What a week for Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman.

LANDOVER Benny Snell Jr. Jersey , Md. (AP) — There was a benching during a 24-point loss. Criticism from a former teammate. Biting Twitter barbs from an opposing receiver.What better way to cap it all off than a matchup for his Redskins (2-2) on Sunday against Cam Newton and the visiting Carolina Panthers (3-1), the club that abruptly parted with Norman about 2½ years ago.“Old friends. They’re coming to town, and I get to see them and go at each other. They know how I am. Trust me. I know how they are. So it’s going to be quite an exciting time,” Norman said. “I’m looking forward to them. I know (Newton’s) got something special cooked up for us.”Norman was coming off an All-Pro season and a Super Bowl appearance when the Panthers put the franchise tag on him in March 2016, a move many figured was a precursor to a long-term deal. Fast-forward six weeks, though, and Carolina rescinded the tag offer, allowing Norman to become an unrestricted free agent.Within a couple of days, he signed a $75 million, five-year contract with Washington. For whatever the reason — and there are various theories out there — things have not gone all that well for Norman, who turns 31 in December and is currently up to 19 games in a row without an interception.The downswing culminated in Washington coach Jay Gruden’s decision to play a rookie instead of Norman coming out of halftime during a 43-19 loss at New Orleans on Monday night.Then came all sorts of theories about what might be wrong with Norman, from his age (courtesy of Saints receiver Michael Thomas) to his interest in becoming a celebrity (brought up by ex-Redskins defensive back DeAngelo Hall) to the shift from Carolina’s zone coverage to Washington’s man-to-man principles (referenced by Panthers coach Ron Rivera).Newton, a friend who participates in Norman’s charity volleyball tournament, maintains that QBs still need to be wary of the guy.“He’s not a person who hesitates to take chances, and that’s his gift and his curse,” Newton said. “I still go into each and every game pointing out who the impact players are on every defense, and he’s definitely one of those players.”Here are some things to know about the Panthers and Redskins:COUNT ON CAMA Redskins defense that had zero answers against Drew Brees now goes up against Newton, who is having a so-so season thus far but always comes up big against Washington. The 2015 NFL MVP is 4-0 against the Redskins, with nine TDs and zero INTs, a passer of rating of 115.4 and two rushing scores. “Cam is a beast, man. He can do it all. He can pass. He can run it. He’s an extra running back when he’s back there,” Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger said. “They’ve got a long list of good playmakers Zach Gentry Jersey , man. So we’ve got our hands full.”ROLL TIDEDefensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne played together at Alabama, were first-round draft picks the past two years, and account for nearly half of Washington’s sacks this season. “They are two guys that I never have to worry about: ‘Hey, hustle. Hey, run to the ball.’ These guys are always playing hard, playing fast, playing physical,” Gruden said, “and you can build around those two cats for a long time.”BAND IS BACKThe Panthers are hoping to get back three-time Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen; he broke his right foot in Week 1. “The band is back,” Newton said with a big smile. The QB’s favorite target for quite some time, Olsen strung together a trio of 1,000-yard seasons before initially injuring his foot in 2017 and missing nine games. If some wonder whether Olsen might be rushing back, he said: “I wouldn’t put myself out there if I couldn’t help the team.”DAVIS RETURNS, TOOCarolina is counting on linebacker Thomas Davis, who returns from a four-game suspension under the league’s policy on performance enhancers to give a big lift to a defense that struggled to pressure the quarterback last week. Davis is the team’s all-time leading tackler and joins Luke Kuechly to provide what Gruden called “the best linebacking duo in pro football, in my opinion.” EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Coming off his best game running the ball, Saquon Barkley unveiled a few goals for the final three weeks of the regular season for the New York Giants.Of course, winning is No. 1. Leading the NFL in rushing either this year or down the road is high on his wish list, and so is greatness.The last one might be the most surprising. There is little doubt Barkley is on the verge of greatness after 13 games, but the fact the humble 21-year-old mentioned it might raise some eyebrows.Barkley rushed for 170 yards on 14 carries on Sunday as the Giants (5-8) posted their most impressive win in years with a 40-16 thrashing of the Washington Redskins. The effort was highlighted by a 78-yard touchdown run and it gave him the second pick overall in the draft 1,124 yards rushing Nick Bosa Jersey , third in the league behind Ezekiel Elliott of Dallas (1,262) and Todd Gurley (1,203) of the Rams.“Getting 1,000 yards in the NFL is an amazing accomplishment and being the first rookie ever for the Giants to do that is even a bigger one” Barkley said Monday. “It’s big because even though my name might go in the record book, it’s not just myself — it’s the offensive line play and the guys in the running back room, all those guys have been a tremendous help.”Barkley, who says he learned his current standing in rushing leaders from social media, has moved up the list with four straight games of at least 100 yards on the ground.“It’s an honor to be up there, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t really matter,” said Barkley, who has four touchdown runs of 50 yards or more. “It only matters how many wins you get and we’ve got to figure out how to continue to get those wins.”After going 1-7, the Giants have won four of five since their bye week. The only game they lost was to the Eagles after blowing a 16-point first-half lead. New York has an outside chance to make the playoffs as a wild card.Barkley, who also leads the Giants with 78 catches, will chase that and his other goals.“I want to be great. I want to go down as one of the best, and that’s not just going to happen in one day,” Barkley said. “You have to work for it, obviously with the help of your teammates, but if I don’t get it this year, I’m going to get it at some point. I promise you.”Giants rookie cornerback Grant Haley smiled when asked if he was surprised by what his former Penn State teammate is doing as a pro.“I think it is kind of funny, everyone’s reactions on the sideline when he makes runs,” Haley said. “I’m just sitting there L.J. Collier Jersey , and I mean it’s still impressive, but I’ve seen that before. He just so special.”The Giants, who struggled to score early in the season, have averaged 31.4 points in the past five games.Receiver Sterling Shepard, who had big blocks on Barkley’s two longest runs, said the running game is going to open up the passing game for Eli Manning.“I just know that you give him a couple of touches, he’s going to make something big happen out of those couple of touches, so he’s a player that’s special,” Shepard said. “You got to give him the ball and he can make magic happen.”NOTES: Shepard, who had two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown, picked up a game ball for his blocking. …WR Odell Beckham Jr., who missed Sunday’s game with a quadriceps injury, is feeling better, coach Pat Shurmur said. … TE Rhett Ellison, who sprained an ankle, also is feeling better. S Curtis Riley, who scored on a 9-yard interception return, has a sprained wrist. … The practice squad contract of P Brock Miller was terminated. … The game at Indianapolis on Dec. 23 has been moved from Fox to CBS but remains a 1 p.m. EST start.