Redskins: Five bold predictions for Monday Night Football in Week 3
By Ian Cummings
No. 3 – Redskins CB Josh Norman logs an interception, rebounds after Week 2
Matt Nagy is a good offensive mind, and he’ll no doubt attempt to exploit the matchup between Josh Norman and Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson. Robinson will get his opportunities against Norman. And Norman will get opportunities to rebound after a down Week 2.
At this point, Norman isn’t going to mount a career rejuvenation. He is what he is; a decent starting cornerback who’s at his best in a specific role, a role which he doesn’t always get to play in Greg Manusky’s scheme. Norman is slowly getting fazed out of the league by faster receivers, and in a game where separation is key, he’s getting exposed.
That said, Monday night will be a chance for Norman to rebound under the lights, and show the nation he still has something left in the tank. Allen Robinson isn’t much faster than Norman (he ran a 4.60 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine), and his quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, has been anything but consistent this year.
With Robinson being Trubisky’s No. 1 target (he’s been targeted 20 times in two games), look for Trubisky to continue to fire shots in Robinson’s direction. And in a more favorable separation matchup, where speed doesn’t render Norman’s physicality inert, look for Norman to impose himself, snag an interception off of an ill-advised Trubisky pass, and get a much-needed confidence booster.