As much as receiver Hakeem Nicks has defined the word enigmatic this season for the Giants, Antonio Cromartie has cornered that market for the Jets.
Just as this was supposed to be a big year for Nicks, playing in his contract year alongside fellow star receiver Victor Cruz, it figured to be a big one for Cromartie, the Jets cornerback who was coming off a Pro Bowl in 2012.
Darrelle Revis, who was traded to Tampa Bay in the offseason amidst a contract dispute, missed most of last season after tearing his ACL, quickly placing the burden of being a No. 1 cornerback on Cromartie. This was something many believed might expose Cromartie, who had been the Robin to Revis’ Batman.
But Cromartie delivered. He never flinched having to cover the opponents’ top receiver every week.
This season, with Revis officially gone, Cromartie had designs of being even better than he was in 2012. The results, however, have been terrible.
There have been times when Cromartie has struggled almost as much as the rookie draft pick playing alongside him, Dee Milliner. This has created major problems in the Jets’ pass defense, which ranks 26th in the NFL.
It also leaves the Jets a bit vulnerable on Sunday against the Browns and their explosive second-year receiver Josh Gordon, who leads the NFL in receiving yards with 1,467 in just 12 games. The Jets’ struggling secondary against Gordon looks on the surface like a bad combo platter, to borrow a Rex Ryan phrase.
The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gordon is a beast after the catch, racking up more yards than any receiver in the league after making a reception. Couple that with what can only be described as poor-grade tackling by the Jets defense, particularly lately, and what you have is a bad combo platter.
“I was with Cleveland in training camp, so I know [Gordon] very well,’’ receiver David Nelson said Friday. “He presents so many different problems it makes it difficult. The only downside on him is he’s so raw and young. He’s still got learning and experience to gain from playing in the NFL. So Cro can use his veteran savvy and experience to his advantage and I think that’ll work.’’
The problem for Cromartie is he has not seemed right physically for much of this season, playing through hip and knee injuries, though not missing a game.
Cromartie, who has missed only one game in his four seasons with the Jets, has been accountable for the big plays he has yielded and he hasn’t used his injuries as an excuse.
“Has ‘Cro’ had as good a year as he had last year? No, absolutely not,’’ Ryan said. “Last year, he was probably one of the top corners in football. This year, the tape will tell you [he’s not]. There have been some circumstances that may have contributed, with the hip [that prevented him] from being at that level. And that level was so high to begin with, it’s hard to play up to that level.
“Has he been he been better than an average corner? Yes, of course. But up to that standard he set? No, he hasn’t been there.’’
Ryan went on to suggest that “maybe there are some guys that wouldn’t have played’’ with the injuries and pain Cromartie has endured this year.
“But … week in and week out you can count on him [playing],’’ Ryan said. “Look at his career, this young man plays. Is he at 100 percent each week? No, absolutely not. But he’s better than the alternative, so I appreciate him going out there and competing and giving what he has to this team.’’
Nelson, whose locker is just a few feet from Cromartie’s, defended his teammate.
“In my opinion, it’s not fair to compare last year to this year,’’ Nelson said. “These are two different teams, two different situations, different health issues.’’
Will Cromartie be a Jet next season at age 30? Unlike Nicks, whose contract is up after this season, Cromartie still has one year remaining, at a $4.3 million base in 2014. But because that comes with a $5 million non-guaranteed bonus due in March, this makes Cromartie as close to currently playing out a contract year as Nicks.
Cromartie said he “expects’’ to remain a Jet.
“It’s my eighth year. … I want to be here,’’ he said recently. “This is where I want to finish my career.’’