*After reflecting on his altercation with wide receiver Dez Bryant following Thursday's loss to the Cowboys, cornerback Josh Norman wants to move past the incident. *

Cornerback Josh Norman had the opportunity to recover and reset for a few days over the weekend after the Redskins' 31-26 loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, which means he also had a chance to reflect on the postgame altercation, locker room session and Twitter back and forth between he and wide receiver Dez Bryant, too.

Their chippy play throughout the game on Thursday spilled over into a small postgame altercation while both teams met at midfield for handshakes. Both players shared opinions in the locker room about the other in front of reporters and later on Twitter after Norman held Bryant to just three of his five total catches and 32 yards on the day, per Pro Football Focus, none of which went for touchdowns.

Bryant told reporters that Washington deserves to get its money back from the contract Norman was awarded in the offseason while Norman referred back to the statistics from the game.

In the emotional aftermath, Norman was puzzled why Bryant tried to extend their physicality on the field with some pushing and shoving once the game had ended while also defending his own reactions to his aggressiveness. After Monday's practice at the Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park, Norman downplayed the incident in front of local media.

"Nothing. There really wasn't a situation," Norman said. "It was a game. We lost. They won. That was it."

While that might not be the obituary on their relationship for the 2016 season (Washington could potentially face Dallas in the playoffs), Norman remembers that cornerback Patrick Peterson, who he will see when the Redskins visit the Cardinals this Sunday, has also challenged his status as one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

A Twitter beef based on Madden 17 ratings and 1-on-1 skills occurred during training camp this year, which prompted wide receiver DeSean Jackson to come to Norman's defense.

"Everybody wants to go against me for some reason." Norman said. "At the end of the day, that was then, this is now. So, it is what it is.

"I'm where I'm at to this day because of what I've done and if I can't take it away from me, or how hard they try, it really doesn't matter to me," he added. "Just got to go out and do our job and be that attack guy and see what comes up at the end of the day. Can't control nobody and what they do, can only control what we do."

When asked what he's learned about experiencing criticism from other players this season, Norman had a quick reply.

"Nothing. Trolls and clowns, trolls and clowns," Norman said. "When you're at the top, everybody guns for you. That's what happens."

Norman said he would like to see the defense improve with a more aggressive and attacking mentality moving into the last month of the season, especially after Washington has allowed 777 combined yards in their last two games.

They'll have a tough test visiting the Cardinals, who despite their record, have proven playmakers and are desperate to stay alive in the playoff race.

"Other than will, determination, to not lose, to not be defeated, just got to have that aggression, that fire, that passion," Normans said. "Not be beat, man. Either you have it or you don't and we'll find out coming here in a couple days, six days and see if we got it. Start off with Arizona and keep this thing rolling."