Very few receivers in the NFL have had any type of success against Darrelle Revis over the past five seasons. Since the Jets drafted him in the first round in 2007, Revis has been able to turn some of the best receivers in the league into complete no-shows who are lucky to manage three catches for 25 yards against New York. That has not quite been the case for Stevie Johnson.
The two meet twice a year, and Johnson’s 79.5-yard average in two meetings against Revis last year have some saying he owns the Pro Bowl cornerback. The ruler of Revis Island disagees.
That’s the position I’m in,” Revis said according to the NY Daily News. “The success that I’ve had is the reason why maybe people criticize me a different way. You just roll with the punches. I’m not panicking over nothing. I know how to play ball. I play great ball. I’m not panicking because a guy got 70 yards.”
Revis gave up one touchdown all last season, and Johnson was the receiver who caught it. Does that mean he owns him, or is the fact that people make a big deal out of 160 yards and a touchdown in two meetings just another reminder of how good Revis is? If Calvin Johnson averaged 75 yards and 0.5 scores against a corner, we would probably say the corner does a terrific job of keeping him at bay.
The same is true of Revis, who like Megatron is arguably the best player at his position. When someone has even a little success against players like that it’s magnified. From the Jets perspective, 75 yards a game out of your opponent’s best receiver is probably considered a success.
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