LANDOVER, Md. -- The critics long have pounced on Washington Redskins corner Josh Norman, picking apart his contract and whether he’s worth that sort of cash. He’s used to that. But there was something different this past week.

Norman was more under fire than ever. He was benched for a series vs. New Orleans when a situation grew heated with coach Jay Gruden. Then former teammate DeAngelo Hall said he was more focused on being a celebrity, shoving what had been a whisper around Redskins Park into the open. The scabs of Norman’s game were picked apart. In some ways, his week mirrored the franchise as all facets got picked apart.

It helped that the defensive backs had a meeting Tuesday during which they focused more on chemistry than performance. Norman and the others needed to understand one another.

Here’s how Norman responded: by making the plays Washington long has needed him to make. And he did it against the team that let him walk -- and against good buddy Cam Newton.

Norman wasn’t the only reason Washington beat Carolina 23-17 Sunday. Far from it. Running back Adrian Peterson rushed 17 times for 97 yards and no statistic has mattered more to Washington this season than his yardage total. In the Redskins’ three wins, Peterson has surpassed 90 yards each time. He allows them to stay in positive down-and-distance situations and avoid many third-and-longs.

But Norman was the one under fire this week. He allowed a long touchdown catch vs. New Orleans thanks to a blown coverage. Then he was benched after halftime after Gruden pulled Norman’s headphones off while a coach was trying to talk, according to multiple reports.

Norman handled his week well, addressing the media Wednesday. There was no residual effect of the tiff with Gruden; the two had a pleasant exchange later in the week. Gruden even admitted he also needed to calm down after the halftime situation.

Norman, though, counts more against the cap than any other corner since signing with Washington in April 2016. But his play hasn’t matched the salary, something a number of people inside Redskins Park have stated privately.

But in the second quarter Norman intercepted his first pass since Christmas Eve in 2016, grabbing an errant deep ball by Newton -- his offseason basketball competitor. It didn’t lead to any points, but it did end one narrative. On the next series, Norman punched a ball out from receiver DJ Moore for a Redskins takeaway that led to a field goal and 17-0 lead. The Redskins held on, with Carolina failing on fourth down at the Redskins' 16-yard line. So Norman's strong first half could have resulted in a disappointing finish. Instead, it ended with him in smiles and hugging former teammates after the win.

At times Norman’s play has been solid. But the Redskins paid for more than that: They wanted game-changing plays and, finally, received some.