NFL fans, rejoice! Football is almost upon us! What better way to celebrate than watching one of the NFL’s premier individual match-ups in our nation’s capital?
Antonio Brown vs. Josh Norman Is The Best Individual Matchup of 2016
Antonio Brown and Josh Norman have built their fame and reputation on performing under the brightest of lights. Surely, a prime-time Monday Night Football game on Week one qualifies as “bright lights”.
Washington cornerback Josh Norman signed a five-year, $75 million ($50 million guaranteed) contract to pull assignments like this. He did it in Carolina, and he’ll do it again in D.C. when he faces Odell Beckham Jr. and Dez Bryant twice a year.
Norman will be tested week 1 of the 2016 season when Antonio Brown and the Pittsburgh Steelers roll into FedEx Field to square off against the Washington Redskins.
The Case For Antonio Brown
Many expert football analysts, statistics, and fans alike would agree with me that Antonio Brown is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Julio Jones and Odell Beckham, Jr. are spectacular in their own right, but no one is better than Brown.
Brown posted a ridiculous 136 catch, 1,834 yards (13.5 per catch avg.) 10 TD season last year, and that was without elite quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for four games. He was targeted 10+ times in 12 of 16 games last season (highlighted by a career-high 23 targets and 284 yards vs. Oakland).
The Steelers clearly don’t mind throwing Brown’s way and they will continue to do so while play-makers Le’Veon Bell (three games) and Martavis Bryant (2016 season) sit out with their suspensions.
Antonio Brown is also playing for a sparkling new contract over the next two years. In 2012, he signed what would be a team-friendly five-year, $41.9 million contract. Best believe Antonio Brown wants to cash-in on his impressive past seasons, and who can blame him?
Over the past three seasons, Antonio Brown has compiled 375 receptions, 5,031 yards and 31 TD’s.
Brown will want to impress a national audience on Monday Night Football and going against an elite (possibly the best) cornerback in Josh Norman will be the perfect stage to do so. Expect a motivated Brown to show in D.C. Week one for the black and gold.
The Case for Josh Norman
Big money contracts = big time expectations.
No one will know that more than Josh Norman. After signing a five-year $75 million ($50 million guaranteed), no one has higher expectations for themselves more than Norman.
And rightly so. In 2015 with the Carolina Panthers, Norman squared off against the likes of DeAndre Hopkins, T.Y. Hilton, Dez Bryant, Mike Evans (twice) and Julio Jones (twice). In those seven games, Norman yielded an average of 4 receptions, 70 yards and .14 TD a game.
Pretty impressive considering those five receivers accumulated a total of 421 receptions, 6,123 yards and 30 TD’s in 2015 (and that’s with Dez Bryant not playing an entire season).
Josh Norman will have plenty of opportunities to prove himself worthy of the richest CB contract in NFL history in 2016. Norman will match up with Odell Beckham, Jr. twice, Dez Bryant twice, A.J. Green and Antonio Brown.
And with Josh Norman taking 94% of his snaps at left and right corner, he will be matched up against each team’s best receiver.
Prediction
A lot of folks may disagree think the Odell Beckham, Jr. and Josh Norman matchup will be better due to the slug-fest which was last years game. Don’t get me wrong, both of those games and individual matchups will be spectacular to watch. However, the best individual matchup will occur with Antonio Brown and Josh Norman.
It will be spectacular route running, footwork and quickness from Brown, and excellent physicality, versatility, and ball-hawking from Josh Norman. Both players are the best at their respected positions, and won’t be looking to take each other heads off in the process, unlike lasts year matchup of Beckham and Norman.
All told, NFL fans are in for an absolute treat when the Steelers take on the Redskins in Washington on Monday Night Football, Week 1.
Antonio Brown – 8 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD
Josh Norman – 2 passes defended, 4 tackles, 1 INT
Steelers 28, Washington 24
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