Dez Bryant, Josh Norman more friends than enemies
7:10 PM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas -- On Wednesday, Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman had nothing but praise for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.
On Thursday, Bryant returned the favor in kind.
For those looking for juicy quotes and back-page headlines, neither player was having it as the teams get ready to meet Sunday at FedEx Field. You will likely have to wait for next week when Norman goes up against Odell Beckham Jr. and the New York Giants after their messy on-field transgressions led the NFL to change their rules regarding unnecessary roughness penalties.
Bryant went so far as to say he and Norman are “frenemies.”
“You could say that,” Bryant said. “Pretty cool. We play for division teams. So of course he’s going to hold it down for his squad. I’m going to hold it down for mine. At the end of the game, we’re going to shake hands and talk about how we did in the game and go the other way.”
It wasn’t like this last Thanksgiving when Norman was with the Carolina Panthers. They jawed back and forth on the field. Norman’s Panthers won the game and Bryant caught only one pass on him for 6 yards. He finished the game with two for 26 yards.
That Bryant was working back from a broken right foot that knocked him out of five games and nine games total, plus a knee injury. This Bryant is healthy.
“It makes a huge difference,” Bryant said, but quickly changing paths. “I’m not going to get into that. I feel good.”
While healthy, this Bryant had just one catch for 8 yards in the season-opening loss to the Giants. He had a touchdown overruled by replay and was targeted only five times. It was hardly what was expected even if the Cowboys were starting a rookie quarterback in Dak Prescott.
In two preseason games with Prescott, Bryant caught two touchdown passes and they looked to have a chemistry from the start.
As much as Bryant avoided any sort of gamesmanship with Norman, he avoided any sort of questioning of the game plan.
Prescott said all the right things too, knowing a happy Bryant makes his chances of succeeding even better.
"That's our guy,'' Prescott said.
In Pittsburgh Antonio Brown is the Steelers’ guy. He had 11 passes thrown his way on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. He caught eight of them for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Bryant watched the game. When he was asked Tuesday about Brown’s performance, he simply smiled.
On Thursday Bryant said, “Well, it’s always fun to see another guy at that position have a hell of a game. Kudos to AB. He’s one of the best in this league. I’m with the Cowboys and we have to stick to what our game plan is. Whatever that is, we’re going to try our best to execute it.”
For his career, Bryant has had more success against the Cowboys’ other NFC East rivals, the Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. In 10 games against Washington, Bryant has 46 catches for 703 yards and seven touchdowns. He has fewer 100-yard games against the Redskins (one) than the Giants (three) and Eagles (three). He also has only six catches for 25 or more yards. He has eight apiece against New York and Philadelphia.
Be it DeAngelo Hall or Bashaud Breeland, Bryant has not had room to roam. Now he gets Norman.
Norman did not follow Brown all over the field, which considering the price Washington paid him -- five years, $75 million, $50 million guaranteed -- was surprising. Jason Garrett wasn’t sure if Norman would follow Bryant Sunday, but Bryant expects it.
“Yeah, just because he was talking about going against the No. 1 receiver, following the No. 1 receiver,” Bryant said. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to get that opportunity Sunday.”
Bryant wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I want the challenge just like he wants the challenge,” Bryant said. “It’s going to be fun game Sunday. Mutual respect from each other. We’re just going to go out there and put on a good game. It’s not about me or him. It’s about each other’s team.”