Revis said the only time he broke a sweat Saturday was when he took a shower.

[JOJOTOWNSELL]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/sports/football/11jets.html?_r=1&ref=football

For four quarters, Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis schooled Reggie Wayne in the loneliest number, as reflected in Wayne’s statistics. The Colts threw one pass to Wayne. He caught one pass. For 1 yard.

Wayne entered Saturday night’s playoff game ranked among the N.F.L.’s most productive pass catchers. He recorded 111 receptions during the regular season, the second most in the league. The Colts threw to him, on average, 11 times a game.

That Indianapolis basically ignored one of the league’s most dangerous receivers said something about Revis and his impact. Peyton Manning is often lauded as the smartest quarterback in football. He avoided Revis the way most teams have since November, throwing his way by accident or with extreme caution.

After the Jets advanced with a 17-16 victory, Revis packed for the trip home, followed by a return to New England for a divisional playoff game this Sunday. A reporter asked him if he broke a sweat Saturday.

“Only when I took a shower,” Revis said.

Revis laughed when he said this, but that did not mask the annoyance in his voice. Because for Revis, this season has been defined by patience, and now his patience is wearing a little thin.

Patience during his acrimonious training-camp holdout. Patience after he injured a hamstring against New England in Week 2. Even patience following his return to form, when teams took the opposite strategy most employed a year ago.

It worked like this: If Revis wanted to open his now famous island, they would ignore his half of the field.

This worked wonders for the Jets’ defense, especially against the Colts. Most N.F.L. teams use their top cornerback against the opposition’s second-best receiver, then roll coverage toward, or double-cover on most plays, the No. 1 receiver. Revis can cover the top wideout, man to man, play after play, week after week.

At full strength, Revis is like having an extra defender because he removes a wide area of the field, essentially by himself. He allows the safety or cornerback who would provide help to do something else, to blitz or to cover another receiver or to stalk another area of the field. He gives the Jets advantages afforded to only those teams with shutdown corners of Revis’s ability.

According to Coach Rex Ryan, such players are rare, if not limited to a pool of one. Ryan is prone to hyperbole, of course, but he took his praise for Revis to another level Monday.

“Quite honestly, he’s the best player in football,” Ryan said. “The impact he has is amazing. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime player. The game this week will be the same deal, because when people see him over there, they don’t even throw at him. They realize that the guy isn’t going to be open. I don’t care who the receiver is.”

Last season, Revis nearly captured the N.F.L.’s defensive player of the year award, breaking up 31 passes and making 6 interceptions. Teams continued to throw at him, despite the clear lack of success, and Revis Island entered the sports lexicon.

His uncle Sean Gilbert, a longtime N.F.L. defensive end, warned Revis what would happen this season. Which is why, in a recent interview, Gilbert said Revis had not so much returned to peak performance as his peak performance had become more difficult for the casual fan to see.

“I don’t think it’s necessarily that he lost form,” Gilbert said of Revis, who broke up 10 passes and did not have an interception this season. “Teams don’t throw at him as much, or hardly ever. I explained to him, this is what you work for. It’s not that you want it to be easier. The game is about respect. That’s what you’re fighting for every week, for the naysayers and those that don’t believe in you.”

Revis further emphasized Gilbert’s point against the Colts. He rendered Wayne invisible, which happens, well, never. Wayne’s next-lowest output took place in 2004.

Afterward on Saturday, Wayne told reporters in the Colts’ locker room that “I shouldn’t have even suited up.”

In an interesting twist, the man who blanketed Wayne on Saturday also shared in his frustration. Revis remains, at his core, a competitor, a cornerback ranked among the most competitive players on the Jets. In an extended interview last month, he recognized the respect that teams had granted him. But that did little to ease the boredom he feels during games, or elevate his statistics, which are all lower than last season.

Against the Patriots on Sunday, Revis is likely to shadow more than one receiver, because quarterback Tom Brady likes to spread the ball around. Regardless, Revis is not likely see more action than in recent weeks. So goes his 2010 season.

Asked what he most learned from the holdout, Revis did not hesitate. He answered immediately, firmly, resolutely.

“The thing I learned was patience,” Revis said. “That’s what this whole season was.”

[sh4dy15]

I know this is a good thing but it definitely has to be frustrating to a player. I'm sure Brady will test him more than Manning did at least but if not then he's doing his job.

[THE ILK]

Thread title breaks allot of sweats.

[JOJOTOWNSELL]

Thread title breaks allot of sweats.

funny much?????

[pointman]

Revis is a god. I would vote for him if he ran for POTUS.

[GodWearsAGrayHoodie]

Revis is a god. I would vote for him if he ran for POTUS.

That might not work well. He gets elected and then refuses to take the oath of office until Congress raises his salary.

[T0mShane]

Coincidentally, the last time The Brooklyn Jet broke a sweat was when he thought about Revis in the shower.

[THE ILK]

Coincidentally, the last time The Brooklyn Jet broke a sweat was when he thought about Revis in the shower.

Says the man with Joe Namath in a towel as his avatar.