We finally know the reason why the Buccaneers chose to pay Darrelle Revis $1 million per week to play 80 percent zone defense for the winless Buccaneers.
Greg Schiano recently admitted that he needs to play Revis in more man to man coverage.
“We need to make sure we’re accentuating our best players, putting them in the best position to make plays better than we have,’’ Schiano said, via Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. “That’s something I’ve looked at hard, and I know our coaches have looked at it as well.’’
The mystery has been solved. Bucs CB Darrelle Revis says he has not been healthy enough, fit enough to play press coverage
— Roy Cummings (@RCummingsTBO) November 1, 2013
According to JoeBucsFan, Revis addressed it some during his weekly radio show recently on the Buccaneers Radio Network on WDAE-AM 620.
Revis explained in detail that his surgically repaired knee just hasn’t been healthy enough to play press coverage.
“I changed my game up last game. Instead of playing off, I started pressing,” Revis said. “You know, last game against Carolina against Steve Smith and it felt pretty good. Because you know my thing is, yes I can play off coverage, but at the same time, you know earlier in the year I didn’t have the explosion to play press and then the receiver would just run the [vertical] nine-route on me and I can be full-go, at full speed running. I didn’t have the stamina to do that play in and play out, especially playing press.
“I mean you get physical up there playing press coverage and then actually just running; that’s running full speed — you and the receiver. I didn’t have that yet. I’m starting to get that back, which is awesome because I like to be in receivers faces and try to put my hands on them and try to be physical with them.”
Revis explained that changes in his training regimine are helping get his explosion back.
“I feel pretty good right now. You know, the biggest thing, and you know I had a conversation with Coach Schiano a couple of weeks ago, was about strengthening my whole leg,” Revis said. “The hamstring, the quad, my calf as well, just strengthening it and getting that full explosion back is what we talked about. He presented it to [Bucs director of sport medicine] Todd [Toriscelli], and Todd has been doing a great job with me in the training room to get me back to where I have that explosion. But yeah, I’ve been feeling pretty good. I felt good the Carolina game, and I feel good this week in practice. I just got to keep on chopping at the wood. Eventually, I will get there. I do feel pretty good now, but you never know.
“The biggest thing is my knee hasn’t been swelling up. It’s been responding well. So I think that’s the big thing, the outcome, that it’s not been swelling.”