Darrelle Revis makes the tackle against Nebraska
The Jets' acquisition of veteran cornerback Ty Law should mean only good things for second-year corner Darelle Revis, who is already having a stellar season. The two share the same hometown of Aliquippa, Pa., and Law is not only a family friend but a phone pal of Revis.
"I call Darrelle all the time — 'This guy does this, this guy does that' — as far as giving him every little secret that I have on every receiver that he plays," Law said Tuesday in the Jets locker room. "That is what friends do. That is what corners do for each other. The only thing that I couldn't give him is when we played them. When I was in Kansas City, I couldn't give him too much on that. "
"He called me before it even went on the air," Revis said, referring to the whispers of Law's signing that began Monday. "I didn't believe him, though. I was like, 'No, you're not coming,' and he was like, 'Yeah, I am. I'll be up there in an hour.' Then I started getting phonecalls and text messages and that's when I believed him that he was really coming.
"I've been picking his brain since I've been in the NFL, so this is good to have him here so I can be around him every day, 24/7, to see what he does on a daily basis."
The timing couldn't be more fitting, as Revis and the Jets prepare to travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots, who drafted Law in the first round in 1995, on Thursday night for sole possession of first place in the AFC East.
Revis has matched up well against a slew of talented receivers this season, most recently shutting down Torry Holt of St. Louis and Buffalo's Lee Evans. But this week's task of getting ready for New England's receivers is compounded by the short week.
"The best way to do it is you've got to do extra work," said Revis. "You've got to go home and watch film on your own. You can't just watch it here with the coaches."
When asked if the shorter week would be more physically or mentally taxing, Revis replied definitively.
"Physically," he said. "We're going to handle the mental part. We've been doing that this whole week. We know what this game brings. We know it's going to be a real physical game.
"Randy Moss has proven to be one of the best receivers in the league. Wes Welker, he plays in the slot a lot. He's more shifty, crafty inside, more quick than fast. He's their gadget guy – screens, reverses. He's a catch-and-run guy. They're going to get Wes Welker the ball any way they can."
As for the Patriots' quarterback, Revis knows that Matt Cassel has more experience under his belt and is more familiar with his offense than in his first start for the injured Tom Brady in Week 2 against the Jets.
"He came in there in a tough spot and he's responded well," said Revis. "He's doing what he's supposed to do. He's making plays. He's throwing the ball everywhere. He has a strong arm. So he's proven to be an NFL quarterback."
Revis feels the energy that comes with Patriots week, having competed against them three times before.
He agreed that Jets-Pats is one of the more intense rivalries in the league and that it got that way "long before me. I'm here right now and I'm 0-and-3 against these guys. When these weeks come up against these guys, it's very tense, and guys know what these games mean to the New York Jets and to the Patriots. I know both sides are going through it and we want this win bad. I know they want it as well too.
"This is a big game for us and we're going to try to do the best we can to go up there and try to get a win."
