Beckham Jr.'s 'Fingertip' catch can't top Tyree's 'Helmet' catch

While Odell Beckham Jr.'s  one-handed, super-stretch touchdown grab against the rival Cowboys on Sunday night was a remarkable feat, it started a debate Giants fans will be having over at the office cooler for days to come.

Was it the greatest catch in NFL history, as it's being called, or even in the Giants own glorious past?



For the argument, one only has to look back at David Tyree's "helmet catch" against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII to draw a comparison.



Beckham's three-fingered grab may well be — athletically — the best NFL catch ever, but what did it accomplish?

Nothing, if you know it was meaningless regular season game that the Giants — realistically out of playoff contention — ended up losing and were basically playing for pride against a division rival.



Considering the scenario surrounding Tyree's "helmet catch," which was almost Shakespearean, the desperation third-down catch helped put the kibosh on the undefeated Patriots' season and help the unheralded Giants win Super Bowl XLII with 59 seconds on the clock.

Eli Manning — who deserves a little credit on the play too — would go on to hit Plaxico Burress for the winning TD four plays later in what has been called the best Super Bowl game ever.



So while the only thing each catch has in common is the quarterback Manning, the overall edge definitely goes to Tyree.

But it's still too early to even call the rookie Beckham's catch the finest of his career. He still has a long way to go.