EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Darrelle Revis, his left leg wrapped with apparent yards of ace bandages, watched the second half of the New York Jets' 28-14 win over the visiting New England Patriots from the trainer's room at New Meadowlands Stadium. And he was cheering on his team.
"I was in there screaming," Revis said. "It was good. I wanted to be out there to help win, but I couldn't at the time."
Revis was out with a hamstring injury that has gone from a practice-report footnote to a problem. The Jets cornerback will have an MRI on his injured hamstring on Monday.
Jets coach Rex Ryan was asked if it's the same injury that kept Revis limited in practice twice last week.
"I believe that's right, but I'm not 100 percent," Ryan said. "I think I was in tears when they told me he pulled a hamstring."
Revis said it wasn't a tear or a pull, just tightness, but the team will find out more Monday. As hopeful as Revis is that he will play next week, he knows that the normally recommended treatment for his injury doesn't include going man-to-man on the best receivers in the NFL.
"Hamstring injuries, it's really about rest," Revis said.
Revis felt his hamstring tighten as he was chasing after Patriots receiver Randy Moss, whom he had kept in check all game. But with 53 seconds left in the second quarter, Revis felt his leg rebel as he tried to shift gear in pursuit of Moss, who made a one-handed touchdown catch in the end zone.
"I pulled up," Revis said. "Usually I rely on my speed ... but it wouldn't let me speed up to make a play.
"I'll be on 'SportsCenter' tonight," Revis said.
But he'd rather not have the highlight be an escape from Revis Island. Ryan said Revis wasn't helped by the fact that there was some confusion on defensive coverage.
"It's not a good thing when you're playing two different coverages," Ryan said. "Anytime that happens, that's trouble, and those guys made us pay."
When told that Ryan said there was some confusion over defensive calls on that play, Revis appeared relieved to have it out there.
"I didn't get the call at all to tell you the truth," Revis said. "It was two different calls at the end of the play that I heard, and I didn't get the call. That's still no excuse, we're taught to still cover your man if you don't get the call."
This summer, during a contract dispute with the Jets, Revis did not attend training camp in Cortland, N.Y. He worked out at various places during his holdout, but said that being in shape and being in football shape are two different things. He and the Jets came to terms on a new contract the first week of the season, and he first hurt his hamstring against the Ravens.
"We've just got to play," Ryan said. "We will find out tomorrow. Hamstring injuries are so tough to come back from. I just hope it's not that bad."
Safety Jim Leonhard said the loss of Revis was no question the low point of the game, as the Jets headed into halftime having given up a touchdown and lost one of the best defenders in the league.
"It's a huge ripple effect, especially in a game like this when you have so many DBs on the field," Leonhard said.
If there is a bright spot, it is that despite Revis' absence, the Jets' secondary locked down the Patriots' receivers. New England didn't score at all in the second half and had just seven team catches. Antonio Cromartie had to pick up Moss, and had an interception.
"We had to step up [and say] 'He's been out before, let's get our secondary up,'" Cromartie said.
It might be a little easier for the Jets to form a game plan to face Miami without Revis, having spent the whole preseason scheming without him.
"It's not a shock, it's not something new, but obviously we want Darrelle to be there," Leonhard said.
It was a little early for Revis to speculate, but he said he'd be preparing this week to face the Dolphins unless he hears otherwise, and he's prepared to be patient.
"I hate being injured, but I'm sure this is not as tough as a holdout."
Jane McManus is a reporter and columnist for ESPNNewYork.com.