New York Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie heard the doomsday talk when teammate Darrelle Revis was lost for the season to a knee injury.
Revis, after all, is not only his team's best player, he's arguably the finest shutdown corner in football.
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Cromartie doesn't believe there's any falloff.
"I've always looked at myself as a No. 1 corner, I've never looked at myself as a No. 2 corner," Cromartie told ESPN New York, via SportsRadioInterviews.com.
On any other defense, that might be true. Revis is the better player, but Cromartie's work this season has flown under the radar on a team bursting with storylines.
Cromartie stood out in Monday night's tight loss to the Houston Texans. He blanketed Andre Johnson, keeping the All-Pro receiver to only one catch for 15 yards. He took Houston's top pass catcher out of the game plan.
Cromartie isn't interested in playing second fiddle, but that's the mentality of the cornerback position. The Jets have no problem with Cromartie talking himself up if he keeps shutting down people.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.