Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) talks with wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
While scrolling through Jets twitter earlier today, an interesting post came up from the folks at PFF about Jets cornerbacks past and present in Darrelle Revis and Sauce Gardner.
While the post didn’t mention Revis by name, it did point out a litany of stats to highlight Gardner’s dominance while referring to him as “Sauce Island”. This of course a tip of the cap to Revis, the Hall of Famer who was famously known as “Revis Island”.
What are the stats highlighted by PFF?
– With 355 man-to-man coverage snaps in his career, Gardner has yet to allow a TD.
– Gardner is the only corner in the NFL to earn a coverage grade of 90 or more in consecutive years.
– Logged an NFL best 0.53 yards per coverage snap
– 68 targets without allowing a single TD in 2022, more than any other CB in the NFL.
– Allowed just 62 catches for 612 yds and 2 TD’s on 124 targets on 1,162 coverage snaps. That’s fewer yards allowed over two years than 32 corners allowed in 2023 alone.
So this begs the question; is it too early for Gardner to Revis comparisons? In a practical sense, no it isn’t. There are no limits on who, what, when, where or how you compare any two things. But of course if a comparison “feels wrong” to an audience, it will be tossed aside before a word is spoken.
While it may seem premature to suggest after just two NFL seasons that Gardner is worthy of a Revis comparison, the facts may say otherwise.
In eleven NFL seasons, Revis was an All-Pro four times. Gardner? He has done it twice in two years whereas Revis needed until his third NFL season to earn his first nod. Revis has the clear edge in interceptions with 8 through two seasons to Gardner’s two picks in as many years. Gardner has also been tested less than Revis was as he has had 55 fewer targets with 124 to Revis’ 179.
Even with the disparity in targets, Sauce Gardner trails Revis in passes broken up by just 2 at 31 and 33 respectively.
What can Sauce Garder do to “equal” or even surpass Revis as the Jets top corner ever? More picks, fewer holdouts and win a championship.
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