Around the AFC East, Week 5: New York Jets

by Brian Galliford on Jun 20, 2008 7:00 AM EDT in AFC East Comment 6 comments

It's Friday, and with the penultimate day of the week, we bring to you another round of Around the AFC East. We're pleased to be joined once again this morning Brian Bassett, head writer of The Jets Blog, to learn a little more about our green-and-white clad enemies prior to the start of the 2008 season. Today's topic: second-year cornerback Darrelle Revis.

In the 2007 draft, the Bills reportedly seriously considered three players with the #12 pick - RB Marshawn Lynch (whom they selected), LB Paul Posluszny (whom they would later draft at #34), and CB Darrelle Revis. What are your thoughts on Revis' rookie year as a Jet? With a year under his belt, can he make strides toward becoming one of the league's better corners?

The Jets Blog: I got the pleasure to interview him briefly on Draft Day this year, which you can watch me gush over him. Revis earned the nickname "Baby Lockdown" last year from teammate Kerry Rhodes and came on strong towards the end of the season. Revis was hampered earlier in the season by the fact that he held out of camp for so long while contracts were worked out ... his and last year's holdout LG Pete Kendall's agent were the same. From Week 1, Revis started and played progressively better as the season went along. His worst game came against Braylon Edwards who abused him on a TD scoring drive twice, but when you look back at the NE game in Foxboro (blah blah blah bad weather) it's clear that he held his own against Randy Moss and others during the season. In his first year in the pros, he had 17 Passes Defensed, just one off Asante Samuel's best of 18 in 2007.

All that to say, I think you can expect some good things from Revis this year. I'd expect him to make more than five interceptions this season (just three last year) and to start to be a player that QBs look to throw away from.

I've got to admit, I was a Darrelle Revis fan heading into last year's draft. Sure, I was making every attempt to assert myself as a leader on the Patrick Willis bandwagon (a move I don't regret - Fooch understands), but the Bills needed a corner last year, and Revis is ultra-talented. He's fast, he's explosive with the ball in his hands, he's tough. With Asante Samuel out of the division, Revis may be on the fast track to claiming the title of "best corner in the AFC East". That is, unless Leodis McKelvin beats him to the throne first.

We'll be back with Dolphins and Patriots editions of Around the AFC East later on today.

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Lockdown vs Shutdown Corner

Are these terms one in the same? If so, it seem like very team in the league thinks it has at least one. Clements got shutdown CB money, but was abused by WRs on a regular basis. What are the criteria for being a shutdown corner? To me, it is a CB that the opposing QB refuses to throw at, a CB who can consistently make their opponent’s best WR disappear without needed help from the SS or FS. How about run support? To be a shutdown CB, should they have to be good at run support too? I would put very few CBs in the league in that category. Maybe my bar is set to high?

by Joe P. on Jun 20, 2008 8:06 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

No, I don’t think your bar is set too high – I just don’t think there are many shut-down/lock-down corners (whatever you want to call them) in today’s game. I do, however, think the Bills drafted one this year…

by Brian Galliford on Jun 20, 2008 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hope your right,

and the Jets are wrong about Revis. Probably to much to ask for.

by Joe P. on Jun 20, 2008 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

McKelvin will be better

It says a lot that in a year loaded with 1st round corners McKelvin was the consensus number 1 among most scouts. Thats exciting stuff guys.

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Jun 20, 2008 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think

that bar is set too high and there are still very few shutdown corners in the league.

it is a CB that the opposing QB refuses to throw at, a CB who can consistently make their opponent’s best WR disappear without needed help from the SS or FS

Champ Bailey has been the best corner in the league for the past 5+ seasons. He has 21 INTs in the last 3 seasons. Bailey allowed players like Hines Ward (7 catches, 78 yards), Dwayne Bowe (9 catches, 105 yards), Andre Johnson (6 catches, 86 yards, TD), Vincent Jackson in week 5 (3 catches, 84 yards, TD) and Chris Chambers in week 16 (4 catches, 71 yards, TD) to have solid days last year. He did completely shut down guys like Reggie Wayne, Donald Driver, Roy Williams and our very own Lee Evans. That just shows you that a player who quarterbacks won’t throw at and is able to dominate doesn’t exist at the CB position.

I think a lockdown and shutdown corner are the same thing and I would define one as: a cornerback who can be left alone on an island in man coverage. He will win that battle most times and can turn single coverage, a positive matchup for a quarterback, into a big play for the defense. Without doing too much research I would say there are maybe 5-10 of those guys in the league.

by kaisertown on Jun 20, 2008 9:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs