Odell Beckham Jr., the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver, celebrated his 31st birthday on Sunday by receiving his first
touchdown pass in 21 months.
Beckham caught a 6-yard catch from Tyler Huntley in the corner of the end zone midway through the fourth quarter
of the Ravens’ 37-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, becoming the biggest highlight of a poor first season with the
team. This was Beckham’s first touchdown since he won Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams on February 13,
2022.
“It feels good to finally get that one off you,” Beckham explained. “From a personal standpoint, God must have had a
sense of humor because it happened on my birthday. “I mean, it could not be a better gift.”
Beckham became the first Ravens player in history to score a touchdown pass on his birthday. Until Sunday,
Beckham didn’t have much to celebrate.
After missing the entire season last year to recover from a second surgery on his left knee, Beckham averaged a
career-low 27 receiving yards per game through the first eight weeks. He was held without a catch for the second
time in his nine-year career last week.
Beckham rebounded on Sunday, with five catches for 56 yards, a season best.
“It’s been a long journey for me since February 2022 all the way until now,” Beckham told the media. “It has been a
very long road. Tough days, dark days, difficult days, and some good in between.”
When Beckham scored, the whole Ravens’ sideline exploded in celebration. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson,
who was pulled early in the fourth quarter due to the blowout, soared in the air many times. Jackson had been very
adamant about getting Beckham a touchdown.
“It was definitely special,” Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen stated. “We know he’s a ballplayer. Everyone knows he is
a superstar. We just need to get him the ball and let him be himself.”
The Ravens are off to their first 7-2 start since 2019, when they won the AFC’s top seed for the first time in franchise
history. Baltimore has the top record in the AFC, tied with the Kansas City Chiefs, and moved to 3-0 against teams
with winning records at the time, outscoring them 103-12.
Beckham was questioned if the Ravens’ culture is similar to that of the Rams’ Super Bowl squad from two years ago.
