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How Dez Bryant won his one-on-one matchup with Josh Norman
https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-how-dez-bryant-won-his-one-on-one-matchup-with-josh-norman/
Washington Commanders cornerback Josh Norman versus Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was one of the marquee matchup of Thanksgiving, and there were certainly plenty of fireworks between the two during and after Dallas’ narrow win, including a post-game scuffle and a continuation of the barbs in front of the media.
But how did that matchup play out on the field?
Bryant caught five passes for 72 yards on seven targets, with only three of them and 32 of those yards coming against Norman. Remember, tracking a receiver doesn’t mean you will stay with him throughout the entirety of his route, only that you will be the guy facing him by alignment each play. If you run zone coverage on the play you may well quickly pass him off to another coverage defender, even if you followed him across the field to line up in front of him.
It was against Bryant that the Commanders first started using Norman to track No. 1 receivers this season, after being torn open in the first game against Pittsburgh by Antonio Brown. The Steelers knew they could just line up Brown on the opposite side of the field and go after Washington CB Bashaud Breeland, leaving Norman effectively a spectator on the other side of the field.
Washington put Norman on Bryant one-on-one in the fourth quarter of the first game this season, and from that point on they have been using him to track top receivers. In the first game, Norman was targeted twice when he was covering Bryant, and he broke up both of those passes.
Just working from the stats in Thursday’s game, it looks like Norman got the better of the encounter, but this is why grading is so important – stats can lie...
https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-how-dez-bryant-won-his-one-on-one-matchup-with-josh-norman/
Washington Commanders cornerback Josh Norman versus Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant was one of the marquee matchup of Thanksgiving, and there were certainly plenty of fireworks between the two during and after Dallas’ narrow win, including a post-game scuffle and a continuation of the barbs in front of the media.
But how did that matchup play out on the field?
Bryant caught five passes for 72 yards on seven targets, with only three of them and 32 of those yards coming against Norman. Remember, tracking a receiver doesn’t mean you will stay with him throughout the entirety of his route, only that you will be the guy facing him by alignment each play. If you run zone coverage on the play you may well quickly pass him off to another coverage defender, even if you followed him across the field to line up in front of him.
It was against Bryant that the Commanders first started using Norman to track No. 1 receivers this season, after being torn open in the first game against Pittsburgh by Antonio Brown. The Steelers knew they could just line up Brown on the opposite side of the field and go after Washington CB Bashaud Breeland, leaving Norman effectively a spectator on the other side of the field.
Washington put Norman on Bryant one-on-one in the fourth quarter of the first game this season, and from that point on they have been using him to track top receivers. In the first game, Norman was targeted twice when he was covering Bryant, and he broke up both of those passes.
Just working from the stats in Thursday’s game, it looks like Norman got the better of the encounter, but this is why grading is so important – stats can lie...
