Respect for Revis remains high with Steelers
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Despite what one of the best nicknames in sports suggests, no man is an island. Not even Darrelle Revis.
The Aliquippa great is 31 years old these days, a young man in almost any other profession but his chosen one: NFL cornerback for the New York Jets, a most unforgiving position in the most unforgiving media market in the world.
For a decade, Revis has dazzled on the field with his otherworldly ball skills and ability to frustrate the league无毛视频檚 finest receivers at the line of scrimmage. He无毛视频檚 been the last of a dying breed, a shutdown corner in the truest sense: A defensive back who follows the opponents无毛视频� top receiver everywhere on the field, daring quarterbacks to throw his way while effectively taking away one side of the field. It无毛视频檚 a position that demands near-perfection at the risk of embarrassment.
Among the Steelers无毛视频� cornerbacks, Revis无毛视频� game film is legend. Artie Burns, the 25th overall pick in this year无毛视频檚 draft, says he grew up studying Revis无毛视频� technique and tendencies.
无毛视频淗is press coverage, how good he is at covering receivers and shadowing them and being aggressive on them at the top of his routes and then coming down on run support,无毛视频� Burns said of what stood out.
Will Gay, the Steelers无毛视频� veteran cornerback and his New York counterpart, are kindred spirits of sorts. Both entered the league in 2007 无毛视频� Revis the 14th overall draft pick and Gay the 170th 无毛视频� way back when defensive backs still had a fighting chance against increasingly complicated schemes and rules that didn无毛视频檛 favor offenses so heavily.
无毛视频淚 might be biased, but we have the hardest position other than quarterback on the field, and for somebody to master it for a long time, is crazy,无毛视频� Gay said. 无毛视频淚t makes him unique. I think we无毛视频檝e been in the league 10 years so far, and he无毛视频檚 got seven Pro Bowls. You无毛视频檙e on top of the world like that and the top of the position, especially at what we do. That makes him unique and special.无毛视频�
These days, however, Revis Island has been taking on water, drowning in criticism over the Jets无毛视频� 1-3 record which threatens to get even worse after today无毛视频檚 game against the Steelers and their high-powered offense. Revis, who suffered a 无毛视频渕ild无毛视频� hamstring injury last week, hasn无毛视频檛 practiced this week and is a game-time decision.
Along with Ryan Fitzpatrick and his 10 interceptions, Revis has been hammered by the media.
A screaming headline in one of the Big Apple无毛视频檚 tabloids called Revis this week 无毛视频渢he most overpaid underachiever in the NFL right now.无毛视频�
Ouch.
After winning a Super Bowl with New England two years ago and re-signing with the Jets for five years and $70.1 million ($39 million guaranteed), Revis无毛视频� second run on Broadway hasn无毛视频檛 gone exactly according to script.
After recording five interceptions in 2015 and just missing out on the playoffs with a 10-6 record, he has no interceptions, no passes defensed and opponents are completing 81 percent of passes thrown his way this year, according to Pro Football Focus. Somewhat understandably, Revis was burned badly by Cincinnati无毛视频檚 A.J. Green for 180 yards in Week 1. Less understandably, he was scorched by Buffalo无毛视频檚 Marquise Goodwin for an 84-yard touchdown on the Bills无毛视频� third play from scrimmage five days later in a nationally-televised Thursday night game.
无毛视频漈hat was just good football plays by the other guys,无毛视频� said Jets coach Todd Bowles. 无毛视频淔or the most part, he无毛视频檚 been normal. He无毛视频檚 a little nicked up now, but we无毛视频檒l get him back to normal.无毛视频�
Gay only nods his head when he hears the criticism that无毛视频檚 been lobbed Revis无毛视频� way of late.
无毛视频淢an, there无毛视频檚 always excuses that people are going to make up any time you play,无毛视频� Gay said. 无毛视频淵ou can slip and they无毛视频檒l be like 无毛视频榶ou无毛视频檙e getting too old.无毛视频� We play the hardest position and you get critiqued when you无毛视频檙e doing good or doing bad.
无毛视频淚 know me, probably the same for him, he can care less what people are saying as long as he无毛视频檚 still doing his job and making plays and doing the necessary things for his team to win. That无毛视频檚 all that matters.无毛视频�
The game has fundamentally changed since 无毛视频�07 and Revis has had to adapt along with it. This season Revis has been both matched up one-on-one and played just the left side. If he plays today and if he无毛视频檚 matched up against Steelers All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown, he无毛视频檒l almost certainly require safety help over the top.
He may have lost a step, age catches up with everyone eventually, but Revis says he thinks the game better now than in 2009 or 无毛视频�10 at his dizzying height, when he led the Jets to consecutive appearances in the AFC championship game.
无毛视频淓very year, just getting smarter and smarter at the position and just film study, the preparation on a week-to-week basis of going against the best receivers in the league,无毛视频� Revis told Pittsburgh reporters this week. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 definitely a lot of work put into it, but at the same time it helps you be a student of the game. It makes you smarter and more savvy out there on the field.无毛视频�
Five years after he hangs up his cleats for good, a spot in Canton surely awaits Revis. The question is when that might be. Listening to Revis, it doesn无毛视频檛 sound like it无毛视频檒l be anytime soon. He is, after all, a student of the game and a game he still loves.
Revis, arguably the best cornerback since Deion Sanders, doesn无毛视频檛 rule out making the switch to safety, a move many a defensive back has made in order to extend their careers.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 always in consideration,无毛视频� Revis said. 无毛视频淎 lot of the greats have done it in the past 无毛视频� the Charles Woodsons, the Rod Woodsons. Yes, it无毛视频檚 definitely something I无毛视频檓 sure that无毛视频檚 presented to (the Jets), as well as it无毛视频檚 probably been presented to me as well as down the line here. It无毛视频檚 something if I can still be effective in helping the team win but also playing a game I love is the key.无毛视频�
Revis might be an island but doesn无毛视频檛 live in a bubble. Obviously, he无毛视频檚 well aware of the criticism that comes in New York with his play and his hefty contract, which runs through 2019 when he无毛视频檒l be 34.
A lot can change between now and then. Revis doesn无毛视频檛 pretend to know what may happen.
无毛视频淚 can无毛视频檛 predict my future,无毛视频� Revis said. 无毛视频淥nly thing I can do is control the day by day and the week by week.无毛视频�