Nnamdi Asomugha vs. Darrelle Revis: Who Is Really on an Island?

With the big year Darrelle Revis had in 2009, it looks like All-World cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha has a new rival. Revis killed it this past season with 6 INTs and 31 pass deflections. He has been given credit for shutting down the likes of Terell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Andre Johnson, and Steve Smith in 2009. The brash corner is a great fit for the New York media as being in New York and playing on the league's best defensive unit has brought the name "Revis Island" to the fore. 

Meanwhile, Asomugha and everything that comes with him compares modestly to that of Revis. Nnamdi is a soft spoken man that plays in Oakland. The defensive team he plays on is the 31st ranked defense compared to the first ranked Rex Ryan created defense. Asomugha also comes up short on the statistical end of things. He had just one INT and three passes deflected.

With all of the above on Revis' side, it is no wonder that he was the one the media deemed as the one on the "Island". But who is the one with the real "Island"? Who is the better cover corner? While Revis has every statistical edge, there is one that tips the scale in Asomugha's favor. To Revis' 106 times, Asomugha had been thrown at only 28 times during his 2009 campaign. That is a definition of a shut-down corner! Remember, Deon Sanders never led the leage in INTs.

That means when the opposing o-coordinator looks at film, they see that the man Asomugha is assigned to cover is never open so they game plan around him. They look at film on Revis and they see a guy that is vulnerable but they never seem to be able to get anything done on him on gameday. Why is that?

Rex Ryan puts a short clock in every opposing QB's head, he will live and die with the blitz just as his father Buddy did. Revis has benefited immensely from the blitz happy system of Rex Ryan. He doesn't have to cover for that long and many a wounded duck comes out...