Giants vs. Redskins: Josh Norman expected to shadow Odell Beckham

Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman will apparently follow New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham exclusively on Sunday, unless the Giants line Beckham up in the slot.

Will the matchup make for fireworks like the extra-curricular activities that resulted in Beckham getting a one-game suspension last season? Will Beckham follow the plea of Eli Manning and “just play football?”

Without going back and re-watching every snap, there are no numbers available on how many times Beckham has lined up in the slot this season. The great majority of the time, though, the Giants have been in “11” personnel with one back and three wide receivers. In that alignment, Beckham and Victor Cruz have been on the outside most of the time with Sterling Shepard in the slot.

Norman, while with the Panthers, historically stayed on the left side and did not follow the opposition’s No. 1 receiver. In Week 1 of this season he did not follow Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Week 2, he did not exclusively shadow Dez Bryant until late in the game.

Thus, it would be a departure from the norm for Norman to travel side to side with Beckham. Conversely, will the Giants slide Beckham into the slot more frequently to get him away from the player some consider the league’s best corner?

All of that will be part of a fascinating chess match.