Last season, Browns cornerback Martin “M.J.” Emerson was among the best in the NFL at the position, earning the nickname “Emerson Island” for his ability in man-to-man coverage to shut down opponents.
This season has been anything but a repeat performance for the third-year pro.
After not allowing a single touchdown in 2023, the Browns cornerback has yielded three scores through six games according to Pro Football Reference, including one last week to Philadelphia in the team’s 20-16 loss.
While a slight downturn in Emerson’s performance was expected for the defensive back, a complete role reverse in 2024 was not.
Cleveland assistant coach Brandon Lynch believes this will be a temporary setback, however.
Analyst Scott Petrak shared Lynch’s thoughts on X after the positional coach’s press conference as Lynch said that Emerson would recover this season.
“As long as our guys have toughness and show passion, the other stuff you can work on,” Lynch said about Emerson, adding, “He’s a young guy that’s proven he can bounce back.”
#Browns CB coach Brandon Lynch on Martin Emerson Jr.'s struggles this season: As long as our guys have toughness and show passion, the other stuff you can work on. He's a young guy that's proven he can bounce back.
— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) October 18, 2024
Thus far, the player’s performance this season has been one of regression instead of making progress, unfortunately.
Emerson has allowed touchdowns in back-to-back games, and the contest against Philadelphia ranks as his worst in 2024.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 80 percent of the passes thrown against Emerson’s coverage, averaging 9.8 yards per completion.
After holding opponents to under 50 percent completion rate in 2023, Emerson is yielding 55.6 percent completed passes in 2024.
The cornerback will get his chance at redemption this weekend as the Browns host AFC North Cincinnati on Sunday.
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