- Thread starter
- #1
SkinFaninATL
Well-Known Member
- 1,229
- 176
- 63
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2013
- Location
- Union City, Ga.
- Hoopla Cash
- $ 1,000.00
- Fav. Team #1
- Fav. Team #2
- Fav. Team #3
It seems, everywhere I've seen a post or heard a comment about Josh Norman being a one-year wonder. That's very far from the truth. Sure! Last year was his first year, as an elite player, who happened to be playing for a much-publicized and well-known, 15-2 Panthers team. What many do not realize is that he rebounded in 2014 from a 2013 season, where he lost his job to Captain Munnerlyn and a 2012 rookie season in which he was benched in the middle of the game vs. the Falcons, later in the season, which I saw, btw. Let's look at 2014, when he had a pretty good year, but all of this was unnoticed because he played for a bad, division-winning 7-8-1 Panthers team. Nobody was studying the Panthers, so why study Josh Norman? I was hearing his name, every now and again because I live in the NFC South region, but still. That whole division was horrible.
In 2014, when he regained his position as a full-time starter in Week 8, he held many of the #1 WRs in check, during that span, including Julio Jones. In two match-ups, against Jones, Norman gave up 10 catches for 117 yards. I saw both games. Overall, he ranked in elite status, while being targeted by teams #1 WRs that year. In fact, he gave up only 13 catches, while being targeted. Overall, in 2013, he allowed 27 catches for 291 yards and was targeted 58 times, along with a 46.6% catch rating, which was 2nd in the NFL.
Of course, there is his elite 2015 campaign. Outside of Redskins games, of course, I saw many Panthers games. The only WR he got owned by was the infamous, Julio Jones, leading to their first loss of the season in Atlanta. He gave up seven catches for 91 yards. One was a drop that could've been for a long TD. In their first match-up in Carolina, Jones only caught four passes for 33 yards, against Norman. So, in their last four match-ups, that's 17 catches for 233 yards, 12.3 ypc. for 0 TDs. Not bad, against a WR, who many consider to be the best in the NFL. In fact, last year, he held Dez Bryant, DeAndre Hopkins, TY Hilton in check.
Some diss him because he's a zone corner. Well, no matter what, CBs are mostly on an island. Safeties and LBs are not always there to help them, as I saw with him. There have been many plays, where he made things happen on his own with his instincts via sniffing out screens and stopping WRs for losses. Not to mention, he's very good with his eyes, which can sometimes get him in trouble, but good CBs, sometimes take chances. It's a chess match. Some say, he was successful because of the Panther's pass-rush. That may be true. However, I believe good CBs can help pass-rushers. Just imagine how many additional coverage sacks Ryan Kerrigan, Junior Galette and Preston Smith might get because of Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland's coverage. Something to think about.
I'm not politicking for Josh Norman because he is now a Redskin. I can only go by what I have seen. The bottom line is, Josh Norman has become a Pro-Bowl CB, who seems to have gotten better, since reclaimed his position, as a starter in 2014. He's has good size, awareness, decent speed, is a sound tackler, forces fumbles, has great leaping ability, great hands and he can be intimidating with his subtle trash-talk. I like his game, just as much as the other elite CBs in this league. The only thing I do not like is his age, as he'll be 29 in December, but this will only be his 5th year. I can't judge the money because I haven't seen the breakdown of the numbers. Let's just be optimistic that we have a Pro-Bowl CB, who will pair with a potentially soon-to-be Pro Bowl CB in Bashaud Breeland, which will make our team better. We'll need all of the help we can get because we got (in schedule order) Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham, Steve Smith, Golden Tate, A.J. Green, Jordy Nelson, Dez Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, Kelvin Benjamin, Alshon Jeffery and ends with Odell Beckham.
In 2014, when he regained his position as a full-time starter in Week 8, he held many of the #1 WRs in check, during that span, including Julio Jones. In two match-ups, against Jones, Norman gave up 10 catches for 117 yards. I saw both games. Overall, he ranked in elite status, while being targeted by teams #1 WRs that year. In fact, he gave up only 13 catches, while being targeted. Overall, in 2013, he allowed 27 catches for 291 yards and was targeted 58 times, along with a 46.6% catch rating, which was 2nd in the NFL.
Of course, there is his elite 2015 campaign. Outside of Redskins games, of course, I saw many Panthers games. The only WR he got owned by was the infamous, Julio Jones, leading to their first loss of the season in Atlanta. He gave up seven catches for 91 yards. One was a drop that could've been for a long TD. In their first match-up in Carolina, Jones only caught four passes for 33 yards, against Norman. So, in their last four match-ups, that's 17 catches for 233 yards, 12.3 ypc. for 0 TDs. Not bad, against a WR, who many consider to be the best in the NFL. In fact, last year, he held Dez Bryant, DeAndre Hopkins, TY Hilton in check.
Some diss him because he's a zone corner. Well, no matter what, CBs are mostly on an island. Safeties and LBs are not always there to help them, as I saw with him. There have been many plays, where he made things happen on his own with his instincts via sniffing out screens and stopping WRs for losses. Not to mention, he's very good with his eyes, which can sometimes get him in trouble, but good CBs, sometimes take chances. It's a chess match. Some say, he was successful because of the Panther's pass-rush. That may be true. However, I believe good CBs can help pass-rushers. Just imagine how many additional coverage sacks Ryan Kerrigan, Junior Galette and Preston Smith might get because of Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland's coverage. Something to think about.
I'm not politicking for Josh Norman because he is now a Redskin. I can only go by what I have seen. The bottom line is, Josh Norman has become a Pro-Bowl CB, who seems to have gotten better, since reclaimed his position, as a starter in 2014. He's has good size, awareness, decent speed, is a sound tackler, forces fumbles, has great leaping ability, great hands and he can be intimidating with his subtle trash-talk. I like his game, just as much as the other elite CBs in this league. The only thing I do not like is his age, as he'll be 29 in December, but this will only be his 5th year. I can't judge the money because I haven't seen the breakdown of the numbers. Let's just be optimistic that we have a Pro-Bowl CB, who will pair with a potentially soon-to-be Pro Bowl CB in Bashaud Breeland, which will make our team better. We'll need all of the help we can get because we got (in schedule order) Antonio Brown, Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham, Steve Smith, Golden Tate, A.J. Green, Jordy Nelson, Dez Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, Kelvin Benjamin, Alshon Jeffery and ends with Odell Beckham.
