For years and years, Revis Island has been a destination few receivers found luxurious. That locale contained only a shackled shed of frustration stalked by one deadly shark named Darrelle.
The New York Jets open the season Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. One would think this would be the ideal situation for Darrelle Revis to lock A.J. Green on that famous island. With Cincinnati breaking in new receivers opposite the No. 1 target, the Jets' defense could seize the upper hand if Revis shuts down Green one-on-one.
"It won't be just Revis; it will be a lot of people," defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers said on Thursday, via ESPN. "A.J. is a tremendous player. We've got to have 11 sets of eyes, knowing where he is. ... It's not necessarily a one-on-one matchup."
Added coach Todd Bowles: "That's just one of many matchups. It's a team effort, and we've got to pick our spots, and I'm sure they have to pick their spots. It's not even about Revis and Green; it's about us against them."
Revis is coming off wrist surgery and missed portions of the offseason program. The veteran understands the reason for the game plan entering Sunday's tilt.
"To start the season off, we have to be cautious a little bit because we have some tough games coming ahead," Revis said. "I think the game plan this week is very comfortable for everybody.
"We're going to try to switch things up a little bit this week for us to maybe wear (down) some of their guys on offense, just wear 'em down a little bit," Revis added. "That's just mixing guys in and out or lining up guys in the scheme we're trying to do."
While this isn't likely the end of Revis Island, we are inching closer and closer to an island clearance sale. In 2015, Revis showed signs of age, getting burned by younger, speedier receivers like DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins.
Revis, who is making $17 million this season, admitted this offseason he's thought about a future move to safety.
"As you get older, you start looking at your own career," he recently told Newsday's Kimberley Martin. "...At some point, I'm not going to be able to play the cornerback position the way I want to play it. I don't want to just be out there playing the cornerback position and hurting the team.
"I want to continue playing football at a high level."
At 31, Revis can still make plays -- we're not at full-blown Pangea yet -- but the days of being left alone on an island are starting to dwindle.
