Given the history between Redskins cornerback Josh Norman and Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., it wasn’t surprising that officials took each aside to discuss expectations before kickoff of Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium.
The last time the players faced off, in Week 15 last season when Norman was a Carolina Panther, it devolved into a shoving match in which Beckham drew three personal-foul penalties.
After the Redskins eked out the 29-27 upset, each player described the warning he’d gotten.
Said Beckham: “Today they came up before the game and said ‘If you do anything, we’re throwing you out of the game.’ That was before the game. There was no, ‘You get a warning.’ There was not any of that. You just have to be on your best behavior.”
Norman described being pulled aside by an official and told, “We’re not gonna make a mockery of the game,” and being taken aback by the choice of words.
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“I don’t know if that was from up top or if that’s him directly saying that to me, but I’m kind of like, ‘Wow, guy! Like jeez! What am I doing? I’m just playing a sport that God blessed us with and being physical as I can be within the rules and confines of what they asked us to do.
“Why’d it have to be all that, though? I kind of feel bad; that was a big word.
“But at the same time, I appreciate the officials. They did a really good job controlling the game. It didn’t get out of and. Big ups to them, or whatever.”
Not a punch was thrown between Norman and Beckham, who finished with 121 receiving yards but was held without a touchdown.
The Giants were called for 11 penalties, which cost them 128 yards. The Redskins were penalized eight times for 70 yards.
And one player was ejected, Giants center Weston Richburg, after twice being called for a personal foul.
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