CB Martin Emerson Jr. (8.23.23)
How did you feel when you went back and looked at the two days in Philly? How did you self-assess your performance individually and as a defense against that offense?
“I’ll start with my performance. I would say I did pretty solid. Some plays that I gave up, that I shouldn’t have ever given up just because I was tired or whatnot. You just got to fight through that when you’re tired – well, when you think you’re tired anyway. It’s always just push harder. So, I would say that just working when you are pretty much tired. But as a defense, I feel like we got after those guys, couldn’t touch the quarterback, obviously. But I feel like if it was like full speed and we could tackle them, we would have a lot of sacks. It was close in coverage, most of the time. So, I’m excited about where the defense is right now.”
Seeing you in those practices, I mean, it seemed like you especially embrace matching up with, like, Dallas Goedert. I know we’ve asked you about your physicality, but how much do you like going against those bigger pass catchers and kind of getting to show what you can do?
“They’re bigger, so I’m a big guy. Those types of guys thrive on using their physicality to beat cornerbacks or whatnot. And I feel like my size and my ability, it just gives me an advantage on those type of guys. So, I like to sit on them and just be really aggressive and play their game. So, it was fun, though.”
Do you feel this camp has kind of dragged? It’s been kind of long with the travel and all. How do you feel?
“I won’t say drag because this is part of the process. Every day I just come in, try to be the same person every day and just put my best foot forward and just work. Just be the same guy for my teammates, for my coaches. So, I just look at it like that, that it’s another opportunity to get better.”
You talk about the would-be sacks in Philly. When you guys watch film of any of the practices, what goes through your mind when you see what the defensive lines doing?
“Oh, man, just those 15 snaps I got against the Commanders, Washington, I was like – because I talked to Denzel (Ward) and Greg (Newsome II), they didn’t get to experience that. So I’m like the rush and the coverage, it works perfect. When we tighten coverage, they get sacked, and when they win off the line, we get interceptions. So, I’m excited about that. I had just been closing coverage, playing man. I’m very excited.”
Would you like (Patrick) Mahomes to play in this preseason game to pick him off a couple of times?
“Oh, man. Mahomes is a great player. One of the best doing it year in and year out. I’m excited to see – that’s a great testament to our defense. Just line up against one of those powerful offenses, see what we do. So, I’m excited about that, to play against a great quarterback.”
Martin, it seems like you have really picked up your game in your second year and the lights have really kind of come on. The game has slowed down a little bit. Can you just talk about how much better you feel as a player this year, right now?
“Just preparation, honestly, practice and just taking reps and just getting better day by day. That’s what I’ll just give it to practice and coach and film those things and just take it out on the field and just doing my job. That’s why I would say the game slowed down.”
You played well last year. What do you think you’ve improved most between last year and now?
“Just dissecting plays and just knowing what’s going to happen before it happens or knowing what my help is and just dominating my leverage, little things like that. That’s where you take your game to the next level, just being real technical.”
When you say the rush is working with the coverage, does that mean it’s like guys are playing single coverage, man coverage more?
“Yeah, it’s a lot of single coverage, some zero in there. It’s a little bit of everything, honestly. So, we’re going to throw a lot at opposing quarterbacks and we’re just going to disguise a lot and just send it and just be close in coverage. So just the best man wins on the outside. We’re going to have our matchups and we’re going to have to do our job all day.”
You’re not having to mirror for a long time with the rush being what it is?
“Yeah, I will say yeah. Because sometimes we might say more than they can block.”
When friends ask you how good Deshaun Watson is as a quarterback, what do you tell him?
“Friends? Oh, yeah, I always get this question all the time. I just tell them, man, Deshaun, he’s a very talented and special guy, and when he put it all together, man, it’s going to be special for us. And then we put everything together on the defense and we just work together and just deal as a team and I’m excited about that.”
So you only saw snippets of the Deshaun last year, how different is that guy this year?
“I mean, he’s just focused. He gets to focus on ball with everything behind him and just going into the season. Last year he wasn’t with us, he had to leave obviously for, I think eleven weeks. So, it’s just great to have him here every day with the team. He’s just working and getting better with us and just building that team and camaraderie and just building that chemistry with those receivers in the O line. So, we look forward to it.”
Martin, with your size can you play some safety? And with the three safety looks, might you be one of the three safeties at times?
“I can play safety. Honestly, whatever they ask me to do upstairs, the coaches, whatever they see the vision, I’m just going to put my best foot forward and just try. Honestly, I played safety in high school, I want to say my sophomore and my senior year, so I’m very familiar with that position.”
Is there anything Jim Schwartz could draw up that would truly blow you away, that would surprise you, or is it pretty much you kind of come in saying expect anything out of him when it comes to what he can do with the scheme?
“It’s a thinking game, honestly. Guessing game when it comes to defense. Just want to fool the offensive coordinator and try to make everything look the same. Whatever he calls, we’re going to run it to the best of our ability.”
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