Even Revis has high praise for Pats' Welker

Darrelle Revis opted for a new word to describe Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, preferring to use a different term than slouch - the well-chronicled comment he thought perfectly depicted Randy Moss and Terrell Owens.

"Trouble," the Jets' Pro Bowl cornerback said. "That guy is very dangerous. Usually when you watch film on Welker, most teams are doubling him in the slot, and that's what type of player he is. He can hurt you. He's dangerous. We know that and we've got to keep an eye on him wherever he is on the field."

The Jets did a solid job keeping Welker in check in their Week 2 meeting, limiting the 5-9, 189-pound receiver to 38 yards and a touchdown on six catches. Welker was a non-factor in the second half of the Jets' 28-14 win, grabbing only two passes for 5 yards, and the Jets will need that type of effort again Monday night when the two 9-2 AFC East rivals square off at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

Welker already was considered Tom Brady's security blanket. But with Moss traded away, stopping the diminutive receiver - who's tied for sixth in the NFL with 65 receptions - becomes an even more significant task for the Jets' third-ranked defense, which suffered a big loss when safety Jim Leonhard fractured his right tibia Friday and was placed on injured reserve Saturday.

"It would help us a lot if we can contain Wes Welker," Revis said. "That's Brady's go-to guy and he's going to look for him all the time, to make those plays when it's time to make them."

Welker, 29, can be such a difficult cover because of his unbelievably precise route-running, football IQ and slithery style. One particular thing sticks out in Jets coach Rex Ryan's mind about him. "He's a lot stronger than he looks," Ryan said. "He's a smaller guy, but he's strong, great run-after-the-catch ability, great hands. He's fearless. Other than that, he's just a guy."

A guy the Jets know they have to put the clamps on, or their visions of taking total control of the AFC East likely won't materialize. Who can forget the way he toasted the Jets' secondary in New England's 31-14 win in Foxborough last season?

Welker burned the Jets for 15 receptions, a team record for a non-overtime game, and his 192 receiving yards were the third most in a game in the franchise's 50-year history.

Since he joined the Patriots in 2007, Welker's average of 7.2 receptions per game is tops in the NFL, and he's sensational once he gets the ball in his hands. His 2,429 yards after the catch since 2007 dwarf the 1,694 of Miami's Brandon Marshall, who is second in YAC during that span.

Welker has caught a pass in 74 consecutive regular-season games and has at least one reception in all 60 games he's played with the Patriots. He's also posted double-digit receptions a whopping 11 games during his three-plus seasons as a Patriot.

"He does a lot of things," Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie said. "Him and Brady are always on the same page no matter what. He can actually go the wrong way and Brady will still find him wide open and so he just knows how to work the slot. He can run anywhere. He can run the whole route tree as a slot receiver, so being a nickel back or a corner that has to come in and cover him, you have to pay attention to detail and you have to try to take away some things and make him go one way.

"That's the biggest thing."

It sounds so simple, but it's never that way when it comes to defending Welker.

"He's shifty, and the guy makes up his own routes in a good way, not in a bad way," Revis said. "To me, he took slot receivers to another level in football. This guy is exceptional. His footwork is great, reading coverages, reading man-to-man - all of that. He's one of the best. He's the best to me in the league."