Post by The Tax Returns Are in Kenya on Dec 3, 2015 17:30:04 GMT -5
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Odell Beckham Jr. will be there Sunday when the New York Jets and New York Giants square off against one another. At this point, coach Todd Bowles doesn't appear to have a big-time countermeasure against the Giants' star receiver.
Darrelle Revis, the Jets' top cornerback, remains in the concussion protocol and has yet to practice after being injured making a tackle in the Nov. 22 loss to the Houston Texans.
While Bowles said Revis is "getting better every day," the coach admitted Wednesday that Revis is not yet attending meetings. And though Revis has had "light physical activity," Bowles didn't sound as though he's holding his breath expecting Revis will be available on Sunday.
Asked if Revis could be ruled out for the game, Bowles said, "I'm not sure. If he doesn't do anything in the next two days, he probably will be."
Then, asked if he expected Revis to practice Thursday, Bowles said, "Not right now. Not from what I'm hearing."
What exacerbates the Jets' problem is that if Revis can't play, they may not have his backup, Marcus Williams, available either. Williams, who started in Revis' place Sunday against Miami, suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee in the game. He didn't practice Wednesday, either. If Revis and Williams are both unavailable, then who will cover Beckham on Sunday?
"I'm not giving away our game plan," Bowles said when asked that question directly.
The Jets certainly will double-cover Beckham at times, but Bowles said it isn't possible to double-cover him the entire game. They will no doubt play some zone defense, as well. But in those times when Beckham gets single coverage, who will draw the assignment? It could be No. 2 cornerback Antonio Cromartie, or perhaps slot corner Buster Skrine, who Bowles said could be moved to the outside. Or the Jets could turn to Darrin Walls, who took over for Williams against Miami, or possibly former No. 1 pick Dee Milliner (though Milliner has yet to play a single defensive snap this season).
"We've got guys that can step in and play," Bowles said. "We're going to run our scheme, run our system. And the guys just gotta play."
Walls, for one, said he'd look forward to the challenge of covering Beckham, if he's the guy.
"He's a competitive player," Walls said of Beckham. "So I think when it's competitor against competitor, you want to win those battles. So when there's competition, you go up for the ball and you fight for it. You know he's going to do it, so you gotta do it."
