CATCHING ON: Cornerback Antonio Cromartie practices at wide receiver yesterday at the Jets’ facility in Florham Park, N.J. With Santonio Holmes out, Cromartie increasingly has been worked into the Jets’ offense at receiver. (Jeff Zelevansky)
As a senior at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Fla., Antonio Cromartie played quarterback, running back, wide receiver and defensive back and returned punts and kickoffs.
Playing multiple positions in high school might not be unique for someone who eventually reached the NFL. But the fact Cromartie might be able to do the same at the highest level is unusual.
Playing wide receiver, he caught a deep pass from Mark Sanchez in the second quarter of the Jets’ 23-17 loss to the Texans on Monday night only to have it nullified after being ruled out of bounds. During his three years with the Jets, he has also returned punts and kickoffs. At practice yesterday, he also threw tight spirals to the defensive backs during position drills before taking his normal position at cornerback.
“I’m just here to try to help out as much as possible,” Cromartie said.
Amid a two-game losing streak, Jets coach Rex Ryan found time to praise Cromartie yesterday for stepping up on the field and in the locker room after Darrelle Revis went down with a season-ending knee injury against the Dolphins. Holding Texans Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson to just one reception for 15 yards is easy to applaud, but Ryan also praised how Cromartie has responded off the field.
“He’s definitely stepped up,” Ryan said. “I see it in the meeting rooms. He’s taken over some of that leadership deal. He understands Darrelle is a great football player. I think he took it as ‘I have to step up now.’ We always say he’s got more ability than anybody I’ve ever seen at that position, him and Deion [Sanders]. He’s starting to play that way.”
Cromartie will have plenty to deal with Sunday trying to defend Colts receiver Reggie Wayne. That in itself is a full-time job. The 12-year veteran has caught 36 passes for 506 yards in four games, emerging as the favorite target for rookie quarterback Andrew Luck.
Complicating preparations for the Jets is the uncertainty of where Wayne will line up. He might be at wideout or in the slot or in two-man bunches.
“They don’t want you to get your hands on him,” Ryan said. “They’re not going to just let Cro go out there and beat him up at the line of scrimmage.”
Cromartie admitted learning his role in the Jets offense requires 30 to 40 minutes of study time a day. That’s in addition to the film study he does for defense. He doesn’t seem to mind the added work.
“It’s football,” he said. “It’s something I love to do. I’m just having fun with it and looking forward to the opportunities that come in the future.”
Count on Cromartie seeing more action at wide receiver as the year continues, which is a good thing because he’s probably the best playmaker the Jets have and a bad thing because he’s probably the best playmaker the Jets have.
Cromartie’s presence on offense might be a novelty if it weren’t such a necessity. With Santonio Holmes also out for the year with a foot injury the Jets lack an impact player at wide receiver. Without a proven deep threat, the Jets’ running game is being smothered. After catching the one deep ball out of bounds against the Texans and being targeted for another incompletion later in the second quarter, Cromartie said he was double covered in the fourth quarter when Shonn Greene broke free for a 12-yard run, his longest of the game.
At least with Cromartie on offense, the Jets have a threat opposing teams will respect.
“If I can help out to open things up underneath I look forward to it,” Cromartie said. “I just want to win football games.”
It’s up to the Jets to make the most of his two or three plays on offense. It up to Cromartie to make the most of what he can do on defense.