For much of the Panthers' unbeaten run, Carolina cornerback Josh Norman has been bored.

It started in Week 6 when Seattle's Russell Wilson never threw Norman's way. Since then, opposing quarterbacks have followed suit, mostly avoiding his side of the field.

According to Pro Football Focus, Norman guarded against half his 70 targets this season in the Panthers' first four games. He was the NFL's interception leader after the first month of the year with four, a total he's stuck on. But business is about to pick up.

Norman on Sunday will face off with Atlanta's Julio Jones, the NFL's leading receiver who's averaging more than 13 targets per game.

"You don’t want to go out there and feel like you’re wasting your time on the football field or you’re just out there kicking dirt. You want to be actually involved in the game," Norman told Atlanta reporters on a conference call.

"He pushes me, man. He pushes you to your wildest dreams imaginable. So, it’s kind of one of those things where I love the competition. I’m excited for it. I'm ready. I’m anxious. I’m pumped."

As excitable as Norman can be, this is the matchup he's had circled on his calendar since the start of the season. It's also the one that put him on the map last year, at least in the world of the NFC South.

 

 

In Jones' pair of 2014 games against the Panthers, he didn't score and had 10 receptions for 117 yards, combined. To put that in perspective, he has 10 games with more than 117 yards since the start of 2014. So by limiting Jones, Norman did something few in the league can.

"Last year is last year, this is a whole new year," said Jones on a conference call with Carolina reporters. "But if he's looking forward to the matchup, it's going to be a matchup."

Oh, he certainly is.

Norman has brought up Jones often throughout the year, almost as regularly as he talks about going to his 'dark place.' Wherever that is, it's a decent bet Norman will end up there some time on Sunday.

"I hope it's a good dark place where he plays his best football," defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said when asked if he knew what Norman's dark place looked like.

"When you cross over the line, the sideline onto the football field, it is important that you can flip that switch. It's great to do things and have guys do things right off the field, but at the same time you have to be able to flip that switch when you cross that line and get yourself in a zone."

Getting into that zone features more than movies this week. Norman, who will talk to Carolina media on Thursday, told Atlanta reporters part of his preparation has included listening to a song dedicated to Jones and the Falcons by rapper "Young Scooter."

"That's on him, as far as whatever he needs to get motivated or whatever," Jones said. "But my motivation is to go out here and just play for my teammates."

The contrast in how they're talking about their upcoming battle shows how elite players can focus on different things. But while Jones' comments are much more reserved, he's apparently not.

"The guy is an absolute, relentless competitor," Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. "You know, the guy that kind of smiles before a fight? Who just won't back off?"

"Like it's practice, it's training camp, it's OTAs and so, as a competitor, he's as high as you get. And sometimes, it may not come across in terms of what he's doing, but I can promise you behind the scenes, he's getting ready."

Unlike Week 12, when there was no love lost between Norman and Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant, this matchup is seemingly one of mutual respect.

"He doesn't back down, he comes every play, and he has very, very good technique," Jones said of Norman.

"I think with his game he can kind of do it all. He can be physical, he can drop back, he can cover very well, he can do all those things. That's what makes him good."

And make no mistake about Norman. He may be the one doing all the yapping, but there's little trash involved in his talking this week.

"We see each other twice a year, so I’m pretty sure he’s starting to catch on to what I like to do, and I’m starting to catch on to what he likes to do," Norman said. "He’s going to have some good plays and I’m going to have some good plays. So, it’s just going to be interesting to see."