Sonstiges » om him, Hodgson said.He carried the ball strong annd

The Washington Redskins paid $75 million in April to sign cornerback Josh Norman, who said he chose Washington because they are a team on the rise. Seems like a logical explanation. But if you could get Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants to theorize about Normans motivation, he might cite two other reasons: Normans disdain for Beckham himself and the attention sparked by their burgeoning rivalry. That rivalry will be rekindled when they line up against each other Sunday at MetLife Stadium, following a heated matchup last season and an offseason of back-and-forth sniping.The numbers say they are both elite. Beckhams 25 receiving touchdowns since the start of 2014 are tied for the most in football, and Norman allowed an NFL-low 54.0 passer rating in his coverage area last season per Pro Football Focus. But their on-field accomplishments are partially overshadowed by their very public feud. A look at how we got here and what to expect:The Previous MatchupWhen Beckham and the Giants faced Norman and his former team, the Carolina Panthers, last Dec. 20, the game was a 38-35 thriller won by Carolina. Although Norman didnt cover Beckham exclusively, he was part of a defensive effort that shut out the Giants All-Pro in the first half (0 catches on two targets). Beckham exploded in the second half, catching six passes for 76 yards, including a 14-yard score in the final two minutes. Norman finished with three tackles and a forced fumble. Its hard to say that either player got the best of the matchup overall -- it was a tale of two vastly different halves for Beckham, as his numbers show:The normally dependable Beckham also had a big problem with dropped passes in the December game. He dropped two targets in the first half, equaling his drop total for the rest of the season. Hard to pinpoint the reason why, but its something to watch for Sunday. A look at the disparity:They tangled repeatedly, with Beckham drawing four penalties (three of which were personal fouls). Officials chose not to eject him, but the league later levied a one-game suspension. The NFL also hit Norman with two separate fines for his role in the incidents.The Twitter FightAs the season finished up for both players, the bad blood persisted and eventually went public with a handful of tweets between them. Beckhams Twitter following: over 1.5 million users. Normans follower count, while not in that range, is still more than 150,000. The social media chapter of the dispute started during the playoffs, when Beckham posted an eyeball emoji just after Norman allowed a touchdown to Jermaine Kearse in a playoff win over Seattle:Things escalated in late March, when Beckham made what appeared to be a subtweet about Norman -- and Norman fired back less than an hour later.The pair of tweets ignited social media for a day or two, with mentions of both players skyrocketing. Beckham averaged one Twitter mention every 6 seconds in the hour right after their exchange. Heres their hourly mentions on Twitter, as provided by social media data company Spredfast:The War of WordsAs the summer began, their feud moved to the next phase: taking direct shots at each other in interviews. Beckham got things started in the August issue of GQ, when he sounded off after being asked about Norman. The sentiment, that Norman owes Beckham for his current fame, echoed what Beckham wrote in his tweet from March:Norman, never one to shy away from a verbal challenge, responded to the comment in various interviews (including the NFL Preview issue of ESPN The Magazine). A few of his choice words for Beckham:Quote sources from top: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5Tale of the TapeHow do they match up? By looking at their measurables from the NFL Combine, its clear that Beckham is a tough draw for any defensive back. His hands and wingspan are impressive for a player his size, along with his leaping ability. No wonder hes known for circus catches. But Norman counters with big-time height and wingspan, and his speed is nothing to sneeze at.Who Has the Edge?Time to turn to the experts for insight on how things will unfold in Round 2. We asked a pair of ESPN.com NFL reporters, who follow these two stars on a regular basis, about which player will have the best performance Sunday. Heres what they said.Jordan Raanan | Giants reporterThe Giants should, at times, try to keep Beckham away from Norman by putting him in the slot. He played there 21 percent of the snaps last season and its for this reason the Giants cross-train their receivers. Theyre trying to create the most favorable matchups possible, and in this case, that means Beckham vs. someone other than Norman. But when they do match up as Norman follows him around the field, expect Beckham to produce. Norman was unable to run with Beckham during last seasons matchup. If not for several uncharacteristic drops, Beckham would have easily topped 100 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns directly against Norman. And this isnt just any other game. Its one Beckham has extra motivation to shine, especially after last years matchup and last weeks key dropped pass in the fourth quarter, which left him with a bitter taste in his mouth despite the teams victory.John Keim | Redskins reporterIt sounds as if Norman will shadow Beckham, but whats often said early in the week doesnt quite play out that way on Sundays. So well see. Carolina moved Norman around in last years matchup, but he mostly played zone. Still, it prevented New York from knowing they could easily avoid Normans side. Norman is off to an excellent start through two games, and when paired vs. Beckham in zone, I think hell do well. Norman plays physical, a good strategy vs. Beckham. Really, the key for Norman will be how his help fares -- the Redskins have struggled with safety help and drop by others in coverage, leading to big gaps. Normans ability to play tight and anticipate throws has led to multiple breakups. If its man coverage, Norman will have to rely on help downfield, but hes good at taking away routes. Beckham, though, beat him for one touchdown with a double move last season -- and dropped a deep ball that would have been a TD earlier in the game.Von Miller Womens Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Tom Jackson Youth Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.broncosrookiestore.com/Broncos-Drew-Lock-Jersey/ . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Von Miller Broncos Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. John Elway Broncos Jersey . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night.Canberra and England hooker Josh Hodgson has jumped to the defence of Sam Burgess following his all-action but ultimately unsuccessful return to international rugby league against New Zealand.Burgess, in his first game as skipper of his country, was outstanding in the first half but less of a factor in the second as the impressive Martin Taupau and Jason Taumalolo stepped up for the Kiwis in their 17-16 win.The South Sydney talisman was criticised by sections of the English media for his attempt at an audacious pass between his legs that flew over Ryan Halls head late in the Four Nations game as England desperately tried to find a way to win.He also gave away a crucial penalty that allowed the Kiwis early in the tackle count to clear the downfield as the home side pressed for victory.But Hodgson said criticism of Burgess was unfair and undeserved.I thought it was a real captains performance from him, Hodgson said.He carried the ball strong annd he tackled hard and did a great job.dddddddddddd. We were all doing everything we could to win the game, none more so than Sam.I dont think any player should be singled out for us losing; we all have to take some of the blame.Were disappointed in ourselves. You can take losing when you do everything you can and its not enough but we werent at our best and that was disappointing.England must now beat Scotland at Coventry on Saturday and then overcome Australia in London to have any hope of reaching the final at Anfield on November 20.But Hodgson insists England still believe they can win the tournament.We know what weve got to do, well go back and improve on a few things, he said.Well have to play well to beat Scotland and then well regroup and get ready for Australia. No-one in our team is thinking all is lost. ' ' '