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The Washington Redskins paid $75 million in April to sign cornerback Josh Norman, who said he chose Washington because they are a team on the rise. Seems like a logical explanation. But if you could get Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants to theorize about Normans motivation, he might cite two other reasons: Normans disdain for Beckham himself and the attention sparked by their burgeoning rivalry. That rivalry will be rekindled when they line up against each other Sunday at MetLife Stadium, following a heated matchup last season and an offseason of back-and-forth sniping.The numbers say they are both elite. Beckhams 25 receiving touchdowns since the start of 2014 are tied for the most in football, and Norman allowed an NFL-low 54.0 passer rating in his coverage area last season per Pro Football Focus. But their on-field accomplishments are partially overshadowed by their very public feud. A look at how we got here and what to expect:The Previous MatchupWhen Beckham and the Giants faced Norman and his former team, the Carolina Panthers, last Dec. 20, the game was a 38-35 thriller won by Carolina. Although Norman didnt cover Beckham exclusively, he was part of a defensive effort that shut out the Giants All-Pro in the first half (0 catches on two targets). Beckham exploded in the second half, catching six passes for 76 yards, including a 14-yard score in the final two minutes. Norman finished with three tackles and a forced fumble. Its hard to say that either player got the best of the matchup overall -- it was a tale of two vastly different halves for Beckham, as his numbers show:The normally dependable Beckham also had a big problem with dropped passes in the December game. He dropped two targets in the first half, equaling his drop total for the rest of the season. Hard to pinpoint the reason why, but its something to watch for Sunday. A look at the disparity:They tangled repeatedly, with Beckham drawing four penalties (three of which were personal fouls). Officials chose not to eject him, but the league later levied a one-game suspension. The NFL also hit Norman with two separate fines for his role in the incidents.The Twitter FightAs the season finished up for both players, the bad blood persisted and eventually went public with a handful of tweets between them. Beckhams Twitter following: over 1.5 million users. Normans follower count, while not in that range, is still more than 150,000. The social media chapter of the dispute started during the playoffs, when Beckham posted an eyeball emoji just after Norman allowed a touchdown to Jermaine Kearse in a playoff win over Seattle:Things escalated in late March, when Beckham made what appeared to be a subtweet about Norman -- and Norman fired back less than an hour later.The pair of tweets ignited social media for a day or two, with mentions of both players skyrocketing. Beckham averaged one Twitter mention every 6 seconds in the hour right after their exchange. Heres their hourly mentions on Twitter, as provided by social media data company Spredfast:The War of WordsAs the summer began, their feud moved to the next phase: taking direct shots at each other in interviews. Beckham got things started in the August issue of GQ, when he sounded off after being asked about Norman. The sentiment, that Norman owes Beckham for his current fame, echoed what Beckham wrote in his tweet from March:Norman, never one to shy away from a verbal challenge, responded to the comment in various interviews (including the NFL Preview issue of ESPN The Magazine). A few of his choice words for Beckham:Quote sources from top: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5Tale of the TapeHow do they match up? By looking at their measurables from the NFL Combine, its clear that Beckham is a tough draw for any defensive back. His hands and wingspan are impressive for a player his size, along with his leaping ability. No wonder hes known for circus catches. But Norman counters with big-time height and wingspan, and his speed is nothing to sneeze at.Who Has the Edge?Time to turn to the experts for insight on how things will unfold in Round 2. We asked a pair of ESPN.com NFL reporters, who follow these two stars on a regular basis, about which player will have the best performance Sunday. Heres what they said.Jordan Raanan | Giants reporterThe Giants should, at times, try to keep Beckham away from Norman by putting him in the slot. He played there 21 percent of the snaps last season and its for this reason the Giants cross-train their receivers. Theyre trying to create the most favorable matchups possible, and in this case, that means Beckham vs. someone other than Norman. But when they do match up as Norman follows him around the field, expect Beckham to produce. Norman was unable to run with Beckham during last seasons matchup. If not for several uncharacteristic drops, Beckham would have easily topped 100 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns directly against Norman. And this isnt just any other game. Its one Beckham has extra motivation to shine, especially after last years matchup and last weeks key dropped pass in the fourth quarter, which left him with a bitter taste in his mouth despite the teams victory.John Keim | Redskins reporterIt sounds as if Norman will shadow Beckham, but whats often said early in the week doesnt quite play out that way on Sundays. So well see. Carolina moved Norman around in last years matchup, but he mostly played zone. Still, it prevented New York from knowing they could easily avoid Normans side. Norman is off to an excellent start through two games, and when paired vs. Beckham in zone, I think hell do well. Norman plays physical, a good strategy vs. Beckham. Really, the key for Norman will be how his help fares -- the Redskins have struggled with safety help and drop by others in coverage, leading to big gaps. Normans ability to play tight and anticipate throws has led to multiple breakups. If its man coverage, Norman will have to rely on help downfield, but hes good at taking away routes. Beckham, though, beat him for one touchdown with a double move last season -- and dropped a deep ball that would have been a TD earlier in the game.Fake Shoes Black Friday . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Wholesale Shoes Black Friday . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/ . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. Discount Shoes Black Friday . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night.SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame has played well when games against good opponents appear out of reach.The Fighting Irish (1-2) trailed Texas by 17 before taking the lead and then losing in overtime in the opener. They were down 29 to No. 8 Michigan State before scoring three straight touchdowns and losing 36-28 on Saturday.Coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday the Irish need to get going sooner, starting against Duke (1-2) on Saturday.We shouldnt be waiting for the ebbs and flows of games to carry us. We should be the ones initiating the flows of the game. That is the makeup of this team right now that needs to change, Kelly said.Kelly spoke a dozen times Tuesday about the need to play with urgency. He pointed particularly to the play of quarterback DeShone Kizer, saying there were seven plays in a row in the third quarter where the Irish either lost yards or were held for no gain -- including an interception Kizer threw.That is just unacceptable offensively. Its not just him, but hes running the offense, he said. There are plays that are out there to be made that were not making.Kelly also was peppered with more questions about the Irish defense, which ranks 102nd in the nation and is giving up 439.3 yards a game. After the game on Saturday, he shot down a question about whether with the Irish were going to have to count on Kizer to carry the load because of the defensive struggles.There is not a referendum on whos got to carry who, hhe said.ddddddddddddBut asked Tuesday how hes handled defensive issues in the past, Kelly replied: Scored more points.The Irish are averaging 38 points a game, which would be a school record, so that might not be the answer. Kelly believes one of the problems defensively is the Irish are trying too hard and are missing tackles because they playing out of control.If were just in a better position, a better football position, if we just put ourselves in front of the ball carrier and get run over and hold on for dear life, theyre only going to get another yard or two, he said.The two early season losses dropped Notre Dame from preseason No. 10 to unranked and likely eliminated from a shot at the playoff -- and a national championship. So whats left for this team to play for with no conference race to contend for? Linebacker James Onwualu said after the game it comes down to players pride.For me, its just, do they take any pride in their own name? he said. We are the University of Notre Dame and even though we have two losses already, another loss is unacceptable, just like any other loss.Kelly said theres still enough time to turn the season around, saying the Irish wouldnt be thinking about the playoff even if they were undefeated.Were so focused on getting a win, the goal is off to the side, he said. ' ' '