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Cromartie steps up into leadership role!


JetsFanInDenver

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A good read.

Link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/2010/09/21/2010-09-21_antonio_eases_jet_strain.html

Article:

Darrelle Revis was on the trainer's table, wondering whether he'd return for the second half on Sunday, when the man who would replace him was giving a speech that helped change the Jets' fortunes against the Patriots.

Before Revis' MRI Monday morning revealed a left hamstring strain that could sideline him for 1-2 weeks, Antonio Cromartie stepped out of his comfort zone at halftime to deliver a message to a secondary that had just been embarrassed by Tom Brady for two quarters: It's time to dominate.

Cromartie first pointed the finger at himself. He had been as guilty as anyone else, giving up a 6-yard touchdown to Wes Welker by inexplicably playing off coverage near the end zone. Then, the former Pro Bowler demanded that his teammates in the secondary raise their game. Brady had carved them up for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Cromartie, frankly, was fed up. "The front seven was doing a hell of a job applying pressure," Cromartie told the Daily News. "Everything bad that happened was happening on the back end. We made a few mistakes and had a little miscommunication. I felt like we weren't holding up our end."

For months, Cromartie had been the new guy, the quiet guy, the guy seeking redemption after losing his way the past couple of seasons. He worked hard in training camp to regain his 2007 Pro Bowl form, but he rarely spoke up. But when the Jets were staring a 14-10 halftime deficit with the prospect of losing their best defensive player for the rest of the game, Cromartie finally decided to voice his opinion.

"He's not necessarily that huge vocal guy," safety Jim Leonhard said. "So to have him step up like that - he was obviously taking a lot on his shoulders. He took the challenge from Week 1 to Week 2. He knew he needed to play better and he knew we as a secondary needed to play better. It needed to be said - and he was the guy who did it."

"It is surprising, because he is a laid-back guy," said Revis, who didn't rule himself out for the Sunday night road test against the Dolphins. "It's great for him to step up his leadership and make guys accountable."

Cromartie will get another crack at former AFC West nemesis Brandon Marshall if Revis can't play Sunday. Rex Ryan emphasized that "we've got to be smart" about not rushing Revis back.

"It could take 1-2 weeks or it could take a week," Revis said of his timetable. "It depends on how my body recovers ... I'm not going to touch the field unless I'm 100%."

In the meantime, Cromartie took a significant step in becoming one of the leaders of the defense. He never raised his voice at halftime.

According to several players in the meeting, Cromartie was relaxed, calm and matter-of-fact when delivering his message at a pivotal moment. His point was clear: The secondary needed to collectively make up for the possible loss of Revis by assuming different roles. "He wasn't saying that he was better than anyone else," cornerback Dwight Lowery said. "He just wanted us to communicate better. Anytime you get somebody that competitive, they're going to say something when things (aren't) going right. People respect what he says."

So, Cromartie implored the secondary to correct its mistakes, including the mass confusion on Randy Moss' 34-yard touchdown grab right before halftime. He challenged everyone from Lowery to Drew Coleman to himself to stop one of the best quarterbacks of this generation. "I didn't hesitate at all," Cromartie said about voicing his opinion. "It was just about doing the things that we needed to do. Something was going wrong ... and something needed to be said. We had to come together as a secondary. We just tried to dominate."

Cromartie held Moss without a catch after the break, shadowing him all over the field. He picked off a pass and forced another interception. The defense held Brady to just 7-for-16 for 69 yards and forced three turnovers in the second half.

Message delivered.

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"It could take 1-2 weeks or it could take a week," Revis said of his timetable. "It depends on how my body recovers ... I'm not going to touch the field unless I'm 100%."

Nice article.. but this part reads very diva like..no?

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Isn't Cromartie a RFA at the end of the season? I think they can get one more year out of him at a decent price. So there is a chance they could afford Holmes, Braylon and Cromartie.

Holmes' value is reduced by the perception that he is close to getting a year long suspension, meaning he's on his third strike.

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Cro makes me nervous everytime he tries to make a tackle...always arm tackles like he is trying to keep his pads from touching the ball carrier! Not a complete football player but I'll take the ints!

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