ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Damarri Mathis is pretty good for being the “other” corner.
He better be because with a first-team All Pro playing the Broncos’ opposite corner in Pat Surtain II, Mathis will get more than his share of passes thrown his way.
“That’s what’s going to happen,’’ Mathis said Monday in an interview with 9NEWS. “I know I’m going to get a lot of action. It comes with the territory, the position. Cornerback, you’ve got to have a lot of swag, a lot of confidence. I have that. I’m ready for whatever. I’m going to continue with the task at hand and do my job against whoever’s in front of me.”
Surtain is not only the Broncos’ best cornerback since first ballot Hall of Famer Champ Bailey, he rivals the Jets’ Sauce Gardner as the best cornerback in the NFL. The son of an 11-year NFL cornerback and three-time Pro Bowler for the Dolphins and Chiefs in the 2000s, Surtain has been able to cover everything that moves from the time he left the crib.
While Surtain is a long and quick and a superb technician, Mathis, a fourth-round draft choice out of Pitt last year, is more physical, a stronger tackler compared to most other corners. And NFL starting debut aside, Mathis can also cover. The tandem of Surtain and Mathis should complement each other well in 2023.
“Pat’s an all-around corner, he can do it all,’’ Mathis said. “He can shut out your top receiver, he can tackle. He’s smart. I learned a lot from him last year because he played a lot of ball. I feel like we complement each other well. We’re both technical, smart players, physical and we can run. I feel like we have some of the same abilities but I’m still trying to work to get to his level.”
No one went after Mathis more last year than Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who now holds the same position with the Broncos. In game 6 last season, Lombardi had quarterback Justin Herbert throw Mathis’ way literally from the start. First play of the game, Mathis picked up a 30-yard pass interference penalty. There would be two more P.I.’s called on Mathis in the first half and he got his fourth such infraction in the fourth quarter.
The last two pass-interference penalties were so touchy-touchy, it looked like the back judge was picking on him.
But to his credit, Mathis saw from the film how he can adjust so even the most flag-happy officials wouldn’t get him. Mathis started the next 10 games last season without getting a pass-interference call. Looking back, that rough starting debut – the Broncos lost in overtime – may have helped Mathis long-term.
“Yeah, I feel like it made me clean up my technique a lot more,’’ he said. “Coming out of college that was a big thing, me being handsy. So I really addressed it. I felt like that was my welcome to the NFL moment. I worked on cleaning my hands up, cleaning my eyes up, tying my feet and hands, keeping it clean out there and as you could see, I didn’t have any more pass-interference calls after that game. I did focus on that.”
Indeed, it’s a far different cornerback Lombardi is watching in Broncos’ training camp this year than what he saw last October at SoFi Stadium. So has Surtain.
“Confidence,’’ Surtain said of Mathis. “He played good ball for us last year and he’s only going to get better. Sky’s the limit for him. He’s shown improvement each and every day, each and every week. When you got a guy like that opposite of you it brings more confidence out of me, too. He’s making plays and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table this year.”
In year two for Mathis, there’s been no hesitation from new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Mathis is the starter opposite Surtain. The “other” corner, perhaps, but the Broncos will need a big-play season from Mathis if they are to improve dramatically from their 5-12 record of a year ago. Mathis is confident the Broncos will be better thanks in no small part to new head coach Sean Payton.
“It’s a lot more intense,’’ Mathis said. “You can just feel it when coach Sean got here. He’s about business, that’s the best way I can sum it up. He’s straight to the point and I feel like I’m the same type of player so it’s good for me, personally.”
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