Darrelle Revis has enjoyed elite solitude on Revis Island for years. Now he is finding it a little more crowded.
Revis’ 2015 campaign finished with him rated as the 3rd-best cornerback according to Pro Football Focus. Being the 3rd-best cornerback in the league was a minor step back for Revis, but he was still seen as one of the NFL’s premier cover men.
At the 2007 NFL Combine, Revis ran a 4.38 time at his pro day. Ten years and a torn ACL later, there is no question that he has lost some of his speed and athleticism. But it wasn’t just his athleticism that made him one of the league’s premier shutdown cornerbacks. He has always had great technique, a nose for the ball and an understanding of the game.
Two weeks into the 2016 season, Revis has made the highlight reel in both games: trailing behind as AJ Green caught a 54-yard touchdown in week 1 and falling to the ground as Marquise Goodwin flew past him for an 84-yard touchdown in week 2. The thing that makes it even harder to believe is that it wasn’t just those two plays.
Bills WR Marquise Goodwin scores an 84 yard TD against Darrelle Revis.
Passes thrown Revis’ way so far this year: 9/9, 167 yrds, 1 TD #TNF
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 16, 2016
Quarterbacks have had huge success sending passes to Revis Island. To be clear, every single pass thrown in his direction has been completed. Every single one.
Which raises the question:
After #BUFvsNYJ, has #RevisIsland really turned into a dream destination for NFL WRs or is everyone overreacting?
— Best NFL Polls (@Best_NFL_Polls) September 16, 2016
The consensus seems to be that despite Revis’ decline, he is still a solid starting corner. Only time will tell what kind of cornerback he really is in 2016. But in the meantime, we can enjoy Twitter’s live feed of Revis Island.
AJ Green is burning down Revis Island! pic.twitter.com/KW0LvMlgnu
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) September 11, 2016
Darrelle Revis right now… 😂 #NYJvsBUF pic.twitter.com/uaBMDkw9DL
— Crying Jordan (@CryingJordan) September 16, 2016
“Who is: Darrelle Revis?”#JeopardySports #TNF pic.twitter.com/glbTh8jTNV
— Jeopardy! Sports (@JeopardySports) September 16, 2016
(Photo credit: Anthony Quintano via VisualHunt.com / CC BY)