Falcons receiver Roddy White didn't hide his feelings about boastful Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, who got into a few scuffles with Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. on Sunday.
"I don't believe he's a tough guy," White told ESPN on Sunday. "When you say you're out there talking, I don't pay attention to guys like that. I just don't think he's a tough guy."
White believes Norman's success has a lot to do with Carolina's defensive scheme and players surrounding him, such as linebacker Luke Kuechly.
"Their defense is good," White said. "He ain't over there just sitting there locking people up. They don't play defense like that. That's not how they play football."
White and the Falcons will face Norman and the undefeated Panthers next Sunday at the Georgia Dome. The veteran receiver did not back down from questioning Norman's toughness.
"I don't care if somebody says something about me saying he's not that tough," White said. "If I said I don't think he's that tough, then I don't think he's that tough.
"I know tough guys in this league. DBs that I felt were tough? Darrelle [Revis], Champ [Bailey], Al Harris, [Aqib] Talib, Richard Sherman."
White also said he would never put Norman in the same category as those cornerbacks, which also included Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals.
"No," White said. "You must be trippin'. Of covering people? You've got to man up and go out there and get after people if you're going to be that. You can't sit back and play zone, dropping, playing Cover 2 for half the game and say you're locking people up. Come on, man. Everybody knows that."
The matchup between Norman and Falcons star receiver Julio Jones is the one that will garner the most attention Sunday, regardless of what type of defense Carolina is in. Jones stopped short of giving Norman too much credit.
"Everybody just keeps talking about Josh Norman, Josh Norman," Jones said. "He's a good football player. I don't think he's great yet, but he's a good football player."
When the Falcons and Panthers met a few weeks ago, Norman did plenty of talking in Carolina's 38-0 blowout win. White was asked if Norman's trash talk got under his skin.
"That's not really talking what he was doing. He was just yelling," White said. "Nobody really understands what he's saying. Why? Because we don't."
For White and Jones, this discussion will mean nothing if Norman and the Panthers dismantle the Falcons once again.
"They all pissed me off last time, the whole entire defense," White said. "It's not that they talked. They really don't talk like [Norman]. Luke and them, they don't talk. They go out there and they play football, get physical with you and knock you in the mouth. That's how they talk to you."