Todd Bowles: Two plays won't determine Darrelle Revis' season

The New York Jets are allowing too many big plays on defense, and the root of the problem -- surprisingly -- is star cornerback Darrelle Revis.

On Thursday night, Revis was burned for the second consecutive game, putting coach Todd Bowles in the unusual position of having to explain why the seven-time Pro Bowl selection is struggling.

"He gave up two plays," Bowles said Friday, 14 hours after a 37-31 road win over the Buffalo Bills. "I mean, I don't think that'll be an indication of the whole season. He gave up two plays. He knows he doesn't want to give them up and we know we don't want him to give them up.

"We've got to correct them. He'll be better and we'll move on from there."

The latest touchdown was an 84-yard reception by speedster Marquise Goodwin, the Bills' No. 3 wide receiver. On Buffalo's third play, he ran a go route and blew past Revis, 31, who made a futile attempt to tackle him from behind after Goodwin hauled in Tyrod Taylor's pass.

In the season opener, Revis was matched against Cincinnati Bengals star A.J. Green and got beat on a 54-yard touchdown catch. Revis, who was supposed to have safety help on the deep post, hesitated slightly and didn't have enough catch-up speed to close ground.

In a span of five days, Revis surrendered two touchdown passes that traveled at least 50 yards in the air, equaling the team's total from the previous 10 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"Good throw, good catch," Revis said of Goodwin's touchdown. "He's fast. He's definitely fast."

Goodwin, who has sprinter's speed, participated in the U.S. Olympic trials in the long jump earlier this year. Revis, who is in the second year of a five-year, $70 million contract and is making a guaranteed $17 million this season, said he was unaware of Goodwin's Olympic bid, but he was familiar with his reputation as one of the fastest players in the NFL.

Bowles used Revis in a new role against the Bills. Instead of covering the No. 1 receiver, as he has done throughout his career, Revis was assigned to the No. 2 or No. 3, perhaps a concession that he no longer is the lockdown defender he was in his prime.

Bowles said the plan was to roll coverage to Sammy Watkins, the Bills' No. 1 receiver.

"The thought was to try to double [Watkins] some and let Darrelle take away the other guy," Bowles said. "We had discussed this in the summer. That's what we were going to try to do."

Watkins, who burned the Jets (mainly Revis) for 11 catches and 136 yards in the 2015 finale, was limited Thursday night by a foot injury.

The Jets (1-1) have allowed 663 passing yards in two games, including scoring plays of 84, 71 and 54 yards.They're vulnerable, and opponents will try to exploit that weakness, and perhaps Revis.

"It's a copy-cat league," Bowles said. "Anytime someone sees somebody have success with something, they're going to do it until you put the fire out."