Colts: Time is now for Xavier Rhodes to prove he still owns Odell Beckham Jr

Colts cornerback Xavier Rhodes has a great chance to prove he still owns Browns wideout Odell Beckham Jr. in Week 5.

The Colts will face arguably their toughest test of the 2020 season when they travel to Cleveland to take on a streaking Browns team. Both sides have won three consecutive games, and this matchup, in many ways, can be described as what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

After all, Indianapolis’ defense has been playing lights out over the last three weeks, conceding an impossibly low 29 points during that span. That stretch has them ranked first in the NFL in both yards (236.3) and points (14.0) allowed per game.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Browns offense has been firing on all cylinders and is currently the fourth-highest scoring unit in the league at 31.0 points per contest. That number would be a lot higher (39.6, to be exact) if you put their measly six-point output in Week 1 aside.

To put it simply, there will be captivating matchups all over the field on Sunday. However, only one oozes the must-see factor and that is Xavier Rhodes vs Odell Beckham Jr, who share a bitter history with each other. Well, Colts fans will love hearing that Rhodes, who has rebounded in a BIG way since his lackluster debut back in Week 1, is fully prepared for his rematch with the Browns superstar.

"“Odell’s a great receiver, man, one of the top five receivers in the league,” Rhodes told reporters on Tuesday. “With him, you’ve just got to be mentally prepared, because it’s going to be not only a mental battle, it’s going to be a physical battle.”"

The former All-Pro continued to note that Beckham’s antagonizing trash talk only amplifies the difficulty of covering him, but he knows what he has to do to remain focused and keep his emotions at bay.

"“He can jaw and get in your ear and try to get in your head,” Rhodes continued. “You’ve got to be mentally strong, and you’ve got to be physically strong, too, because he’s going to try to be physical with you at the line and down the field.”“You can’t let yourself get affected by the emotion. Once you get overhyped or you get too emotional, you lose focus on the game. You lose everything. You lose sight of the game. You’re not focused at all on your assignment."

What makes the Rhodes-Beckham showdown such a mouthwatering storyline? We’re glad you asked. Back in 2016, the two squared up when the former was on the Vikings and the latter was still a member of the Giants.

To say that Rhodes absolutely neutralized Beckham would be an understatement, as he held him to a then-career-low three receptions for 23 yards on a whopping nine targets. That was OBJ’s worst game by a significant margin that season, in which he was largely unstoppable, tallying 101 receptions for 1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns. That game, Rhodes even baited his nemesis into committing a personal foul penalty after some tight coverage up the sidelines.

We’re not saying that the Colts’ chances at extending their winning streak is contingent upon Rhodes locking down Beckham, but it would certainly boost their chances of doing so. If you weren’t already excited, well, we cannot wait to see these two studs go head-to-head on Sunday.

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