EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 11: Odell Beckham Jr. #13 of the New York Giants shouts against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium on December 11, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The New York Giants closed out their regular season with a win over the Redskins on Sunday, and not long thereafter, a few players caught a flight to Miami. Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, Victor Cruz and Roger Lewis flew to South Beach to party with Justin Bieber and reportedly Johnny Manziel, catching a great deal of flak for their trip.
Eli Manning made light of the situation and Ben McAdoo said he had no issue with his players using their day off to hang out in Miami, but that didn't silence the critics. Many still believe they made a poor decision ahead of Sunday's huge playoff matchup with the Packers. Beckham isn't one of those people.
"We were going to (Florida) to get our minds right," Beckham said, via the NY Daily News. "That's what we we're doing. I handle my business. I'm a grown man. I do what I am supposed to be doing. I'm in the building, when I'm supposed to be in the building. I don't miss team meetings. None of that."
He's right: He didn't break any rules, didn't miss any practice time and didn't skip any meetings. It was an off day for the Giants, and the four receivers decided to spend it in sunny Miami.
Beckham admits it wasn't the "perfect" way to spend their day off, but he cites his preparation as a reason for it being a non-issue.
"I'm not perfect, but everybody knows my passion for football, when I'm on the football field," Beckham continued. "I'm here for the NY Giants, especially over the next four weeks. Now, we are about to make a run, about to make a push; it's go time. Everybody is focusing on what they need to be focusing on."
Cruz, a veteran leader of the team, also addressed the situation. Like Beckham, he also saw it as moot with it having no impact on their preparation for Sunday's game.
"There's nothing really to talk about, Mike," Cruz said. "To be honest those things are personal, from my personal life that don't need to be discussed. It doesn't have anything to do about football. It doesn't really matter.
He continued by saying everyone was present on Tuesday and no issue came of it.
"Trust me, if somebody was late or not on time you would have heard it before I did this interview," Cruz said. "Everybody was on time, ready to rock and roll."
There's probably no direct correlation between players partying six days before a playoff game and that team's results, but it's still not a great look. Now, if the Giants happen to lose on Sunday, everyone will talk about how the receivers partied it up less than a week before the game.
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