EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Eleven months ago, Odell Beckham Jr. made his one-handed catch for the ages in a home game against the Dallas Cowboys. Last night, the Cowboys returned to MetLife Stadium and watched as another Giants receiver from LSU made a great catch.
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Running down the right sideline right in front of Dallas' bench, Rueben Randle thrust out his right arm and secured a perfectly-thrown pass from Eli Manning. Though Randle's reception didn't light up the internet as Beckham's did, it gained 44 yards and helped set up a Josh Brown field goal in the Giants' 27-20 victory.
No one was happier than Beckham, who was Randle's college teammate.
"I was probably as jacked as he was," Beckham said today on a conference call with the media. "It's kind of something that we talk about all the time. It kind of reminds me of one of my favorite things I have ever seen from him back in college. He made a catch exactly like that, in stride and everything, and just kept running kind of the same way he did. It was great to be able to see just such a big-time play and such a big-time moment by a big-time player."
"He said he knew I could do it anyway, and wasn't surprised himself," Randle said of Beckham's reaction. "I think everyone else was more surprised than he was."
Randle said he set a new personal standard for degree of difficulty out of necessity. He was closely covered by cornerback Brandon Carr, who was victimized on Beckham's famous play last year.
"I think it was a little tougher between me and him down the sideline; he kind of had my left arm," Randle said. "It was kind of tough seeing the ball as well, so at that point in time, all I had was one arm to use."
The catch was huge for the Giants, who faced a third-and-five from their own six-yard line, and would have been forced to punt out of their end zone had Randle not secured the ball.
"It was key," Randle said. "I just wanted to make a play for my team. At that point in time, we were backed up, we needed a big play. So I tried to go out there and make a play for us, and get us out of that hole, so we could put some more points on the board."
• Coach Tom Coughlin again shed little light on his decision to include defensive end Damontre Moore on the list of inactive players for the Dallas game.
"Again, that stays between the player and I," Coughlin said. "Damontre Moore is a skilled athlete who we'll again look at the plan and see exactly where we stand. If we can include him, then we will."
• Linebacker Devon Kennard had seven solo tackles in his return after missing two games with a strained hamstring. Kennard was not on the field as often as he usually is.
"I wasn't in every package," Kennard said. "I didn't play as much as I have been. That was up to the coaches, though. They just, I guess, were trying to make sure that they didn't have me out there too much.
"I felt pretty good. It definitely felt a little rusty out there for not practicing for two weeks, and then being limited throughout the week, but it felt good. I was just glad to be back out there and be able to help the guys with this big win."
• Coughlin has consistently been impressed with his players in one very important respect.
"We play hard," he said. "We play hard, it's not always pretty. … I think we can count on that going forward as well. We have a bunch of guys who love the game, like what they're doing, and play hard. That's a pretty good starting point. Effort is a great starting point for anything. By in large, I think we're getting very good effort."
Gameday photo timeline from the Giants Week 7 win vs. Cowboys
1:00 PM - Fans tailgating hours before the Giants take on the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium - View Gallery
2:30 PM - Players take the field to begin their pregame warmups - View Gallery
4:20 PM - Giants line up for the National Anthem shortly before kickoff
4:25 PM - Giants are joined by former CB Everson Walls and SVU's Mariska Hagerty as they get set to kickoff against the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium
5:25, 1ST QTR, Dan Bailey kicks a 30-yard field goal, DAL 3 - NYG 0
14:07, 2ND QTR, Eli Manning passes to Rueben Randle for 24 yards - Watch Highlight
11:02, 2ND QTR, Orleans Darkwa runs for a 15-yard touchdown, NYG 7 - DAL 3 - Watch Highlight
7:29, 2ND QTR, Matt Cassel passes to Terrance Williams for a 27-yard completion, which sets up a 48-yard Dan Bailey field goal, NYG 7 - DAL 6
2:17, 2ND QTR, Darren McFadden rushes for a 1-yard touchdown, DAL 13 - NYG 7
1:04, 2ND QTR, Dwayne Harris hauls in a 38-yard pass from Eli Manning to set up 47-yard Josh Brown field goal, DAL 13 - NYG 10 - Watch Highlight
11:19, 3RD QTR, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie intercepts Matt Cassel, and returns it 58 yards for a touchdown, NYG 17 - DAL 13 - Watch Highlight
7:54, 3RD QTR, Brandon Meriweather intercepts Matt Cassel at the NYG 1 - Watch Highlight
6:33, 3RD QTR, Rueben Randle makes a spectacular one-handed catch near Giants midfield for 44 yards - Watch Highlight
5:55, 3RD QTR, Shane Vereen runs for 39 yards to the DAL 11 - Watch Highlight
3:18, 3RD QTR, After two great plays by Randle and Vereen, Josh Brown kicks a 34-yard field goal, NYG 20 - DAL 13
15:00, 4TH QTR, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie intercepts his second pass of the day and returns it for 12 yards - Watch Highlight
7:14, 4TH QTR, Devin Street catches a 25-yard pass from Matt Cassel in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, NYG 20 - DAL 20
7:01, 4TH QTR, Dwayne Harris returns the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, NYG 27 - DAL 20 - Watch Highlight
1:36, 4TH QTR, Giants' Myles White recovers the muffed punt by Cole Beasley at DAL 16
Final Score: New York Giants 27, Dallas Cowboys 20. Coach Coughlin becomes the seventh coach with at least 100 victories and two Super Bowl wins with one franchise - Watch Game Highlights
Coach Coughlin addresses the team immediately following the Giants win against the Cowboys. Coach Coughlin awarded game ball by Eli Manning - Watch Giants Locker Room Celebration
"I definitely think it's in our character as far as finding ways to win goes," Beckham said. "It's something that we do take pride in, and there are games we look back on that are learning lessons. We have to just move forward from them, but you take it and you understand that you put yourself in the situation again and you try and learn and correct it. I think we're doing that, and it's just one of those things where the road to construction is never really finished. We're still building, and we're still constructing, and setting our path to where we want to go."
• Running back Orleans Darkwa, who has been a consistent special teams performer, capitalized on his first chance to carry the ball this season. In eight attempts, he gained 48 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown.
"He had an outstanding preseason," Coughlin said. "So during the course of the week, he had some carries in first and second down. The coaches felt strongly that he should be given an opportunity. It wasn't right away in the game, but eventually he played and he played well."in first and second down. The coaches felt strongly that he should be given an opportunity. It wasn't right away in the game, but eventually he played and he played well."
