There was a time when Darrelle Revis represented the great hope for the New York Jets in their rivalry with the New England Patriots.
Times have changed. Brady and Belichick are still in Foxborough, but now Revis is, too. It's almost too much to bear for a Jets fan base that never seems to get its day in the sun.
The Jets played against Revis during his cameo with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. They'll face him again on Thursday night in a far more surreal situation. Revis the Patriot. On Tuesday, the three-time All-Pro cornerback was asked how well he knows the Jets.
"I know nothing about them," Revis joked, via ESPN.com. "I definitely don't. I hope that answers your question."
Revis followed that with a serious response.
"There's a lot that has changed," Revis said. "(Former offensive coordinator Brian) Schottenheimer was the coordinator when I was there, so it's different. There is a different coordinator now and they run a totally different offense. Just got into them today, so I'm still going through the game plan and looking at their offense."
With both teams on a short week, Revis said there isn't enough time for him to provide too much helpful intel about his former team.
"I think the coaches are focusing on (the Jets' defense) on their own," Revis said. "I have a lot up on my plate and what I need to do game-plan-wise and studying these guys. I'll leave that to the coaches."
In recent weeks, Revis has returned to shadowing the opposition's best wide receiver. His ability to make star pass-catchers disappear spawned the Revis Island nickname and made Revis one of the most famous athletes in New York. Now he's being paid to beat New York.
Of all the mounting indignities in what may beRex Ryan's final season with the Jets, this has to be near the top of the list.
We recap all the Week 6 action on a jaunty edition of the "Around the NFL Podcast." Find more Around The NFL content on NFL Now.