Sunday, when they play the Jets, the Chargers will have more fans than usual, if for no other reason than if they win, it will mute windbag New York coach Rex Ryan. Imagine the Super Bowl media orgy with “Hurricane Rex” holding court? God help us all.
But Ryan got it right Tuesday when he questioned the Defensive Player of the Year voting, in which winner, Green Bay cornerback Charles Woodson, got 28 first-place votes to 14 for his standout corner, Darrelle Revis.
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Last weekend, while Woodson was among the Packers defensive backs abused by Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner in Arizona’s 51-45 win, yielding 6 catches, 82 yards and two touchdowns to Larry Fitzgerald, Revis was doing his shutdown thing, holding Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco to two catches for 28 yards and notching his seventh interception in New York’s 24-14 victory.
“The number that I think is interesting would be the number eight,” said Ryan. “No that’s not the amount of touchdown passes that Green Bay gave up against Arizona, that is the number of touchdown passes we gave up all season, and the biggest reason for that is Darrelle Revis.”
Woodson tied for the league lead with nine interceptions, including three he returned for scores. He probably clinched the award in Week 10 with a brilliant performance (nine tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack and an interception) in a 17-7 stuffing of Dallas.
But if you’re talking “lockdown corner,” no one fit the description this year better than Revis. Randy Moss caught more passes (5) in one game than anyone against Revis, but they accounted for only 34 yards. The man with the most yards against Revis? The Raiders’ Louis Murphy (58).
Some of the other stud receivers stranded on “Revis Island” were Houston’s Andre Johnson (4 catches, 35 yards), New Orleans’ Marques Colston (2-33), Atlanta’s Roddy White (4-33), Indianapolis’s Reggie Wayne (3-33), and Buffalo’s Terrell Owens (6-46 in two games). Against Carolina’s Steve Smith, Revis had two interceptions while allowing two catches for two yards.
San Diego’s 6-5 Vincent Jackson is next in the box against the 5-11 Revis. Jackson already sounds resigned to playing decoy.
“I would love to have a great game against him,” said Jackson. “But if I don’t have 100 yards or something, I might only get the ball thrown to me twice, but that’s okay.”
