Super Bowl 2022: Would the Rams have made it without Odell Beckham?

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Odell Beckham Jr. is no stranger to shaking things up.

He's also no stranger to controversy, but he appears to have silenced his critics after a tumultuous start to the 2021 season.

Three days after his release from the Cleveland Browns in November, OBJ seemingly resurrected his NFL career by signing with the now Super Bowl LVI-bound Los Angeles Rams. 

In eight regular-season games with the Rams, OBJ caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns. The Rams were 4-1 when he caught a touchdown. What's more, OBJ had just two games of 30-plus receiving yards with the Browns prior to his release, a mark he hit seven times with the Rams. 

While it's an impressive turn of events for the eight-year veteran wideout, the question remains: Did signing OBJ change the fate of L.A.'s season? And if so, is he the reason the Rams made it to Super Bowl LVI?

According to Shannon Sharpe, it's a no-brainer.  

"Look, we see what he's done. … As soon as he got there, Robert Woods tears his ACL," he said. "That was not planned. Odell was gonna be the No. 3 receiver. … This started back in the regular season, Week 17. OBJ, fourth down. Catch. Game-winning touchdown. OBJ, catch. Arizona, picked right up where he left off in the regular season. Caught all four of his targets, opening touchdown, four catches, 54 yards. Did you know he had six catches for 69 yards against Tampa [Bay]? Four of those catches were for first downs. … 13 of his 19 catches in the playoffs have been for first downs.

"They would not be in the Super Bowl," he continued. "If you go ask Sean McVay, if you go ask Matthew Stafford ‘Are you in this position without OBJ?’ Absolutely not. … Have you seen any drops in the postseason? I didn't think so. I didn't see them either. … Odell be running new routes. Crisp too, crisp routes."

Through three playoff games this season against the Cardinals, Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers, OBJ reeled in 19 catches for 236 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 78.7 receiving yards per game (12th in playoffs among all receivers — WR, RB and TE), and 12.4 yards per reception.

His 113 receiving yards against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game are his most in a game since Week 2 of the 2019 season when the Browns defeated the New York Jets.