Glauber: Revis and Woodson, up close and personal

The debate raged for most of the latter part of last season, when Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and Packers cornerback Charles Woodson were neck-and-neck for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

On one side was Revis, who had one of the most remarkable shutdown performances of any cornerback in recent memory. He neutralized every receiver he faced, including Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco, Andre Johnson, Lee Evans and Steve Smith. Revis finished with six interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and 31 passes defensed.

On the other side was Woodson, the wily veteran who had his best season at age 33 with nine interceptions, three touchdowns, four forced fumbles, two sacks and 18 passes defensed.

In the end, Woodson was a convincing winner among voters for the coveted award given out by The Associated Press. He received 28 of 50 votes. (Full disclosure: I'm a voter, and I went with Woodson.)

To this day, Jets coach Rex Ryan believes Revis should have gotten the award.

"I know [Woodson is] a great player, but the year that Darrelle Revis had has never been done in the history of the league, and I think that was a once-in-a-lifetime year for any corner," Ryan said this past week in advance of today's Jets-Packers game at New Meadowlands Stadium. It will be the first time Revis and Woodson have faced each other.

"Charles had an unbelievable year," Ryan said. "You look at him statistically, it was a phenomenal year. As much as I respect Charles Woodson, I just thought the year Darrelle Revis had, I'd never seen anything like it, and I've only been around football all my life."

Neither figures to be in the running for this year's award, though. Revis, coming off a holdout in which he missed nearly all of the preseason, has battled hamstring problems and has yet to record his first interception. Woodson, who has had a problem with a chronic turf toe ailment, has only one interception. He also has two forced fumbles.

As passionate as Ryan remains about his belief that Revis should have won the award, Revis himself isn't obsessed about what happened.

"It wasn't a rivalry, as far as I'm concerned," Revis said of last year's Defensive Player of the Year competition. "It was just discussing who was the best. It was just two great corners playing hard and trying to get the award."

Revis insists he isn't motivated in the least by trying to outshine Woodson when the teams meet in a key game for both division-leading clubs.

"I'm not worried about Charles Woodson," Revis said. "He plays defense and I play defense. I need to be worrying about Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and the other receivers."

Revis appears fully healthy after suffering a hamstring strain in Week 2 against the Patriots. He struggled the last two games before the Jets' bye week but believes he is as close to 100 percent as he has been since ending his holdout the week before the regular season.

"I feel good," he said. "I feel like I'm ready to go."

So do the Jets. Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine could see in practice that Revis was ready. "Players were saying, 'He's back,' " Pettine said.

Revis may have some extra motivation as a result of some trash-talking from the usually quiet Jennings, who said he and fellow wideout James Jones will be "going trick-or- treating on Revis Island. I've never traveled that far to go trick-or-treating, and I got to bring my girls some type of candy back, so it'll be fun."

Or not. If Revis is back to his old self, then Jennings & Co. can expect a tough afternoon against Revis and fellow cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who has enjoyed a standout season at the other cornerback position.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers called Revis and Cromartie possibly the best one-two cornerback combo in the NFL. And if Revis starts playing the way he did last year, Rodgers may find the results disheartening. Revis certainly hopes that's the case.

"Time to play," he said. "I'm not thinking about me vs. Charles Woodson. All I'm thinking about is covering who's out there. That's all that's important."