It looked like the Jets were going to go down to the wire with their decision about cornerback Darrelle Revis’ status for Sunday’s game against Steelers, but they wound up not needing the extra time.
Coach Rex Ryan announced Friday afternoon that Revis has been ruled out for the game in Pittsburgh. Revis returned to non-contact practice on Friday for the first time since suffering a concussion when he was inadvertently kicked in the head by linebacker Bart Scott during a play late in the opening 48-28 win over the Bills, but the team clearly doesn’t have much reason to believe he’ll be given the full green light before the team heads to Pittsburgh.
Losing Revis obviously makes it more difficult for the Jets to hang with the Steelers. One of the keys to their defense was Revis’ ability to, more often than not, take care of one side of the field on his own in pass coverage. Kyle Wilson doesn’t have the same kind of chops and Antonio Cromartie has always been a boom or bust player on the opposite side of the field. If the Jets can’t generate more pass rush than they did against Buffalo, the Steelers could be looking at a very big day through the air.
The Jets’ chances are further hurt by the news that tight end Dustin Keller and linebacker Bryan Thomas will also skip the trip to Pittsburgh because of injury. Keller’s still bothered by a hamstring injury he picked up in the preseason while Thomas was diagnosed with a similar injury during the Buffalo game.