ALAMEDA -- It's a small sample size, obviously, but Stanford Routt seems to be adapting well to the role of No. 1 cornerback on the Raiders.
Through two games, Routt has given up four receptions on the 14 passes thrown his way for a 28.6 percent "burn rate," which is the lowest completion percentage in the NFL among any defender targeted at least 10 times, according to Stats Inc.
A meaningless stat in that premier cover corners are rarely targeted, let alone five times per game? Fine, but Routt's rate is better than that of either the Philadelphia Eagles' Nnamdi Asomugha (three-of-six, 50 percent) or the New York Jets' Darrelle Revis (three-of-nine, 33.3 percent).
"He's made some plays," Raiders coach Hue Jackson said of Routt. "Obviously, he had an interception last week. I think he's really into the game, not that he wasn't before. I think he understands the position he's in. I think he's up to the challenge, he wants it, he's not running from it, that's for sure. But he'll be the first to tell you he needs to get better, too. We all do, you know, and we will."
The Raiders will have an up-close-and-personal look at Revis Island on Sunday. And Routt will see the three-headed monster of Plaxico Burress, Santonio Holmes and Derrick Mason a week after Oakland's defense collapsed in the second half at Buffalo in giving up five touchdowns on five possessions.
Against the Bills, Routt gave up three receptions on nine targets for 31 yards, while fellow cornerback Chris Johnson surrendered seven catches on 10 targets for 71 yards and middle linebacker Rolando McClain was victimized on eight of 11 for 62 yards.
"You kind of do it like whenever you go to the toilet and use the restroom," Routt said. "Whatever you put in there, you just flush it down and you just let it go, because games like that can definitely affect you for the next game.
"We…should have been 2-0, effed it off in the fourth quarter and the third quarter and so now we've got our home opener. You've got to just go ahead, put it to bed and forget about it."
And a victory over the Jets would bolster just as much confidence.
"Definitely. The Jets have been in the AFC title game what, the last two years, against the (Indianapolis) Colts and the (Pittsburgh) Steelers?" pondered Routt, who has also been called for pass interference and holding one time each. "So yeah, it would definitely build confidence. But no matter what, somebody said in our defensive meeting this morning, that if we want to go to the AFC title game, we want to go to the playoffs, if we want to go to the Super Bowl, we're going to have to go through this team. Or the (New England) Patriots, or the Steelers. Whatever.
"But we're going to have to get through this team. So we might as well go ahead and see where we are right now, rather than try to hold it off and just wait untill January or February, if it gets that far."
