When I first altered this column to spotlight one stand-out duel instead of reviewing three separate match-ups from a week’s play, it was Week 12 last season. The featured match-up that week was Buffalo receiver Stevie Johnson breaking out of “Revis Island” to give the league’s premier shutdown corner one of his worst days in coverage. As a new season gets underway, it seems only fitting to return to the scene of the crime, MetLife Stadium, and cast an eye over the match-up that saw Darrelle Revis reassert his authority over Johnson.
Johnson had more success against Revis in 2011 than any other receiver, notching 12 receptions on 19 targets with an average gain of 13.4 yards. Those numbers may not leap out at you, but for two games against Revis, they were exceptional. No receiver in the league had close to that amount success against the Jets’ No. 1 corner last season, all seemingly unable to match Johnson's “abstract” route running to get open against Revis’ aggressive man coverage technique.
This was a much talked about battle last year, but was overshadowed this offseason by the Bills’ upgrades on defense and the Jets’ acquisition of Tim Tebow. So let's redress that balance and take a look at what is becoming a fantastic, twice annual, Marquee Match-up.
Q1 09:56 – 2nd-and-13 – Interception
This was Revis’ first interception against the Buffalo Bills since 2009 when he intercepted one pass and broke up four others as part of a game that earned him a +3.6 coverage grade at Orchard Park. The Bills stacked Johnson and Donald Jones to the left side, to which the Jets responded by playing Revis in off coverage with slot corner Kyle Wilson up on both receivers.
Wilson tried to press Johnson on his release, but quickly peeled off to cover Jones, leaving Revis one-on-one with Johnson. From there, Revis simply baited Bills’ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick into a poor throw, playing off and inside of the route before driving on the pass as Fitzpatrick released it. Arm strength has never been a strong suit for Fitzpatrick and even with no pressure and able to step into the throw, he couldn’t beat Revis’ coverage. The throw was left inside and allowed the Jet to undercut Johnson to the ball, tapping two feet in bounds to give himself and the New York defense the perfect start to the season.
Q2 13:49 – 3rd-and-13 – 12-yard Completion
In this matchup in New York (City) last season, Johnson collected one third down conversion early in the second quarter, but this time he was denied an even earlier third down conversion as, for a rare occasion, Revis got help in coverage from one of the Jets’ safeties. On his only passing snap operating from the left slot, Johnson still drew coverage from Revis as he worked to the markers with a vertical release up the numbers. Revis was perhaps a step slow in reacting and could not prevent the completion being made as he turned to the inside and had no play on Johnson before the markers. However, Johnson and the Bills were blindsided as the second defender in this coverage came in to do his job and save the day for the Jets’ defense, getting the Bills off of the field. Debutant LaRon Landry read the play well, never backing off from his safety spot, and reacted to the pass quickly, closing to lay a strong hit on Johnson to stop him short.
Q2 12:01 – 2nd-and-7 – 7-yard Completion, First Down
On this second target in the second quarter, the Bills again looked for Johnson emerging from a stack, as he motioned from outside the numbers to line up just off Jones, this time in the right slot. Revis was again playing off coverage, and this time Johnson worked underneath him, turning in front on a hitch route to make the catch as Revis closed to make the tackle. This was a relatively unspectacular target but did net the Bills a first down conversion as a result of what appeared to be an extremely generous spot from the officials.
Q2 10:07 – 3rd-and-3 – 7-yard Completion, First Down
This next target and conversion only three plays later was most definitely not generous officiating as Johnson clearly and cleanly got open against Revis on a hitch route for a third-down pick-up. As ever, in man coverage, Revis took away any inside release for Johnson allowing him up the sideline, knowing that on third and intermediate the Bills would very likely be looking for something short and to the inside. Johnson, however, worked well to draw Revis upfield and then stop and turn back underneath, using his hands to swim back in front of Revis to make himself available to Fitzpatrick. Making the catch cleanly with his hands, Johnson quickly brought the ball into his body to ensure that it wouldn't be dislodged and that his forward momentum netted the Bills a first down.
Q3 13:20 – 1st-and-20 – Incomplete Pass
All of Johnson’s targets against Revis came within the first seven minutes of each quarter. The Bills looked to him early in the second half to get them out of a hole after a holding penalty backed them up to their own 10-yard line. Once again, Revis allowed an outside release, quickly covering a jab step to the inside and facing Johnson up the left sideline. At this point Johnson was left with very little space to work with and Revis had successfully defended the Bills’ No. 1 receiver, even though he couldn’t see the football. Fitzpatrick looked for Johnson to stop up the sideline, but with Revis blocking his view, he simply couldn’t do it in time. Chalk this one up to Revis’ positioning forcing a tough throw and some disconnect between quarterback and receiver.
Q3 08:26 – 1st-and-10 – Incomplete Pass
Last season Johnson did some excellent work against Revis on isolation routes and, in spite of the close company of LaRon Landry, he was again able to make this comeback route all about him and Revis. On this occasion, he fought through Revis’ coverage to get an inside release and work upfield drifting towards the numbers, taking the attention of Landry. Just past the markers Johnson made a sharp turn to get back to the sideline heading for the markers, getting separation from Revis to make the catch. However, in a classic example of parry and counter the Jets’ top corner responded by closing and pushing Johnson out of bounds before he could get his second foot down. Good route running and a good recovery from Revis meant that the presence of Landry was irrelevant to this play.
Q4 12:54 – 1st-and-10 – Incomplete Pass
Johnson’s touchdown against Revis last season came on a slant where he got inside of Revis in off coverage. This play was not on the goal line, but showed a lesson learned for Revis against a similar route. Johnson got inside of Revis' press coverage this time with a shimmy at the line of scrimmage that opened the corner up. At the point that Fitzpatrick is set to throw, Johnson has seemingly got the high ground and the best Revis can do is limit the yardage gained. Instead, Revis gambles and looks to come underneath Johnson’s route and it comes off as he leaps across in front of Johnson to break up the pass. Once again, Johnson made a nice play to get separation, but Revis showed in this game that not only is he fundamentally excellent in coverage, but he can also recover when a receiver looks to have got the better of him.
Q4 12:24 – 2nd-and-10 – Incomplete Pass
Having got the better of Revis initially on the last two targets and come away empty-handed, Johnson was stymied on his final target of the game — as was Ryan Fitzpatrick, taken down as he threw by Muhammad Wilkerson. This time Revis allowed no separation off of the line as he mirrored Johnson’s shimmy and got straight onto his hip, tracking him upfield on an outside release. Wilkerson’s pressure ensured that the pass came out slightly sooner than Revis might have expected, but his excellent positioning meant that he took away Johnson’s shortest route to the ball. As Johnson tried to work underneath Revis to get to it, he simply couldn’t catch up.
Score This One for Revis
On many levels this is one of my favorite one-on-one matchups in the entire NFL. It is a pairing of corner and receiver without the overt ego and bravado, without the jawing and chest-bumping, but one that retains the battle of wits, athleticism, and technique. Johnson’s at times abstract route running is perfectly suited to beating man coverage and enabled him to get some of the separation that saw him get the better of Revis last season. This time, though, Revis was in no mood to be bested and showed off not only his excellent man coverage technique, but also his rarely-tested recovery skills.
We have to wait a whole 16 weeks until these two renew acquaintances at Ralph Wilson Stadium during Week 17. Whether that game proves to be a playoff decider or a dead rubber between two teams whose fate is already determined, the return matchup between Revis and Johnson is sure to be one of the highlights of the final week of the 2012 regular season.
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