New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills: All Eyes on Revis Island

After a poor display in the season opener, how will New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis rebound in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills?

It’s an overused phrase, but New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis could play in the biggest regular-season game of his accomplished career against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday.

After an abysmal performance in the season opener against Cincinnati Bengals wideout A.J. Green, media outlets, analysts and one retired wide receiver took shots at Revis. On ESPN’s Sports Nation, Greg Jennings lightheartedly joked about winning a gameday matchup against the seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback.

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On social media, critics found clever ways to jab at the Jets No. 1 cornerback:

Analysts revealed telling statistics that showed Green’s complete dominance over a once-respected shutdown man-to-man defender in the league:

None of the verbal or print pokes at Revis compare to seeing the annihilation in real time. Quarterback Andy Dalton tossed a beautiful pass over the cornerback’s head and dropped the football into Green’s breadbasket in one of many successful completions thrown in Revis’ direction:

On the following Monday, head coach Todd Bowles refused to dig into detail on what went wrong with his $17 million cornerback. The Jets head coach channeled his inner Bill Belichick in a way saying, we’re on to Buffalo, using his own words, via the team’s official website.

The questions about Revis continued through the week, and Bowles remained curt and guarded with his answers. He avoided placing blame on Revis and explained to reporters, no one plays well after a loss.

Sammy Watkins vs. Darrelle Revis (January 3, 2015)

However, it’s all about Revis and his island during Thursday’s matchup. For better or worse, he may receive a bailout before the coin toss. According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, Bills’ physicians may not clear wideout Sammy Watkins to play due to a foot injury.

As competitive creatures, typically NFL players want to line up against the best to test their skill levels. However, Watkins’ potential absence could save Revis further grief and scrutiny going forward. Last year, the Bills wideout also torched Revis on several occasions, which led into talks about the cornerback’s decline:

Watkins advantage over Revis became so clear that discussion about moving the cornerback to safety ensued during the offseason. The Jets cornerback acknowledged thoughts about an eventual transition, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

Another poor performance on Thursday will advance those conversations about converting to safety. Though, Revis’ pride probably locks him into the cornerback spot for the remainder of the season.

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Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole revealed one tidbit about Revis’ conditioning as a factor in the embarrassing start. Due to his wrist injury, Cole’s sources say the cornerback didn’t fully commit to offseason workouts. It’s not an excuse, but it’s something to think about as the season progresses through the first quarter.

At the moment, there’s no room for justifications or reasons for Revis’ poor play. He must pull his act together because Watkins won’t show any mercy if he’s available on Thursday.