The Washington Redskins were torched by Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday night, leading many fans to incorrectly conclude that cornerback Josh Norman is not worth what the team paid him. In reality, it was Washington’s defensive game plan that was horrendous.
And Dez Bryant seemed to realize that.
Bryant, who says he “can’t wait” to square off against Norman in Week 2, said a whole lot without saying much at all when asked about the approach the Redskins took against Brown.
“No comment,” Bryant said, via John Machota of The Dallas Morning News. “LOL.”
No, this was not a text message. Bryant actually said “L-O-L.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Brown caught seven of his eight targets for 113 yards and two touchdowns when he was being covered by Bashaud Breeland. Brown was targeted twice while Norman was covering him, and the star wideout did not record a catch.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden praised Breeland after the game and said he simply had a rough night. He also would not say whether Norman will be tasked with shadowing the opposing team’s best receiver in the future. You can read Gruden’s full comments here.
Bryant, who received praise from Norman during the offseason, seems to believe the Redskins would be wise to play more to their strengths.
“(Norman) has earned his respect in this league,” Bryant said. “When you go up against a guy like that, you’re going to have bring your best because if you don’t, he’ll get the best of you.”
The Redskins aren’t paying Norman $15 million per year so guys like Brown can make them look silly. Gruden would be wise to allow Norman to shadow more, otherwise he’s going to be seeing star receivers do a lot more of this in the end zone throughout the season.
