Browns' Odell Beckham Jr. Says Mike Tomlin 'Disrespected' Him with Yawn Gesture
November 19, 2019
In August, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made a yawning gesture when he was asked by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler about facing Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. twice a year.
On Thursday night, Beckham mocked the gesture, pretending to yawn after a 43-yard reception against the Steelers:
Jarvis Landry even joined in on the fun:
Beckham was later seen having words with Tomlin.
"I said, 'You disrespected me,'" Beckham told reporters Monday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "I said, 'You know who I am.' And he said, 'I know who you are. That's why we're doubling you all game' and this and that."
Beckham did add that their conversation was nothing more than a bit of good-natured trash talk.
"We were just talking," he said. "There's never been no beef with me and no coach. We were just talking s--t."
Beckham, Landry and the Browns had the last laugh—or yawn, in this case—as well, winning the game 21-7, even if the victory was ultimately marred by a huge fight that included Myles Garrett ripping off Mason Rudolph's helmet and hitting him in the head with it. The victory was Cleveland's second in a row, bringing the team to 4-6 and keeping it in the playoff race.
While the Browns opened the season 2-6, they also faced a tough schedule that included losses to the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, all teams that are strong postseason contenders.
But the Browns also now have impressive wins against the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and the Steelers. And their schedule down the stretch is favorable, with matchups vs. the Miami Dolphins, Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals (twice), Arizona Cardinals and Ravens.
The Browns aren't going to catch the 8-2 Ravens in the AFC North. The 7-3 Bills—currently in control of the first wild-card berth in the AFC—may be out of reach, too, if Buffalo doesn't completely implode down the stretch. But the 6-4 Houston Texans may still be within striking distance of Cleveland for that second wild-card berth.
It's probably a long shot, but Cleveland has a chance to turn its season around and prove its doubters wrong after the 2019 campaign started in such poor fashion. If Beckham brings out the yawn for Tomlin, just imagine what he might have in store for all the people who left Cleveland for dead.