The two combined for five unnecessary roughness penalties, two of them on Norman, who said the two haven’t spoken since.
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On the season, Beckham has 12 catches on 19 targets for 159 yards and no touchdowns.
The 23-year-old 2014 first-round pick says the most important thing is helping the Giants (2-0) win, a result which would leave the Redskins three games behind NY. You know what I mean?
“I just feel like things would have shaken out a little differently had I been there”, Cruz told Newsday on Thursday.
For their parts, both Beckham and Norman played nicely when addressing the media on Wednesday. However, the Giants also have weapons in wide receivers Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard, so Norman could spend some time covering them depending on the flow of the game. The offense turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions last week, but the defense was able to pick up the slack, holding the Saints to 26 net yards and zero points on their ensuing drives. Norman has said he’s just doing what the coaches tell him to, but for some, that’s not a good enough excuse to have the most valuable player on your roster cover lesser receivers. Playing more man-to-man defense, which the Giants are doing this year due to their strong corners, makes getting interceptions a bit tougher, but stripping the ball or harassing the quarterback can mitigate that factor.
“We look at it, ‘Hey, it’s the next game, ‘” Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. Beckham reeled in eight catches for 86 yards versus the Saints, but has failed to reach the end zone this season despite being targeted a team-high 19 times.
Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins is now third in the National Football League with 693 passing yards, even though he’s thrown three interceptions to just one touchdown. He had a big third-down catch near midfield to keep the final drive alive. “There’s nothing I can explain or talk more about on that except say ‘see you on that date man'”. “We throw the records out the door every single time we get on the field Sundays, especially when you’re in the division”.
“That is the way it has been playing out”.
“Since then, I really have learned a lot”, said Beckham, who was forced to sit out a game against Minnesota.
Cruz, whose clutch 34-yard catch gave NY a first-and-goal on the final drive, knew about Shepard before the Giants took him in the draft.
The bigger story line will be Beckham’s first meeting since last season with Norman, who signed with Washington as a free agent.
“I think from a mental standpoint he”s in a completely different place than he was a year ago,” Cruz said. Most of DeSean Jackson’s damage has come on intermediate routes that he has broken for big plays – three of them going for more than 25 yards.
After two opening defeats, including a shattering loss to the Dallas Cowboys last weekend, Washington can ill afford to fall to 0-3 against a NY side who are 2-0. “I’ve been through the same type of corners in college”.
It’s really the scenario that the Giants have been dreaming about since the day they drafted Beckham. He is being listed as week to week.
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It’s worth monitoring running back Rashad Jennings’ hand injury, per SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano.
