Odell Beckham Jr. Gets the Better of Josh Norman in Biggest Matchup of Season

It was billed as the best matchup of the season—and it definitely delivered.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. got the better of Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman when the two teams faced off Sunday. 

Beckham opened the game with a drop after he beat Norman for what would have been a long touchdown. He followed that up with another drop, but he finished the game with six receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown.

His production won't be the biggest talking point though.

Not only did the Giants fail to beat the Panthers and knock them off course for their perfect season, Beckham overshadowed his own play by drawing personal foul penalties and acting maniacally on occasion. In truth, Beckham was extremely fortunate not to be ejected from the game.

Beckham repeatedly went after Norman off the ball. The cornerback responded in kind, but Beckham took it to another level when he launched his body from Norman's blindside and targeted the cornerback's head with his own helmet. It was Beckham's third personal foul of the game, and he should have been ejected, according to Keven Seifert of ESPN.com's NFL Nation.

He wasn't, and the Panthers let the media know after the game that they didn't appreciate his actions.

The Giants can't let Beckham continue to be so reckless on the field. He will be fortunate to escape a suspension for his actions in this game, but it's not the first time he has had these issues. He is a feisty player who has responded to aggression with aggression regularly over the course of his short career.

Any great receiver has to have that fire inside him. Beckham fights defensive backs on every single play, but he needs to make sure he's doing so legally.

If he can't, it won't matter how talented he is.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin, known as a disciplinarian, likely would have sat Beckham in this game after his early errors. But he also understands how much he needs his superstar players. Beckham is hugely valuable to the Giants because he has the ability to beat the best cornerbacks in the league.

And Norman is arguably the best cornerback in the NFL.

He followed Beckham for most of this game—except when the wide receiver moved into the slot. But Beckham spent only 18 snaps in the slot against 58 on the outside. Norman lined up across from Beckham on 56 of those 58 plays, according to Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke.

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And one of those plays turned out to be the biggest of the day.

With less than two minutes remaining in the game and the Giants down a touchdown and facing a 4th-and-5, Beckham lined up wide to the left across from Norman. With three receiving options to that side, the deep safety was forced to stay infield after the ball was snapped.

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Beckham used a stutter step as he released from the line of scrimmage, but Norman was passive with his coverage. He didn't look to aggressively press the receiver at the line but instead chose to stay in close proximity but drop backward with him as he advanced downfield.

The receiver angled his release to the outside so he could sell an in-breaking route.

In the very top of the above image, Beckham is making a hard plant with his right foot. He uses this to shift Norman's momentum. Norman, who is smart and light on his feet, doesn't bite hard on the fake. Instead, he stays in position to play Beckham's route as he turns upfield.

Beckham tries to run a double move, but the defensive back, understanding the down-and-distance, stays in good position. Even though his route doesn't work perfectly, Beckham uses his right arm to separate from Norman and is fortunate not to be called for a push off.

That's probably because Beckham didn't push through the defensive back as much as he just extended his arm to engage him. This made the movement appear more subtle than it actually was.

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That little bump on Norman was enough to open the gate for Beckham. The receiver advanced downfield and into the end zone where quarterback Eli Manning found him with a slightly underthrown pass. Beckham was actually Manning's last read on the play, but he was quick to cycle through his progression to go from right to left.

While Norman could argue that the push off was the difference in the play, Manning's pass gave him a chance to recover.

But he couldn't, and the game was tied at 35 before Cam Newton led Carolina's offense down the field to kick the game-winning field goal and win 38-35.

Yes, the game-tying touchdown was Beckham's biggest play of the game—but not his longest. That came earlier in the drive, and it went for 40 yards on a 3rd-and-3—and it wasn't against Norman. 

Statistically, Norman gave up five receptions for 36 yards and the touchdown to Beckham, a touchdown that may be seen as controversial given that the cornerback believes Beckham pushed off.

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Beckham's day was not perfect though. He did have two drops on the day. The first one saw Beckham work against Norman in zone coverage. The cornerback dropped off Beckham at the snap, and the receiver advanced past his inside shoulder. At the perfect time, he stabbed the ground with his right foot to sell the out route before accelerating further down the seam.

Norman bought the fake. He completely lost Beckham and allowed the receiver to escape unopposed toward the end zone. Manning found him with a perfect pass, but Beckham took his eyes off the ball.

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Beckham's second drop came on a route that he beats most cornerbacks with. He is exceptionally quick, exceptionally decisive with his feet, and he is a deep threat who can win at the catch point. As a result, defenders are always wary of him working down the sideline.

He takes advantage of this by running outstanding comeback routes.

On this dropped-ball play, he was able to get away from Norman by initially breaking his route infield before stuttering it at the top of his stem. He shifts his feet in both directions to get Norman turned the wrong way as he works back toward the sideline. Manning's pass is low but one that Beckham should have caught.

Both drops would have been significant gains. And even though he did beat Norman on both plays, they cost Beckham at least 50 yards on the stat sheet. Those numbers won't be attached to Norman, but Beckham did get the better of the matchup in coverage on both of those plays.

Norman had no control in those instances. He didn't disrupt Beckham's route or impact him at the catch point, and he obviously didn't touch the football. It was sheer luck that an open receiver of Beckham's caliber struggled in those situations.

But in the end, Beckham winning this matchup is just that.

This game isn't an indictment of Norman nor should it be used to prop up Beckham. Both players should be judged on their careers as a whole, and it's clear they are among the very best at their positions.

These two players are still young, and they should look forward to many more matchups over the coming years—presumably ones that are less feisty and more about the quality of play on the field.