any doubt he will play on Sunday, Beckham said: “Not so much. Once you get there and feel the atmosphere. Last week I made it through by the grace of God. Just him giving me the strength. Also it’s the atmosphere that you’re in, the adrenaline rush that you can get. It’ll make the pain and the nagging of it kind of go away in a sense. Hopefully there will be a lot more of that and I’ll be ready for Sunday.’’
The Giants, as per their usual schedule, did not practice Friday. There is no longer a designation of “probable’’ to determine a players’ status, but the team wanted to avoid confusion and listed Beckham as probable to play.
There has never been an NFL game at Twickenham Stadium, the home of English rugby, meaning Beckham and the Giants — as well as the Rams — will make some history this weekend.
“I expect a lot of cheers for everything,’’ Beckham said. “Hopefully it’s at loud as it is when you have the FIFA turned all the way up and you score a goal or something. I’m definitely looking forward to it. This is exciting for this culture as well. We’re taking steps and we’re moving. I’m sure there’s going to be people that aren’t going to have just the Rams and Giants jerseys on. I’m sure they’ll be supporting whatever team they support. Still, all in all, they’ll be enjoying it. Like I said, I’m looking forward to it.’’
The Giants held their press conferences in the grand ballroom of one of the Duke of Northumberland’s homes, with ornate statues looking down on them as they spoke. … The NFL fined Beckham $24,309 for removing his helmet after the game-winning catch last Sunday.
Ironically, the NFL named that play the “Castrol Edge Clutch Performance of the Week.’’
In addition to Beckham, five other players are considered probable: CB Eli Apple, RB Rashad Jennings, LB Keenan Robinson, DE Olivier Vernon and CB Trevin Wade. Long-snapper Zak DeOssie is questionable. Ruled out are safety Nat Berhe, RT Marshall Newhouse and S Darian Thompson.
New kicker Robbie Gould traveled from Chicago and met the Giants in England. Gould, 34, spent his first 11 seasons with the Bears and has hit 85.7 percent of his field goals in his career. He was 33 of 39 in 2015.
“I’ve seen him make a lot of kicks against me in the past,’’ said coach Ben McAdoo, a former Packers assistant. “He’s been successful. We’re hoping that continues.’’