Randy Moss didn’t buy Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis’ claim that he contained Tom Brady’s top target in man-to-man coverage throughout Sunday’s game.
“There are no shutdown corners in the league, because they have [safety] help most of the game,” Moss said.
Perhaps Moss is right and Revis did have considerable support from strong safety Jim Leonhard, plus the benefit of a potent pass rush. But if there aren’t actually any true shutdown corners in the NFL, the 24-year-old Revis appears to be the next best thing.
In the first two weeks of the season, Revis has been matched up with the Texans’ Andre Johnson and Moss — two of the elite wide receivers in the league.
Johnson managed just four catches for a measly 35 yards against the Jets in Houston’s season opener, then went on to torch the Titans’ Nick Harper for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches in Week 2. Moss had no trouble reeling in 12 catches for 141 yards versus the Bills’ Terrence McGee in Week 1, before struggling to contribute 24 yards on four receptions in a loss to New York on Sunday.
The Titans and Bills may have neither the Jets’ terrific pass rush nor Rex Ryan’s blitz and coverage creativity, but there’s quite a bit more to the difference in production by their top receiving threats than other defensive disparities. And that gap is primarily filled by the talent that Revis — a first-round pick out of Pittsburgh in 2007 — brings to the table.
Prior to this year, the title of best shutdown corner in football was bestowed upon the Raiders’ Nnamdi Asomugha. But after Oakland’s first-round pick in 2003 was burned for touchdowns by San Diego’s Vincent Jackson and Kansas City’s Dwayne Bowe in each of the first two games, perhaps it’s time for a changing of the guard.
Revis has certainly talked the talk. Now, he’ll have a chance to walk the walk.
