Darrelle Revis makes the tackle against Nebraska
Still not sure what to do when you fall off your horse? Fear not, as Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is bound to show you this Sunday afternoon at the Meadowlands.
Last time the Jets and Buffalo Bills squared off, the rookie was basically besieged by the Buffalo offense. The majority of passing plays in which Bills rookie quarterback Trent Edwards threw were intended for and caught by the receivers guarded by Revis.
This aerial attack on the young cornerback prompted the local media to declare that game as Revis' "official welcome to the NFL."
"Buffalo just went after me," Revis calmly stated at his locker Thursday. "It's something that they saw. They just got after me a little bit and its something that I had to learn from. It's just that they executed well on me."
"Darrelle was in a lot of man-to-man, isolated coverage with no help," head coach Eric Mangini said after that September game. "He's going to learn each week how to defend those players a little bit better."
In that 17-14 Buffalo victory at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Edwards — making his first career NFL start — completed nine of 11 passing attempts for 83 yards to the men Revis was covering. And on a 24-yard reception to Josh Reed, Revis was called for illegal contact but the penalty was gladly declined by the offense.
But the fearless young man is determined to get back into the saddle this weekend. Revis is eagerly preparing for the passing attack from Edwards, knowing very well that he and the Bills offense are going to be hungry for more.
"This is the NFL," Revis said. "Guys are going to come at you week in and week out. I've never come into the game like they're not going to throw at the rookie."
Sunday's game will mark yet another first for Revis. The Jets' first-round pick in April has yet to face an AFC East team twice in the regular season. However, Revis did face off against the New York Giants receiving corps in the preseason and again in Week 5.
In the first contest, Amani Toomer, the Giants' all-time receptions leader, had four catches for 47 yards. In Week 5, Revis responded and helped contain Toomer to zero receptions.
Revis' ability to rebound from the first Bills matchup should be an interesting aspect for Jets fans to look forward to. In fact, he is eagerly anticipating it as well.
"It's great," he said about playing the Bills for the second time. "You feel comfortable about what they're doing because you played them already so you can expect some of the same stuff is going to come around."
But that's not to say it's going to be easy.
"The Bills have great receivers so they're going to do the same stuff and they will come at me again," said the former Pitt standout. "It's something that I have to prepare for and play up to this time around. It's just this time I have studied them more, I know a little more, so I have a better understanding of what they might try to do."
It's not as if Revis had a career-altering performance against the now 2-4 Bills in the Week 4 loss. In what was just his eighth professional game, he had eight tackles and defensed two passes.
One PD was intended for Reed on third-and-3 from the Bills' 35 just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. Revis knocked it away, allowing the Jets to have one last chance with the ball.
Revis leads the Jets with 49 total tackles and 43 solos.
Perhaps his first career interception will come this weekend, because he and the rest of the players can assume he'll get plenty of chances.
"They came at me then, and they'll come at me again. I'll be more prepared this time and am welcoming the challenge," he said. "I'm a competitive person so I want it that way."
