FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ Darrelle Revis is doubtful for Sunday's game against his hometown Steelers _ and their star receiver, Antonio Brown, _ because of a balky left hamstring.
The twist is that not everyone in the fan base or media is convinced the absence of a future Hall of Fame cornerback is necessarily a bad thing for the Jets with their season potentially on the brink.
Revis has been the subject of intense criticism for his play so far this season, and nearly every article about him mentions his age: 31. That's a bad sign.
After Friday's practice _ in which he did not participate _ he was asked whether he pays attention to such things.
"No, no, no," Revis said, "I stay away from that stuff."
But is it difficult to deal with criticism after so many years of being widely praised for his work, complete with an "Island" to call his own on one side of the field?
"It's the world we live in, that's all," he said. "You take the good with the bad, and that's what the greats do, you take the good with the bad. The only thing you can do is keep on working.
"I'm not going to change anything that I've been doing. That's what got me to where I'm at today."
Revis said he had not read or heard about one newspaper column that suggested he not play Sunday lest Brown "embarrass" him.
Asked whether he takes criticism personally, he said with a laugh, "No, why do you ask?"
The Jets wish Revis was their only injury concern. One receiver, Eric Decker, definitely is out with a shoulder injury and another, Quincy Enunwa, is questionable after sitting out Friday with a sore knee. A third, Jalin Marshall is doubtful with a shoulder injury.
Guard Brian Winters is out because of a concussion and will be spelled by Brent Qvale and/or Dakota Dozier.
The Steelers have offensive line problems, too, with Marcus Gilbert and Ryan Harris both listed as out after Friday's practice.
But most of the attention of Jets fans will be focused on the beleaguered, communication-challenged secondary.
Revis said he did not run at full speed all week. He said the injury is not as bad as past hamstring problems, but he wants to be careful not to worsen it. He said it happened in coverage in the third quarter against the Seahawks' Paul Richardson last Sunday.
He called it a "freak" injury. "Maybe the wind was blowing a different way that day and it caught my hamstring," he said.
Marcus Williams and Buster Skrine presumably would be the starters in his absence, with rookie Juston Burris forced to play a key role.
"(Burris) has been great," Williams said. "He's a rookie, but he doesn't play like it. He has the attitude that he's going to go out there and get the job done."
Said Skrine: "I've always said Burris is advanced for a rookie. He has a lot of confidence. As long as you're at cornerback, you have confidence."
Revis still does, too, even if the rest of the world is starting to wonder.
