For Josh Norman and Dez Bryant, the Washington-Cowboys game never seems to end

Published 7:16 am Friday, November 25, 2016

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2. Washington’s Josh Norman looks forward to Thanksgiving Day ‘big show’ game versus Dallas Cowboys
3. Washington coach Jay Gruden thinks turnaround for Dallas Cowboys game Thursday unfair
4. Dallas Cowboys, best in NFL, keep winning with healthy Tony Romo as backup to Dak Prescott
5. Dez Bryant: Dallas Cowboys plan ‘way bigger than being 11-1’

ARLINGTON, Texas – If there was any mutual respect between Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, it’s safe to say that went out the window on Thursday.

For the second straight Thanksgiving, these two highly competitive players jawed back and forth throughout the game. This time, in the Redskins’ 31-26 loss to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, the emotions spilled over after the game.

As players from both sides shook hands after the game, Norman and Bryant had to be separated after a shoving match broke out. Norman claimed he was going to shake Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott’s hand and apologize to cornerback Orlando Scandrick for an incident that occurred in the game when he said Bryant approached him.

Said Norman, “This guy [Bryant] bumps into me like, ‘What’s up? Where I’m from, we unload the clip,’ ” which could be taken as a phrase to begin physical confrontation and not in the literal sense of opening fire. “Pretty much, whatever you want to do, I’m not that guy that if I see a challenge in front of my face, I’m not going to back down. That’s not me. That’s not what you’re going to get.

“So I’m sorry if I offended anybody. Actually, I’m not sorry I offended nobody. . . . That’s who I am. That’s to the end. I’m unloading the clip all the way out to the end of the game.”

When asked twice after the interview whether Bryant said “unload the clip,” Norman said, “Yeah.” Bryant denied the claim on Twitter afterwards.

Bryant finished with three catches for 32 yards and no touchdowns with Norman in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, and went after Norman after the game on social media and in the locker room.

“I won’t say emotional on my end, I’m going to say emotional on his end,” Bryant told NFL Network. “Because I was perfectly fine. I was just wearing his [butt] out the whole night. That’s what I was doing, and I enjoyed it. Washington needs to get their money back.”

Norman, who signed a five-year deal worth $75 million in the offseason with Washington, did not trail Bryant exclusively in the game, but the two were in each other’s faces after Bryant caught a 13-yard reception against Norman on a slant route. Norman held on to Bryant’s leg after the play ended, and Bryant hopped up to confront Norman. The Cowboys scored on the ensuing play on Prescott’s six-yard touchdown run.

“I didn’t make it personal,” Bryant told reporters in the locker room. “He made it personal. I was just gonna come out and do my job. That’s exactly what I did. He wanted to bump and got me bumping a little bit and that just made me attack him even more.”

It’s the third time Norman and Bryant have faced off in the past two seasons. They didn’t have any issues during their Week 2 matchup, but Norman and Bryant were very aggressive last year when Norman faced him on Thanksgiving as a member of the Carolina Panthers.

“It don’t matter what, just don’t step to someone and the game over like that when they not even looking for you or even having a conversation with you,” Norman said. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to take solace and understanding in that. And they won the game, so you’ve gotta tip your hat to ’em, but I don’t do trash. And that was trashy on his behalf. Whatever you want to do, do it in the game, but don’t come for me afterwards. Don’t do that. That’s overboard. That’s overkill, especially when you not even like that. But whatever.”

Bryant finished the game with five catches, on seven targets, for 72 yards, but it was the first time in the past three games he didn’t record a touchdown.

“Exactly, but I’m trash and he beat me all day,” said Norman when told of Bryant’s touchdown stat. “I just don’t get it. I don’t understand, but like I said, if that boosts his ego or fuel him to feed whatever he got in his head then so be it.

“But I played the guy three times already, and my numbers speak for themselves. He can go and cry, holler or whatever you wanna do. At the end of the day, like I said, zero touchdowns. But you’ve got to tip your hat off to them. The Dallas Cowboys won that football game and that’s what it was about. It’s not about no individuals out here yelling. We’re competing, and I’m competing all the way till the end. If you don’t like it, that’s what you’re going to get.”

Author Information:

Master Tesfatsion covers the Washington Redskins for The Washington Post. He previously covered the Minnesota Vikings for the Star Tribune for two seasons before joining The Post in 2015. When he’s not writing or tweeting about the Redskins, he loves to discuss music, fashion and his alma mater – Arizona State.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Master Tesfatsion