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Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
The best battles between wide receivers and cornerbacks come with the exchange of spirited words and, sometimes, on-field antics.
Think about the moment after the 2013 NFC Championship Game when cornerback Richard Sherman called wideout Michael Crabtree a “sorry receiver” during a postgame interview with Erin Andrews of Fox Sports.
We can also point to a heated rivalry between wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman, which included an on-field scuffle and ejections.
Wide receivers and cornerbacks have intense battles because they oftentimes line up across from each other and trash-talk one another in between snaps—and because of their positions they usually have the longest walks back to their huddles. The best cover men stand on an island and attempt to shut down the opposing team’s best perimeter playmaker in fierce one-on-one matchups.
With the 2021 season officially underway, let’s take a look at five must-see receiver-cornerback clashes between players in their prime years. This isn’t a list of simply the best battles between Pro Bowlers and All-Pros. We’ve highlighted matchups that have a storyline between the two players that goes back to the previous season for an emphasis on active feuds.
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Los Angeles Rams CB Jalen RamseyKatelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Darnell Mooney isn’t a household name, but Jalen Ramsey knows him well.
In Week 7 of last season, Mooney burned Ramsey on a double move to free himself for an easy touchdown, but Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles misfired on a deep throw. With an accurate pass, the wideout would’ve likely put six points on the scoreboard.
Even though Foles and Mooney didn’t connect on the play, Bears fans let Ramsey know Mooney won on that snap. On Instagram, the two-time All-Pro addressed those who ridiculed him.
“Can’t wait till week 1 so all these lame ass Bears fans can stfu about they number 2 wr.”
We’ll likely see Ramsey against wide receiver Allen Robinson II for a good portion of Sunday’s game, but the Rams cover man clearly has Mooney on his mind.
When asked about Ramsey’s Instagram post during a press conference in June, Mooney chose not to pile on to the drama.
“There’s a lot of defensive players that are on our schedule,” Mooney said. “There’s a lot of strong defensive backs. It’s going to be a good year, a lot of fun this year. I’m looking forward to playing.”
As a fifth-round pick out of Tulane, Mooney heads into his second season after an impressive rookie campaign, hauling in 61 passes for 631 yards and four touchdowns. Ramsey may do all the trash-talking in this matchup, but if the Bears wideout gets the best of him and scores, he might have a lot to say in response.
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Buccaneers CB Carlton Davis III (left) and Saints WR Michael Thomas (right)Associated Press
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers eliminated the New Orleans Saints in the NFC divisional round, but wideout Michael Thomas remained locked into the playoff action.
In the NFC Championship Game between Tampa Bay and the Green Bay Packers, wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling beat Carlton Davis III for a 50-yard touchdown reception.
During the matchup, Thomas provided some Twitter commentary. He might have struck a nerve with one particular observation.
“Keep throwing it over his head. He need help,” Thomas tweeted.
The Buccaneers won the game, and Davis had time to fire back at Thomas on Twitter.
“@Cantguardmike I bodied you 3 games in a row lil dude in cover 1 goofball ! And ima dawg yo lil ass again next year so you better work on them routes !,” Davis tweeted.
Over the past three matchups between the Buccaneers and Saints, Thomas caught eight passes for just 68 yards and failed to record a reception in the last outing. Thomas battled an ankle injury throughout the 2020 campaign, but Davis didn’t show any sympathy while he shamed the Saints receiver on social media.
Thomas underwent offseason ankle surgery, and the Saints placed him on the physically unable to perform list, which means he’ll miss at least six outings. Yet the two-time All-Pro wideout could return to the field by the time New Orleans hosts Tampa Bay in Week 8 on Halloween. If not, we could see these two face off in Week 15.
Davis seems confident, but he’ll have his hands full if Saints quarterback Jameis Winston and Thomas establish a rapport on deep throws.
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Saints CB Marshon Lattimore (left) and Buccaneers WR Mike Evans (right)Steve Nesius/Associated Press
Michael Thomas vs. Carlton Davis III isn’t the only intense receiver-cornerback battle to watch in an NFC South battle between the Buccaneers and Saints.
Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore have a physical and competitive feud that dates back to the 2017 season. Last year, these two didn’t waste any time going after each other. In the 2020 season opener, they had a shoving match, and Evans knocked off Lattimore’s helmet.
During the second 2020 matchup between New Orleans and Tampa Bay, ESPN’s Mike Clay noted that Evans didn’t record a reception with Lattimore in coverage for three consecutive outings, including that Sunday night contest, via Twitter. The Saints cornerback quote tweeted the stat lines with a short quip, “Better luck next year.”
Lattimore didn’t have to wait until the 2021 campaign. The Saints and Buccaneers crossed paths in the NFC divisional round, and Evans hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass over his nemesis, which ended with a shove from the cornerback.
Before Tampa Bay’s playoff victory over New Orleans, Evans commented on the competitive nature of games with the Saints.
“It’s definitely a great rivalry,” Evans said. “When we play each other, there’s a lot of emotion, a lot of physicality…the fans love it.”
In Weeks 8 and 15, fans will see a must-see heavyweight bout between two three-time Pro Bowlers in Evans and Lattimore.
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Patriots CB J.C. Jackson (left) and Bills’ WR Stefon Diggs (right)Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
J.C. Jackson and Stefon Diggs, two former Maryland Terrapins, had an on-field battle that started with the former chirping at the latter.
According to Alan Pergament of Buffalo News, Jackson gave Diggs an earful after he denied the Bills a touchdown.
“The cameras caught New England’s J.C. Jackson and the Bills’ Stefon Diggs, who both played at Maryland, trash talking after the Patriot prevented Diggs from catching a touchdown,” Pergament wrote.
Jackson may have thrown one too many logs onto the fire. Diggs had his best game of the season in that matchup, hauling in nine passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.
After Diggs obliterated a fellow Maryland product and the Patriots defense, he told reporters what fired him up.
“He was saying don’t play with me and no fly zone and I didn’t like that,” Diggs said.
Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore didn’t suit up for that contest. New England put him on injured reserve with a partially torn quad for the final two weeks of the season. The two-time All-Pro cornerback will start the 2021 campaign on the physically unable to perform list. Barring any setbacks, he’ll likely see the Bills in Weeks 13 and 16.
Even if Gilmore plays against Buffalo, the Bills may try to exploit a matchup between Diggs and Jackson. If so, the Patriots cornerback, who recorded nine interceptions in 2020, will have a chance to save face with a bounce-back performance.
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Washington Football Team WR Terry McLaurinScott Taetsch/Getty Images
This is an underrated matchup between two young playmakers. Terry McLaurin is going into his third season, and Trevon Diggs has only played 12 career games for the Dallas Cowboys.
However, McLaurin and Diggs could put on a show when they match up one-on-one in Weeks 14 and 16.
In Week 7 last season, they mixed it up on the field when Diggs put his hands in McLaurin’s face. On the following play, McLaurin beat Diggs on a 52-yard touchdown reception.
After the game, McLaurin told reporters that Diggs didn’t have anything to say following his long touchdown reception. While on injured reserve, the Cowboys cornerback missed the second matchup against Washington in Week 12.
While Diggs didn’t put up much of a fight in his first matchup with McLaurin, he could redeem himself this season. Dallas lost Chidobe Awuzie to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency, so these two combatants will likely line up across from each other as the lead cornerback and wide receiver for their respective teams in upcoming contests. This could spice up a longstanding NFC East rivalry.
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