As the New York Giants' playoff hopes are in danger, they will have to face the one-game suspension handed to star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. who had three foul penalties in their 38–35 defeat to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday.
In Sunday's loss, Beckham was in a heated matchup with Panthers cornerback Josh Norman for the entirety of the game.
But it was more than that between them as the two engaged in a number of verbal and physical altercations.
The two were flagged a number of times during the game, but Beckham's actions were more violent including a helmet hit to Norman that led to his suspension, which was announced by the National Football League (NFL) last Monday, ESPN reported.
As the Panthers were leading 35–7 in the third quarter, Beckham ran and sprung himself toward Norman to hit the Panthers cornerback's helmet with his own helmet, leading to a mild scuffle involving the players on the field.
Beckham finished the game leading all receivers for New York with six receptions for 76 yards and one touchdown.
Unfortunately, the 23-year-old's actions versus the Panthers, specifically the helmet hit on Norman will make him miss their Week 16 showdown versus the Minnesota Vikings.
The game against the Vikings is a crucial one for the Giants since they are tied with the Phildelphia Eagles in the National Football Conference (NFC) East, as both have 6–8 records.
A win for the Giants will help them improve their playoff chances, but they need to do that without Beckham who already tied his reception total last season this 2015 with 91 catches for 1,396 yards and 13 touchdowns.
ESPN added in their report that the 2014 first round pick already appealed the suspension given by the NFL, but it will not be addressed until Wednesday.
Following the Vikings, the Giants will take on the Eagles in an inter-division rivalry in Week 17 to close the 2015 regular season.
