After pretty much following Odell Beckham Jr. around the field last Sunday, Washington Redskins corner Josh Norman will not being doing the same thing this week.
“We’re still working on our game plan now and (Pryor’s) all over the place. He’s been a dynamic player in the NFL,” Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said Thursday, via CSN Mid-Atlantic. “Team defense is gonna have to take him away, somebody different every time possibly.”
It’s a somewhat surprising move for Washington, especially considering the only receiving threat the Cleveland Browns possess is Terrelle Pryor.
It also comes after Norman was burnt multiple times by OBJ, who went for over 100 yards in the eventual New York Giants’ loss.
For his part, Pryor had a coming-out party of sorts against the Miami Dolphins last week. He recorded eight receptions for 144 yards while accounting for a total of 200 yards of offense.
One would think the Redskins might want to shut down the only real receiving threat Cleveland boasts on offense. Apparently, that’s not in the cards here.
Instead, the Browns and first-year head coach Hue Jackson can get creative in moving Pryor around to take advantage of what has been a weak Redskins defense. That will make Sunday’s game much more interesting.
If this is successful, it will also lead to renewed questions about what Washington is doing schematically with its high-priced free-agent signing.