Josh Norman: "Cowboys need to get Dez's 70 million back."

[Midswat]

Josh Norman circled Thanksgiving on his calendar, eager to face Dez Bryant. The Carolina Panthers' cornerback then went out and led the shutdown of the Dallas Cowboys' star receiver.

The two went at it from the first pass of the game, when Norman swatted away a Tony Romo toss. The back-and-forth jawing began immediately and spilled over into the subsequent plays.

Led by Norman, the Panthers clamped down on Bryant, relegating the receiver to just two receptions and 26 yards on eight targets.

"Hey, they need to get Dez's 70 mil back," Norman quipped to reporters as he walked into the locker room, via the Dallas Morning News.

Bryant signed a five-year, $70 million deal in the offseason.

Norman was heated before, during and after the game. Following the Panthers' 33-14 stuffing of the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the corner called out Panthers' haters and those who had the undefeated team entering as an underdog on the road.

Norman then went after Bryant, saying the receiver called him out to other Panthers defensive backs during pregame warmups.

"They came back, told me, I put my thinking cap on and I went to work," Norman said. "I went to a dark place. I went to the bat cave. I went Dark Knight on him. The thing is, the crazy thing about all that is, he started from the first play and after that, it was nothing. There's no pact between lions and men between the white lines. None. And if my intensity is all out four quarters and the other opponent is not, that's not my fault."

Bryant has now been shut down by two of the top corners in the NFL in Norman and the Seahawks' Richard Sherman. The Cowboys' wideout has fewer than 50 yards receiving in five of six games this season.

Norman was clearly in Bryant's head early. When Panthers safety Kurt Coleman picked off Romo on the first drive of the game, Bryant and Norman stood behind the play yapping when it appeared the Cowboys receiver could have had a chance to stop a touchdown, if he made an effort.

"Me and him were having choice words," Norman said of the play, "then I pointed at Kurt as he scored and I said, 'Look at that, Now take that back to your huddle and come back again.'"

Come back again, Bryant did, but he didn't have much to show for his Thanksgiving. Norman made sure of that.

 

[Midswat]

Norman was clearly in Bryant's head early. When Panthers safety Kurt Coleman picked off Romo on the first drive of the game, Bryant and Norman stood behind the play yapping when it appeared the Cowboys receiver could have had a chance to stop a touchdown, if he made an effort.

Dez is my favorite Cowboy (although Byron Jones is closing in on that title), but that shit pissed me off yesterday. Had he made any effort, the Panthers don't score there because coleman would've run right into where Dez should've been. Instead he just took the rest of the play off to talk shit like a immature kid.

Quarterback problems aside, Dez has regressed with regards to the mental side of his game this year.

 

[Dodger12]

Dez disappears in too many games even before we gave him his money. I'm use to seeing my #1 WR getting 100 yard games. I don't know the numbers but I've seen to many games where Dez is a non-factor and too many games where he misses easy passes. If Romo doesn't come back healthy and that's a big if for a 36 year old QB, this contract may go down as a disaster.

 

[dbair1967]

Quarterback problems aside, Dez has regressed with regards to the mental side of his game this year.

More indictment of how bad the leadership is here.

That said, Dez is clearly nowhere near 100% and probably wont be until next yr.

 

[dbair1967]

Dez disappears in too many games even before we gave him his money. I'm use to seeing my #1 WR getting 100 yard games. I don't know the numbers but I've seen to many games where Dez is a non-factor and too many games where he misses easy passes. If Romo doesn't come back healthy and that's a big if for a 36 year old QB, this contract may go down as a disaster.

As long as he gets back to 100%, Dez will be fine.

 

[Dodger12]

As long as he gets back to 100%, Dez will be fine.

He's a head case who wows us with an occasional special play. We need more consistency from our #1. It seems like every game he's up in someone's grill talking trash and that's OK when you're winning but right now he needs to shut up and make plays.

 

[NoShame]

One bad season for the Cowboys and everyone forgets.

The past 3 years Dez has averaged 90 receptions, 1300 yards, and around 14 TDs.

As for him always running his mouth, I agree sometimes I wish he would just let his play do the talking but like the majority of players in this league, that's not part of his game. He's the type of player, a lot like Irvin, who needs to do that. Gotta take the bad with good.

One other thing to note: Dez was on the injury report before the game again this week for his foot, ankle, and knee. If he's having knee issues, I'd shut him down. No reason risking something serious for bullshit games the rest of the way.

 

[Bonecrusher#31]

Dez has been sorry this year, he got paid and went back to being weak-minded scrub that can be taken out the game by words...

 

[cmd34]

Coaching would help fix that issue.

You think Jon Gruden would sit there and let Dez run sloppy routes all season?

Instead we get clappy who is so terrified of Dez he doesn't say anything when he sees him screaming at the media in the locker room.

 

[Dodger12]

In 2012, Dez had 5 100 yard games. In 2013 and 2014, he had 4 100 yard games. A 100 yard game is the standard for receiving. What is most troubling is that the guy can have as little as 20 plus yards a game and be a complete non factor. And a few of those games he barely broke 100 yards. He disappears and get's caught up in head games. DC's know it and that's why you see everyone jawing at Bryant just to get in his head. He's just not very bright.

 

[Midswat]

Two things:

A lot of Dez's lack of performance is coaching and not being used correctly. The coaches aren't very creative with regards to getting him the ball and taking advantage of matchups.


Lastly... just now dawned on me that its kind of a taboo between players to talk about each others money, isn't it? So isn't Norman out of line here?

 

[Doomsday]

In 2012, Dez had 5 100 yard games. In 2013 and 2014, he had 4 100 yard games. A 100 yard game is the standard for receiving. What is most troubling is that the guy can have as little as 20 plus yards a game and be a complete non factor. And a few of those games he barely broke 100 yards. He disappears and get's caught up in head games. DC's know it and that's why you see everyone jawing at Bryant just to get in his head. He's just not very bright.

DING!

 

[dbair1967]

One bad season for the Cowboys and everyone forgets.

The past 3 years Dez has averaged 90 receptions, 1300 yards, and around 14 TDs.

As for him always running his mouth, I agree sometimes I wish he would just let his play do the talking but like the majority of players in this league, that's not part of his game. He's the type of player, a lot like Irvin, who needs to do that. Gotta take the bad with good.

One other thing to note: Dez was on the injury report before the game again this week for his foot, ankle, and knee. If he's having knee issues, I'd shut him down. No reason risking something serious for bullshit games the rest of the way.

Good post

 

[dbair1967]

In 2012, Dez had 5 100 yard games. In 2013 and 2014, he had 4 100 yard games. A 100 yard game is the standard for receiving. What is most troubling is that the guy can have as little as 20 plus yards a game and be a complete non factor. And a few of those games he barely broke 100 yards. He disappears and get's caught up in head games. DC's know it and that's why you see everyone jawing at Bryant just to get in his head. He's just not very bright.

So basically 1600+ yds is the norm for a # 1 WR?

 

[Dodger12]

So basically 1600+ yds is the norm for a # 1 WR?

Why not respond to the facts I posted and add something other than rah rah shit? Do you not think a 100 yard receiving game should be expected of Dez or a quality #1 WR, especially when he's considered elite?

 

[dbair1967]

Why not respond to the facts I posted and add something other than rah rah shit? Do you not think a 100 yard receiving game should be expected of Dez or a quality #1 WR, especially when he's considered elite?

How was that rah rah shit?

I'll do the research when I get home from the in laws, but I think your logic is flawed here.

 

[boozeman]

Dez disappears in too many games even before we gave him his money. I'm use to seeing my #1 WR getting 100 yard games. I don't know the numbers but I've seen to many games where Dez is a non-factor and too many games where he misses easy passes. If Romo doesn't come back healthy and that's a big if for a 36 year old QB, this contract may go down as a disaster.

He does disappear a lot. My thing is it is hard to pinpoint why.

I think how he is used has a huge part in it.

You can look at other top shelf WRs on his tier and some are schemed the football.

I just think he can get taken out of the games far too easily.

A very good CB, or even a good CB can get into his head and get him all out of it.

That INT return where he was not even pursuing the play and was literally in Norman's face standing there while Coleman was running it in was absolutely idiotic.

I would take another WR or two in this draft. Maybe even Treadwell early.

It is clear to me he can't be the focal WR in an offense.

I think they misjudged his character and saw what they wanted to, rather than what he is. He is not the kind of leader that handles adversity very well at all.

 

[Dodger12]

In 2012, Dez ranked 10th in the NFL in 100 yard receiving games with 5. In 2013 he ranked 19th and in 2014 he ranked 15th. I'm not saying the guy isn't super talented and can't be the best WR in the game. I just think he disappears and checks out mentally far too often for a guy we spent 70 million dollars on.

 

[boozeman]

In 2012, Dez ranked 10th in the NFL in 100 yard receiving games with 5. In 2013 he ranked 19th and in 2014 he ranked 15th. I'm not saying the guy isn't super talented and can't be the best WR in the game. I just think he disappears and checks out mentally far too often for a guy we spent 70 million dollars on.

Again, does he mentally check out because he is frustrated in general or does the system allow him to get frustrated.

When someone can't just beat their man in this offensive design, it is probably easy to get all frustrated.

Used to see the same thing from Terrell Owens.

 

[Dodger12]

He does disappear a lot. My thing is it is hard to pinpoint why.

I think how he is used has a huge part in it.

You can look at other top shelf WRs on his tier and some are schemed the football.

I just think he can get taken out of the games far too easily.

A very good CB, or even a good CB can get into his head and get him all out of it.

That INT return where he was not even pursuing the play and was literally in Norman's face standing there while Coleman was running it in was absolutely idiotic.

I would take another WR or two in this draft. Maybe even Treadwell early.

It is clear to me he can't be the focal WR in an offense.

I think they misjudged his character and saw what they wanted to, rather than what he is. He is not the kind of leader that handles adversity very well at all.

Good points, especially regarding scheming to get him the ball. I also think he drops a lot of balls, many of which are perfectly thrown. He's a mental midget but I keep thinking he'll mature as he gets older but he just seems to get worse now that he has his money.

Players like Dez who had a rough upbringing need strong figures at the HC position, not verbal warriors who spew the same garbage day in and day out. I just cringe when I see him face to face talking trash to a CB when he's having a 30 yard game.