- (Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE)
Jets All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis practiced on a limited basis for the first time Friday since he suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of the win over the Bills last week.
Revis was held out of practice Wednesday and Thursday but was able to do light running and weightlifting.
If Revis, who said he felt like he’d come out of a “fog” and was cleared to practice Friday, would suffer a setback, he would be replaced by Kyle Wilson, who made 11 starts in his first two seasons but has yet to live up to the expectations he had as a first-round pick in 2010.
The absence of Revis would create a trickle-down effect that impacts the Jets’ ability to shut down the Steelers. Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown each racked up 1,000 receiving yards last year and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to wriggle out of seemingly certain sacks allows him to find Wallace or Brown for big plays.
“He’s a big guy that shakes off tackles, so you have to do a tremendous job of tackling,” Ryan said. “On the back end of the play, you can never assume the play is over. You have to do a great job in your coverage and plastering receivers down the field. You have to do that because time and again he makes huge plays, whether he’s throwing it deep this way (or) across the field.”
While Revis is recognized as the best shutdown corner in football and a likely future Hall of Famer, Wilson is best known for whiffing on Victor Cruz during Cruz’ 99-yard touchdown catch last Christmas Eve. Wilson said Wednesday he feels as if he is a sharper and better player than he was a year ago and that he’s ready to step in for Revis if needed.
“I feel better now than last year,” Wilson said. “Going into my third year, I should be better. My goal is to just get better over time.
“I’m a lot smarter. I use my experience to my advantage. Over time, I just continue to work on things.”