Martin Emerson Jr. had a clear message for the rest of the NFL after the Cleveland Browns took down the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Emerson’s message: “Don’t poke the bear.”
“Don’t get us started. We’re a very physical team and we’re in the Dawg Pound,” Emerson said. “We want to defend our home turf. We don’t take any disrespect.”
The Browns are 19-10 at home under head coach Kevin Stefanski, who took over the team in 2020.
Emerson was referencing a pregame fight between the Browns and 49ers that saw multiple key players going after one another. No punches were thrown but it was enough of a fracas to light a fire under the Browns.
Emerson said the scuffle started due to a turf war of sorts, with the 49ers encroaching on the Browns’ defensive backs while they were warming up.
“We line up on the 45, 50,” Emerson said. “The DBs, we were just doing our drills. The three receivers they came through 15, 11 and 19 (Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel) and they run through our drills. This was before the scuffle. And then they start stretching, they bring their line up to the 50, the 45 trying to do our drills, and they just got to barking in there, the team came, and that was just that.”
Browns Have Been Target of Bulletin Board Material
It’s not the first time a team has talked some smack to the Browns ahead of facing them, although the other times this season it has happened in the media. Ja’Marr Chase called the Browns “elves” and the Cincinnati Bengals lost the opener 24-3.
Baltimore Ravens linebacker was a little harsher with his words ahead of their clash with the Browns in Week 4.
“At the end of the day, you’re considered the bad guy because you’re going into essentially another man’s house, and you’re trying to take over,” Smith told reporters in Baltimore. “His wife, kids, (and) everyone is there to watch them. So, we’re going over there to beat their tails in front of their wife and kids.”
The Browns weren’t able to use that bulletin board material to their advantage against the Ravens, falling 28-3 with Smith and Co. very much doing what he described in his pregame rant.
But against the 49ers, the Browns took the disrespect personally, especially running back Kareem Hunt.
“We ain’t going to let anyone come into first off my hometown,” Hunt said. “Not just my team, but my hometown, and talk that mess on the field. We have to come in here and defend it and play every home game like that. Everybody is coming in here trying to disrespect us and we can’t allow that.”
Not many people gave the Browns a chance against the previously undefeated 49ers, especially with backup quarterback PJ Walker drawing the start. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski admired his team’s fighting spirit — quick was on display before the game.
“The fight from this locker room — from pregame to the end of the game — guys, we weren’t to be denied tonight,” Stefanski said in his locker room speech after the win. “But I saw it in your eyes pregame. I saw what this team is about. Now, are we perfect? We’re not. But when we stick together, we’ve got a good football team.”
The Browns moved to 3-2 with the win and will hit the road to take on the Indianapolis Colts next week.
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