TheJetsBlog: Comparing Rookie Seasons: Revis & Milliner

Discussion in 'New York Jets' started by dwalsh, Jun 1, 2014.

  1. dwalsh

    dwalsh 2006 TGG.com Rookie of the Year Award Winner

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    There is great article over on TheJetsBlog.com comparing and contrasting Revis's and Milliner's rookie seasons through stats, game tape, and scheme.

    I highly recommend reading the whole thing, but I'll put a couple excerpts summarizing the article below.

    BGA: Dee Milliner and Revisionist history

    The reality of Milliner’s rookie year


    Milliner was first benched in the week two game, after which he was used as the nickel cornerback (playing on the outside) in the third game of the year. He then missed three games (including the week four blowout against the Titans where Darrin Walls struggled in his place) with a hamstring injury, making his return to the starting lineup for the week seven win over the Patriots. He was benched again the following week against the Bengals.

    One thing worth re-emphasizing is the fact that Milliner didn’t have a single penalty called on him. The fact he managed to get away with some physical coverage is encouraging but this also has a lot to do with the fact he was playing off his man quite a lot.

    As noted, Milliner was targeted more, even when he was playing well. In the Browns game in week 16, he was targeted 18 times, giving up 10 catches for over 100 yards, but at a respectable 6.3 yards per target. He followed that up by holding Mike Wallace to four catches for 29 yards on 10 targets.

    The biggest improvement he made was his ability to read, react and jump on a route. While this translated to his first three interceptions – all in the last two games – it had an even more noticeable effect on his passes defensed as I pointed out after the final game:

    At the midseason point, Dee Milliner had ONE pass defensed. He ended up the season with 20, which puts him in the top 10 for NFL cornerbacks and 12th overall. His 19 in the second half of the year must have led the league. Alterraun Verner, who led the NFL with 28, had just 12 in the second half of the season.

    Underscoring a major difference in not only how they performed but how they played, Milliner actually gave up six plays of thirty yards or more – three times as many as Revis did in his rookie year. However, further emphasizing the growth he made at the end of the season is the fact that all six of these came in the first 11 games and none in the last five.

    [...]

    Conclusion

    At this stage I have to reiterate while this is a comprehensive comparison of the rookie seasons from Revis and Milliner, there are no guarantees that Milliner will follow the same path. Jets fans will be hoping that Milliner continues to make strides, but the improvement made by Revis between 2007 and 2009 was virtually unprecedented. The good news is that if Milliner is never as good as Revis, that doesn’t mean he’s failed. He could still be a great player in his own right.

    In Milliner’s rookie season, we eventually saw a tantalizing glimpse of his capabilities and potential. At times, maybe our expectations for him were too high because we’ve become accustomed to the high level of play we saw from Revis. However, it was also apparent that Revis wasn’t the finished article when he arrived and suffered a few growing pains in his first year too. This hopefully confirms that Milliner’s struggles were not a sign he would never become a good player, especially in light of the fact he came from a Nick Saban school. The strong finish to the season gives further comfort.

    At one point over the last year, I speculated whether the Jets wanted Milliner to be their Revis. That didn’t mean I was suggesting they were relying on him to become a talismanic all-pro leader, I hastened to add, just that they might be planning for Milliner to eventually take over Revis’ role in terms of being the guy who tracks the number one receiver and operates without safety support. Maybe it’s not completely out of the question that he could strive to become the former rather than the latter, but surely it would be too much to hope for if we’re expecting the team to develop another once-in-a-generation level talent.
     
  2. pdxdrew

    pdxdrew Well-Known Member

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    Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! You're comparing a second year player to maybe the best Jets player in a decade.
    Milliner showed a lot of promise at Alabama, but I think he's been overrated. In Rex's system he'll be
    great, but as good as Revis?? Come on.
     
  3. abyzmul

    abyzmul R.J. MacReady, 2018 Funniest Member Award Winner

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    The OP isn't comparing anything. Argue with the author of the article. Or at least bother reading the post.
     
  4. pdxdrew

    pdxdrew Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, my bad.
     
  5. Geno007

    Geno007 Well-Known Member

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    When I was reading the article I was wondering how many people would say you can't compare the great Revis to Millner.
     
  6. NotSatoshiNakamoto

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    This probably sounds stupid but as unlikely as it is I hope Milliner never becomes as good as Revis was. I hope he becomes very good and we can spend reasonable money to keep him. Pryor is the guy I want to become great.
     
    #6 NotSatoshiNakamoto, Jun 1, 2014
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2014
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  7. MenOverGod

    MenOverGod Well-Known Member

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    19 PDs in the second half?
     
  8. Dax89

    Dax89 Active Member

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    Even through Milner's good stretch at the end of the year, I saw him pretty regularly beat, but managed to make up for it with his speed an athleticism (which he has plenty of). If he can build off where he ended last year and cleans up his technique a bit, he could be a good one. Still kind of scary that our most highly regarded CB at the moment is a guy that was benched several times last year regardless of how you look at it.
     
  9. abyzmul

    abyzmul R.J. MacReady, 2018 Funniest Member Award Winner

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  10. Footballgod214

    Footballgod214 Well-Known Member

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    Milliner will never be as good as Revis, But Milliner's last two games, when taken as a whole (thrown at, passes defensed, yards per pass, INTs) were better than any 2 game stretch that Revis has ever had.

    Now if Milliner can tack together 16 in a row, we might let him hang a poster of Revis in his bedroom.
     
  11. LongIslandBlitz

    LongIslandBlitz Well-Known Member

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    They should close down Jets forums from June-August,We are comparing Millner to Revis now?
     
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  12. LAJet

    LAJet Well-Known Member

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    No one knows how good or not Milliner is going to be. So at this point it's all just speculation. It would be awesome to have Milliner become the best AFC corner and let Revis fester with the Pats and his on-going yearly negotiations. Frankly I'm quite over Revis. He ain't a Jet, so I don't give a shit about him. I hope this year Amaro, Decker and Johnson run all over him and the Pats D.
     
  13. Footballgod214

    Footballgod214 Well-Known Member

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    That's ok. In Revis' rookie year we were probably comparing him to Deon or some shit. When we start comparing Geno to Namath is when I shut quit.
     
  14. Br4d

    Br4d 2018 Weeb Ewbank Award

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    That's Greg Schiano's comparison from when he coached against Geno in college. Said he couldn't quite put his finger on who Geno reminded him of and then realized it was Joe Willie.

    From 2011 before Geno and the Jets were an item:

    http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2011/10/rutgers_coach_greg_schiano_com.html

    This was before Andrew Luck's daddy switched WVU to a spread after Geno's good sophomore season that made him a possible QB in the 2012 NFL draft.
     
  15. BrowningNagle

    BrowningNagle Well-Known Member

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    The biggest difference in the two's rookie years is that Revis may have struggled a little bit early too (though not nearly as much) but he missed camp and got thrown into the fire with a lot less coaching than Milliner.

    There are some encouraging signs though in that article, about how Milliner's second half was much better. One thing I didn't like though was his down and out, ho hum attitude it appeared he showed when he was struggling. You wouldn't see a Darrelle Revis like that. Revis is a hard worker and film junkie as well, that's probably why he had such a marked improvement after year one. If Milliner wants to do the same, I hope he's studying and working his ass off too.
     
  16. BrowningNagle

    BrowningNagle Well-Known Member

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    The annoying one here is you. Did you even read the article? It discussed the two's rookie seasons and how they were different/similar. It's not comparing the two as players as a whole at all. Everyone knows that right now Milliner couldn't hold Revis' jock and he has loads and loads of work to do if he wants to be close to his level. That's not the point of the article.

    Milliner is always going to be "compared" to Revis because he replaced him. That's the way it's going to be his whole Jets career. Might as well get used to it.

    As for your june-august comment, you don't have to be here. Instead of bitchy one liners like that find something else to do if offseason articles really bother you. shit.
     
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  17. nyjunc

    nyjunc 2008 TGG Bryan Cox "Most Argumentative" Award Winn

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    best jets player EVER not just in past decade. Dee will never be Revis but he doesn't have to be, he really improved late in the year and he's healthy this offseason which he wasn't as a rookie. I expect big things from Dee but I would never expect him to be one of the greatest corners ever which is what Revis was and is.
     
  18. Chris St. John

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    Good read for a June article. Better than the typical beat writer "journalism".
     
  19. BrowningNagle

    BrowningNagle Well-Known Member

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    Revis is awesome but I don't think he can be called the best Jets player ever because he wasn't here long enough. I value longevity in an organization when I think about it's best player ever. Curtis Martin, Joe Namath, Joe Klecko, those guys are in the running for best Jets ever.

    If you call Revis the best Jet ever than you have to think about a guy like John Abraham, who will go down as one of the best pass rushers ever, but he wasn't long enough in the tooth as a Jet to consider a great all-time Jet. Same with like John Riggins, for example.
     
  20. nyjunc

    nyjunc 2008 TGG Bryan Cox "Most Argumentative" Award Winn

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    He won't go down as the best Jet but no Jet ever consistently played his position as well as Revis. Revis is an all time great corner and possible the greatest ever. we don't have any other players in that discussion at their positions.
     
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