Security Blanket

How good is Darrelle Revis? I haven’t paid this much attention to an NFL cornerback since Deion Sanders was still in the league and I don’t think even Prime Time’s instincts were this good. Sanders was just a freakish athlete. Revis seems to have an uncanny knack, not only the ball, but for the man he’s covering as well. It’s as if he knows what the wide receiver is going to do before he even does it.

Cornerback has to be the most unforgiving position in football. A bad corner will get picked on all day to the detriment of his team. You’re either a hero or a goat with no in between.

Covering someone like a blanket is an overused sports cliché but that’s exactly what Revis does. He’s a huge reason the Jets are one win away from the Super Bowl. Opposing quarterbacks won’t even throw to his side of the field.

This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.