Letting Darrelle Revis Heal is Only Option for Jets

It's a good thing the defense practiced so much without Revis

The change in playcalling from timid to aggressive against the Patriots was a sign that the Jets remembered that they plan to contend for the Super Bowl this season. Another sign would be a decision to rest Darrelle Revis for the next couple of weeks.

An MRI on Revis's injured hamstring revealed a strain that the cornerback said could keep him out for the next two weeks. He didn't rule himself out of the game, which may just be a bit of gamesmanship designed to keep the Dolphins guessing, but it doesn't sound like we'll be seeing him on the field come Sunday night.

"I’m not going to step out on the field unless I actually feel 100 percent. Right now, I can feel that it’s tight. Once I don’t feel that tightness any more, then that’s when I’ll be back on the field."

And that's just fine. The game against the Dolphins is a big one, no doubt, but the 13 games that follow it are just as significant and you want Revis around for as many of them as possible. It's not the ideal scenario, obviously. No matter what nonsense you might see cooked up this week, the Jets aren't a better team without Revis and their defense isn't as fierce without him locking down his half of the field.

That doesn't mean that it still can't be pretty damn good, however. Last season, the Jets made Lito Sheppard and Dwight Lowery two of the better cornerbacks in the league when it came to yards per attempt on throws in their direction. That was because the play of the front seven was so good that quarterbacks weren't able to attack those highly flawed players with precision. Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson are upgrades on those two guys so it stands to reason that the Jets will be okay against the mediocre Chad Henne on Sunday night.

Confidence in that argument would grow exponentially if Calvin Pace is able to play. The Jets' best pass rusher is close to returning, although he still seems doubtful for the Miami game. His absence has been noticeable in the first two weeks and would be even more glaring if the Jets arent't able to harass Henne often enough to do damage on Sunday night.

But Pace will be missed less than Kris Jenkins. The Dolphins went out and got Brandon Marshall to spice up their passing game, but they remain a team that lives and dies by the run and Jenkins's big body and presence will be missed in the middle of the line. Stopping the run and forcing the Dolphins to convert long third downs would be another way to limit the pain of Revis's absence and it would be easier if Jenkins were in his customary nose tackle spot.

Rex Ryan tried to sell the idea that the Jets could win without Revis all summer long. We'll find out this week, although it would be far nicer to be testing the hypothesis with Jenkins and Pace in the lineup.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
Contact Us