EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- In Week 12 of a lost New York Giants season, rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made the greatest catch I have ever seen.
It was the first play of the second quarter, a first-down play from the Dallas Cowboys' 43-yard line. Giants quarterback Eli Manning rolled out to his right and found Beckham sprinting down the right sideline, covered by Cowboys defensive backs. Manning fired the ball in Beckham's direction, possibly hoping for a pass-interference call, which was indeed made as Beckham was interfered with in his effort to make the leaping catch.
However, Beckham managed to catch the ball with only his right hand while twisting and falling to the ground on his back.
The catch sparked a remarkable Twitter reaction from players around the NFL and other sports leagues -- everyone from Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman to injured Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz to Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James:
Man I just witnessed the greatest catch ever possibly by Odell Beckham Jr! WOW!!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 24, 2014That's the best catch I've ever seen
— Victor Cruz (@TeamVic) November 24, 2014My Goodness.... That young man is bad!!!!
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) November 24, 2014Made some crazy catches in my day but 13 for the G - Men just trumped them all...#Crazycatch
— Andre Reed (@Andre_Reed83) November 24, 2014The play was reviewed, as all touchdown catches are, by replay officials, who ostensibly wanted to see whether Beckham stepped out of bounds before making it but may have just wanted to watch it over and over again. Who could blame them?
The catch gave the Giants a 14-3 lead over the Cowboys in the second quarter, and MetLife Stadium was still buzzing about it minutes later as the Cowboys drove down the field for a touchdown that cut the lead to 14-10.
Personally, I just wanted to get this written before the Giants' next possession to see what the kid might do next.