‘The ball is always coming to you’: The life of a No. 2 cornerback opposite a star teammate
Trailing 20-10 late in the third quarter, the Las Vegas Raiders faced a third-and-11 from their own 40. Denver Broncos All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II had returned a pick-six 100 yards in the second quarter, so it wasn’t surprising that Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew was looking in the other direction.
Minshew saw wide receiver Tre Tucker covered by Riley Moss on the right side of the field, and Minshew took his chances against the second-year cornerback. But Moss jumped in front of Tucker for his first career interception; it was the last pass Minshew threw that day as he headed to the bench. The Broncos went on to win the Week 5 matchup 34-18 for their third straight victory.
“I mean Pat is Pat, he locks down who he needs to lock down, so if you’re a quarterback, you are going to target the other side,” Moss said. “Of course you are.
“I didn’t realize it looked that freaking cool.” 😅@R_moss5 breaks down his first career INT: pic.twitter.com/TEz8QRcnMl
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 7, 2024
“That’s part of the job, I fully expected that. Definitely don’t shy away from it. I kind of wear it on the chin, you know?”
It’s a mindset that’s embraced by several cornerbacks who share the defensive backfield with an elite teammate. They know they’re the No. 2 cornerback on the field, which often makes them the No. 1 target of quarterbacks. But instead of viewing it as being taken advantage of, they see it as an opportunity to prove themselves.
Moss is second in the NFL as the nearest defender for the most targets with 78, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. His 21% target rate is third-highest for cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps. Surtain has been the nearest defender on 35 targets and has a target rate of 11%, which is the second-lowest.
“When you feel like the ball’s not coming to you, that’s when you get a little lax,” said Cleveland Browns cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., who lines up opposite three-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward. “And that’s when a team can get one up on you, make a play against you.
“You want to have that mentality like the ball is always coming to you.”
Look for Emerson and Moss to get their share of targets Monday night when the Broncos face the Browns (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). Although Moss hasn’t practiced this week because of a knee injury.
Emerson has been the nearest defender on 57 targets, which is tops on Cleveland and tied for 20th in the league. Because he’s targeted more often, Emerson has over twice as many tackles as Ward (49-20). Emerson also has two tackles for a loss, five passes defensed, a forced fumble and a recovery. But the reason NFL executives ranked Ward as the second-best cornerback — behind Surtain — is because despite not being thrown at as often, he has 17 passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble and recovery.
Ward is in his seventh season after the Browns drafted him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2018. Emerson is in his third after being a third-round pick in 2022. The two work out together in the offseason in Florida, and the strong bond was forged early.
“Our first conversation, I really had a good feeling about him,” Emerson said. “We were on the phone, and I told him, ‘Lead the way,’ and he was like, ‘Nah bro, we’re shoulder to shoulder. We’re in this together. We’re both going to lead the way.’
“I just had a tremendous amount of respect for him … It was always love from him from day one. We’ve gotten to know each other more and more and building that bond. He is most definitely a brother and somebody that I will know a long time after football.”
In the scheme of Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the outside cornerbacks typically stay on one side. Some teams have their top cornerback travel to whatever side the top receiver is on. Teams can also protect tough matchups with safety help, but there will be times when that No. 2 cornerback will be tested because the game plan is to target him.
Houston Texans rookie corner Kamari Lassiter, who plays opposite Derek Stingley Jr. — ranked 10th by NFL execs — notched his first of three interceptions this season during a Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears. It was a team effort as Caleb Williams was flushed from the pocket and threw toward tight end Cole Kmet, who was surrounded by three defenders.
“Getting a pick is a matter of not just him, but it’s the rush, speeding up the quarterback and it’s Kamari having really good hands,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “That was a difficult catch to make as well. So, it was a really nice play by him.
“But, man, credit to him, the kid has been consistent. I talk about it all the time, he’s been consistent where he needs to be every single play and he doesn’t press to make plays. Some guys get in the spot and they try to press to make a play, make a play and then you end up putting yourself in a bad position. He’s in the right position all the time, and he benefited from being able to make a pick.”
Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has the No. 3 unit in scoring (16.6 points per game) and yards per game (289.4), and he credits the team’s depth at cornerback.
“Obviously, Pat is one of the best in the league,” Joseph said. “You can game-plan through Pat’s skill set, but to have two other guys who can hold their own [Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian], and you can close the middle and play man or play zone with no worries, that’s a big deal.
“Most good defenses have corners who can cover. You can close the middle without worrying about giving up a big play. That’s half the battle of being a good defense.”
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson made headlines for the wrong reasons in a Week 8 loss to the Washington Commanders, when he was taunting the fans while Washington receivers ran downfield for what would be the game-winning Hail Mary. But putting aside that gaffe, which cost him a starting spot the following week, Stevenson has turned in several big moments for the Bears playing opposite All-Pro Jaylon Johnson. Stevenson’s pick-six helped the Bears seal a 24-17 season-opening win over the Tennessee Titans.
“I look at it as an opportunity, waiting for it to happen pretty much because we all know the ball ain’t going to Jaylon,” Stevenson said. “So this defense is just looking at me to be the guy that I am in practice, make the plays that come to me, catch the balls that come to me and be able to make sure that I can funnel everything back into this defense, because I ain’t no weak link just because there’s an All-Pro corner over there.
“You can’t just up and throw it over here as you feel like.”
As with Surtain, teams stay away from Johnson, who has been the nearest defender on 38 targets, compared to 55 for Stevenson. Johnson’s target rate is 11% while Stevenson’s is 21%
Emerson helped the Browns upset the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday by tying for a team-high six solo tackles, including one for a loss. That tackling ability likely will be tested again Monday night.
“You’ve got to be ready for that,” Emerson said, “accept the challenge and step up to the plate.”
Contributing: D.J. Bien-Aime, Courtney Cronin, Jeff Legwold, Daniel Oyefusi