Tonight we give out a game ball for the first seven games of the season. It is frankly no contest. Darrelle Revis wins hands down. Revis is having another season like 2009, which might have been the finest a cornerback has ever had factoring in the rules that favor receivers in today's game.
Pro Football Focus estimates opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 2.9 throwing at Revis this season. Quarterbacks have completed 10 passes on Darrelle this season. They have a 30.3 completion percentage. While Revis has allowed 10 completions, he has intercepted 4 balls, an incredible rate for a corner. All the more impressive is the difficulty of Revis' weekly assignments. He does not just pick a side like a lot of corners. He usually follows the best guy around, whether the receiver goes right, left, or the slot. The Jets leave him alone and roll coverage away from him.
In 2009 Revis was robbed of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Charles Woodson won it largely on name recognition. There was a perception Revis had only one good year to that point despite an excellent rookie season in 2007 and a deserved Pro Bowl nod in 2008. This time Revis is the big name. He is one of the favorites for the award this season.