Odell Beckham Jr. Giving Eli Manning, Giants Offense Hope for Future

The New York Giants' 2014 season may have ended weeks ago, but the incredible stuff rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has done as of late gives Eli Manning and this offense plenty of hope for the future.

When we look back at the end of the year, we'll remember the magical catch that served as an introduction to the world. We'll remember Richard Sherman singing his praises after Beckham Jr. picked up seven catches for 108 yards receiving in Seattle.

But overall, what we'll remember most is watching the early stages of what's shaping up to be a special career.

Week 15 turned out to be another day in the life of Beckham Jr.

For what felt like the millionth time this year, he went out and stole the show. In front of an appreciative home crowd at MetLife Stadium, the first-year pass-catcher caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-13 victory over Washington.

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Had it not been for an offensive holding penalty on Giants offensive tackle Justin Pugh at the 12 minutes, 26 seconds mark of the fourth quarter, Beckham Jr. would have had another long touchdown catch added on to that total.

Ever since his breakout game in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys—in which he caught two TDs—the Giants have leaned heavily on the young man from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

All you have to do is look at the numbers, and you'll be left speechless. Beckham has been targeted 90 times since Week 7 in Jerry's World. On those targets, he's turned 65 of them into receptions for 900 yards and eight scores.

Those numbers are as good as any elite No. 1 wide receiver in football. And remember, he's a rookie. Rookies who aren't named Randy Moss aren't supposed to be this good this fast.

As NFL Network reporter Kimberly Jones mentioned on Twitter, there's a reason why the Giants were thrilled when he fell to them on draft weekend:

The greatness he's displayed on a weekly basis can't be denied. ESPN's Darren Rovell took to social media to point out the historic pace he's on:

When you digest the film and watch him work, you understand why he's become such a problem for defensive backs to go out and cover.

This particular play from the Giants' Week 14 game against the Tennessee Titans highlights how lethal he can be:

Via NFL Game Rewind

With 6:11 to go in the first quarter, Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo calls on Beckham Jr. to stretch the field on a go route.

By motioning tight end Larry Donnell over and sending him up the seam, the Titans safety has to pick him up, which provides Beckham Jr. with a one-on-one matchup down the field with cornerback Jason McCourty.

Via NFL Game Rewind

Trying to create enough space to give his quarterback a throwing lane, Beckham Jr. plays it smart. He fakes like he's going to break to the outside before cutting it back inside and turning on the burners.

That subtle move was just enough to put him in a great position to come down with the pass.

Via NFL Game Rewind

As the ball comes spinning down from the heavens, Beckham Jr. is able to poach it out of the air for a 50-yard gain.

This wasn't as pretty as the legendary grab he put forth against the Cowboys, but it does show you why Manning has no fear throwing him the ball in any situation. His route running, ability to position his body and speed are all top-notch characteristics.

There's a lot of uncertainty right now surrounding the Giants organization. They haven't made the playoffs since 2011, and that has put their head coach, Tom Coughlin, on the hot seat.

Based on what NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport said about the situation (h/t Around the NFL writer Kevin Patra), his job will come down to how the Giants finish up the regular season.

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It's never fun to look forward to 2015 in December, but it's become a reality for Big Blue. At 5-9, clearly this team has a ton of flaws they must address in the offseason.

Victor Cruz will be trying to bounce back after suffering a torn right patellar tendon—an injury that could be very challenging to overcome. In the words of Dr. Kyle Flik, who spoke to Ed Valentine of Big Blue View, it would be a "a fantastic outcome" if he was able to come back and fully resemble the type of player we've come to know.

On top of that, the team's ground game behind Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings has been inconsistent. Averaging just 99.9 yards per game, the Giants came into their duel with Washington with the NFL's 22nd-ranked rushing attack.

Assuming he stays put, general manager Jerry Reese will be tasked with figuring out a way to come up with solutions.

Beckham Jr. may be just one man, but even so, he's been able to remedy some of these problems. He's made up for the absence of Cruz leaps and bounds and provided Manning with a trustworthy target.

He's become the one guy this team can count on moving forward. Just 10 games into his career, he's already become the cornerstone of this offense.

Unless noted otherwise, all game scores and information come courtesy of ESPN.com.