Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins asked for the ball last month and he showed why he thought it was such a good idea to throw it to him against the Dolphins last week.
Watkins battered the Miami secondary for eight catches and 168 of the team’s 181 receiving yards in the 33-17 victory. Now he gets to take a Thursday night trip to Revis Island in one of the on-field subplots that has been overshadowed in the last few days by the Rex Ryan show.
Watkins and Darrelle Revis met twice last season when Revis was with the Patriots, although the Week 17 matchup saw Revis play sparingly as the Patriots prepared for the playoffs. He should be in on every snap this week and he should be spending most of them hooked up with Watkins in a match-up that the wideout says he’s looking forward to as a test of his ability to be a No. 1 receiver.
“I look forward to it,” Watkins said, via the Buffalo News. “I understand it’s going to be a hard match-up. He’s going to be shadowing me probably everywhere. As a top receiver -- as a receiver who wants to be noticed as a top receiver -- you definitely want to go against those type of guys. I know it’s going to probably be the hardest challenge of my career, season, every year.”
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor said he’ll be aware of Revis because “coverage dictates where the ball goes” and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Jets’ coverage dictates opportunities elsewhere. Antonio Cromartie is likely out, although he has been charitable with opposing receivers when he’s in the lineup, and the Jets are also down a couple of safeties this week.
That may mean a smaller percentage of the passing game for Watkins, but not necessarily a less successful one for the Bills.
