[h=1]How Revis affects Patriots' defense[/h][h=3]Looking at Revis' impact on New England's personnel, scheme[/h]By Field Yates | ESPN Insider
The New England Patriots employ a unique grading scale that tops out at 9.0. A player, whether a draft prospect or free agent, receives a 9.0 mark when the team projects him to have uncommon production near a Hall of Fame level. The adjective synonym for a 9.0 is "rare." On Wednesday night, less than 24 hours after seeing their top free agent sign with their top conference rival (cornerback Aqib Talib to Denver), the Patriots added a rare chip.
Cornerback Darrelle Revis isn't just the best player at his position in football -- given the premium of cornerbacks and the multitude of ways he can be used within a defense -- but he is arguably the best defensive player in football. Signing him to a one-year, $12 million deal is an impact arrangement. What makes Revis so good? And what will his impact be on the Patriots' defense from a performance and schematic standpoint? Let's take a look at each question individually.
[h=3]Revis' skill set[/h]
What makes Revis such a terrific player? There's a lot to it. He has exceptional reactive athleticism that allows him to match and mirror opposing wide receivers in man coverage. He has the hip fluidity to adjust to routes while keeping leverage, all the while maintaining vision of the quarterback's progression. He has good size (5-foot-11, 198 pounds) and long arms to extend and press at the line of scrimmage. Revis possesses a standout ability to jam opposing wideouts and stay square at the snap, without opening the gate to let receivers run free.
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He's a capable and willing tackler, affecting the run game as an alley support player. To top it off, he has excellent ball skills and on-ball production. He can sky toward the football, and he has the instincts to read opposing route combinations and the savvy to know when to take risks. If there's a hole in Revis' game, it's hard to find.
[h=3]How to use him?[/h]
Revis hasn't even been assigned a jersey number in New England, so it's a little premature to say precisely how they'll use him, but we can use Talib's role last season and Revis' skill to make an educated guess . Talib was the Patriots' lockdown cornerback last year. And it showed. The team often left him to shadow an opposing team's top receiver, even guarding tight ends on occasion (he helped hold Jimmy Graham without a catch in a Week 5 meeting).
Expect more of the same with Revis. The ability to isolate a cornerback on a single wideout allows the Patriots to tilt their coverage elsewhere. Safety Devin McCourty can be used to shade the side opposite Revis, which helps to protect cornerbacks Logan Ryan and Alfonzo Dennard. Each is a developing young player, but neither possesses the elite speed to go stride for stride with vertical wideouts.
The Patriots can allocate additional resources -- for example, another linebacker to extend into underneath coverage -- to the side away from Revis, as we often saw during his Jets years. Linebacker Jamie Collins came on strong toward the end of last season, and he represents the type of player the Pats can utilize further in pass-defense concepts.
Revis isn't a cure-all for a secondary's woes, but he can be reasonably counted on to eliminate a top-tier wideout each game. The Patriots have the ability to use Revis in the football equivalent of a box-and-one defense. With a 2014 schedule that includes such wide receivers as Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Demaryius Thomas, Brandon Marshall, Mike Wallace and Jordy Nelson, among others, the Patriots will likely lean heavily on Revis to account for those players.
[h=3]Ripple effect beyond the secondary[/h]
The Revis effect isn't just about the secondary. It extends to the front seven, as well. The Patriots' improved ability to play man-to-man defense and lock up opposing passing games extends their ability to bring pressure up front. During his best seasons with the Jets, Revis was part of a defense that manufactured pressure from all levels. Jets coach Rex Ryan is among the game's most creative and innovative defensive minds, and the Jets didn't have to rely on a dominant rusher to generate pressure. They did it with their scheme, aided by a trustworthy secondary.
The Patriots registered 47 sacks in the 2013 regular season (fifth-best in the NFL), but fell short of creating much pressure on Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship Game. Part of that stemmed from Talib leaving the game early, preventing the Pats from being able to play their same schemes in the back end of the defense.
With Revis in town, the secondary is even better-equipped to rely on man principles, opening the door for the Patriots to tap into the explosive rush ability of such players as Collins and defensive end Chandler Jones.
[h=3]Cornerback depth chart[/h]
Revis bolts to the top of the cornerback depth chart, of course, replacing Talib. Behind him, the Patriots have three cornerbacks they feel good about, with 2013 rookie Ryan as the potential breakout player for 2014. Ryan has exceptional ball skills that help compensate for just sufficient speed.
Dennard has been a starter for parts of two seasons and has shown strong on-ball production of his own, excelling in zone concepts. Veteran Kyle Arrington, meanwhile, gives the team inside/outside versatility. That core four gives the Patriots the bodies to keep up with Denver's high-caliber passing attack.
[h=3]Does this make New England the AFC favorite?[/h]
I addressed this question with a few other Insider contributors on Wednesday night. The Patriots took a step backward when they lost Talib on Tuesday night, but vaulted past their original point by adding Revis. At least defensively. The reigning AFC champion Broncos have lost wideout Eric Decker in free agency and could lose running back Knowshon Moreno. From a Patriots defense versus Denver offense perspective, things have evened out a little bit.
Is that enough to stake the claim of the Patriots as the AFC favorite? Not yet, as the Broncos have added dominant defensive players in free agency and will return premier left tackle Ryan Clady from injury next season. If the Patriots can re-sign wide receiver Julian Edelman, that would help tilt the field in their direction.
One thing is clear, however: These two clubs are the pair to chase in the AFC entering the 2014 season. Keep an eye early in the season on the impact Revis has on the Pats' defense.
The New England Patriots employ a unique grading scale that tops out at 9.0. A player, whether a draft prospect or free agent, receives a 9.0 mark when the team projects him to have uncommon production near a Hall of Fame level. The adjective synonym for a 9.0 is "rare." On Wednesday night, less than 24 hours after seeing their top free agent sign with their top conference rival (cornerback Aqib Talib to Denver), the Patriots added a rare chip.
Cornerback Darrelle Revis isn't just the best player at his position in football -- given the premium of cornerbacks and the multitude of ways he can be used within a defense -- but he is arguably the best defensive player in football. Signing him to a one-year, $12 million deal is an impact arrangement. What makes Revis so good? And what will his impact be on the Patriots' defense from a performance and schematic standpoint? Let's take a look at each question individually.
[h=3]Revis' skill set[/h]
What makes Revis such a terrific player? There's a lot to it. He has exceptional reactive athleticism that allows him to match and mirror opposing wide receivers in man coverage. He has the hip fluidity to adjust to routes while keeping leverage, all the while maintaining vision of the quarterback's progression. He has good size (5-foot-11, 198 pounds) and long arms to extend and press at the line of scrimmage. Revis possesses a standout ability to jam opposing wideouts and stay square at the snap, without opening the gate to let receivers run free.
<OFFER></OFFER>
He's a capable and willing tackler, affecting the run game as an alley support player. To top it off, he has excellent ball skills and on-ball production. He can sky toward the football, and he has the instincts to read opposing route combinations and the savvy to know when to take risks. If there's a hole in Revis' game, it's hard to find.
[h=3]How to use him?[/h]
Revis hasn't even been assigned a jersey number in New England, so it's a little premature to say precisely how they'll use him, but we can use Talib's role last season and Revis' skill to make an educated guess . Talib was the Patriots' lockdown cornerback last year. And it showed. The team often left him to shadow an opposing team's top receiver, even guarding tight ends on occasion (he helped hold Jimmy Graham without a catch in a Week 5 meeting).
Expect more of the same with Revis. The ability to isolate a cornerback on a single wideout allows the Patriots to tilt their coverage elsewhere. Safety Devin McCourty can be used to shade the side opposite Revis, which helps to protect cornerbacks Logan Ryan and Alfonzo Dennard. Each is a developing young player, but neither possesses the elite speed to go stride for stride with vertical wideouts.
The Patriots can allocate additional resources -- for example, another linebacker to extend into underneath coverage -- to the side away from Revis, as we often saw during his Jets years. Linebacker Jamie Collins came on strong toward the end of last season, and he represents the type of player the Pats can utilize further in pass-defense concepts.
Revis isn't a cure-all for a secondary's woes, but he can be reasonably counted on to eliminate a top-tier wideout each game. The Patriots have the ability to use Revis in the football equivalent of a box-and-one defense. With a 2014 schedule that includes such wide receivers as Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green, Demaryius Thomas, Brandon Marshall, Mike Wallace and Jordy Nelson, among others, the Patriots will likely lean heavily on Revis to account for those players.
[h=3]Ripple effect beyond the secondary[/h]
The Revis effect isn't just about the secondary. It extends to the front seven, as well. The Patriots' improved ability to play man-to-man defense and lock up opposing passing games extends their ability to bring pressure up front. During his best seasons with the Jets, Revis was part of a defense that manufactured pressure from all levels. Jets coach Rex Ryan is among the game's most creative and innovative defensive minds, and the Jets didn't have to rely on a dominant rusher to generate pressure. They did it with their scheme, aided by a trustworthy secondary.
The Patriots registered 47 sacks in the 2013 regular season (fifth-best in the NFL), but fell short of creating much pressure on Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship Game. Part of that stemmed from Talib leaving the game early, preventing the Pats from being able to play their same schemes in the back end of the defense.
With Revis in town, the secondary is even better-equipped to rely on man principles, opening the door for the Patriots to tap into the explosive rush ability of such players as Collins and defensive end Chandler Jones.
[h=3]Cornerback depth chart[/h]
Revis bolts to the top of the cornerback depth chart, of course, replacing Talib. Behind him, the Patriots have three cornerbacks they feel good about, with 2013 rookie Ryan as the potential breakout player for 2014. Ryan has exceptional ball skills that help compensate for just sufficient speed.
Dennard has been a starter for parts of two seasons and has shown strong on-ball production of his own, excelling in zone concepts. Veteran Kyle Arrington, meanwhile, gives the team inside/outside versatility. That core four gives the Patriots the bodies to keep up with Denver's high-caliber passing attack.
[h=3]Does this make New England the AFC favorite?[/h]
I addressed this question with a few other Insider contributors on Wednesday night. The Patriots took a step backward when they lost Talib on Tuesday night, but vaulted past their original point by adding Revis. At least defensively. The reigning AFC champion Broncos have lost wideout Eric Decker in free agency and could lose running back Knowshon Moreno. From a Patriots defense versus Denver offense perspective, things have evened out a little bit.
Is that enough to stake the claim of the Patriots as the AFC favorite? Not yet, as the Broncos have added dominant defensive players in free agency and will return premier left tackle Ryan Clady from injury next season. If the Patriots can re-sign wide receiver Julian Edelman, that would help tilt the field in their direction.
One thing is clear, however: These two clubs are the pair to chase in the AFC entering the 2014 season. Keep an eye early in the season on the impact Revis has on the Pats' defense.
