Jaguars CB Montaric Brown proves haters wrong with outstanding game vs. Saints

The Jacksonville Jaguars were without star cornerback Tyson Campbell on Thursday Night Football but they had a capable replacement in sophomore Montaric "Buster" Brown, who contributed to the 31-24 win.

Campbell suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6 and didn't practice on the days preceding the Saints game. That paved the way for Brown to make his first start of the 2023 season. The former Arkansas Razorback showed he was up to the task, giving up just four receptions for 52 yards on 10 targets. On top of that, he had two crucial passes defensed in the red zone, including the one that put an end to New Orleans' last-minute comeback attempt.

A seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft, Brown appeared in eight games and made one start last year. Before Thursday Night Football, he had played a total of 55 defensive snaps this season. Against the Saints, he tallied 86. Following the game, Brown said he proved the haters wrong, "It wasn't perfect but got the job done."

Early in the game, Brown gave up a reception to wide receiver Chris Olave. He said after the game that cornerbacks have to have short memories when they surrender plays and move on to the next one if they want to have success."

"When plays happen on you, you have to have amnesia. You've got to forget about it and keep going. If you can't do that at corner, you don't need to play corner. I just had to have it in myself, keep going, trust my preparation," Brown said, via Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL.

The Jaguars will keep leaing on Montaric Brown if Tyson Campbell misses more time

Hamstring injuries are tricky and it's hard to tell if Tyson Campbell will be available for the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9. Working in his favor is that the team will have a long weekend, so he'll have more time to heal. Having said that, the Jacksonville Jaguars don't have to rush Campbell back knowing Brown can deliver if called upon. Following the game, head coach Doug Pederson had praise for Brown.

"He did some good things, he's a young player, second-year player for us. We're missing Tyson Campbell, so it's the next man up, and Buster is the next man, and he's worked. He's worked hard to put himself in this position. He works hard and practice, it's not always going to be perfect or pretty or all of that but he made plays when he needed to and that's the most important part, so really proud of him, the way he played tonight," Pederson said.

Brown's success against the Saints shouldn't have as a surprise though. He made progress in training camp and Pederson himself brought him up, along with fellow cornerback Gregory Junior, when talking about the players who had improved the most in the offseason.

There's still plenty of time before the Jaguars know whether Tyson Campbell will suit up in Week 8. But if he isn't good to go, they should feel good knowing Montaric Brown is ready to step up.

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