FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan said it was "really weird" seeing Darrelle Revis last season in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform. On Thursday night, the New York Jets' coach will get an up-close look at his former cornerback wearing the colors of his No. 1 rival, the New England Patriots.

And that will be beyond weird.

"A little sick to my stomach," Ryan said Tuesday, imagining how he will react.

Jets coach Rex Ryan isn't relishing the thought of seeing Darrelle Revis in a Patriots uniform Thursday night. Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports

Revis used to be a Ryan guy, and now he's a Bill Belichick guy. It's tough to handle for the New York fan base, which considered Revis one of the best players in Jets history. No one feels the loss more than Ryan, whose secondary is in disarray.

Ryan was interested in re-signing Revis last offseason when he was released by the Bucs, according to sources. The feeling was mutual, but the Jets' front office, which traded him to Tampa Bay in 2013 amid a bitter divorce, never tried to negotiate a homecoming.

Watching him sign with the Patriots was like a kick in the stomach for Ryan, the Jets and their fans.

"Oh, man, I'm not going to go there," said Ryan, refusing to answer when asked if he wanted to bring back Revis. "Let's focus on the team right now in front of us, and recognize the guy is an excellent player and plays on someone else's team. That's the way it is."

Revis played with the Jets from 2007 to 2012, the last four seasons under Ryan. In that time, he was considered the top cornerback in the league, spawning the nickname "Revis Island."

But business got in the way -- acrimonious contract negotiations -- and general manager John Idzik, in his first significant move, dealt Revis to the Bucs for two draft picks. One of the picks, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013.

Ryan believes his game plan, coupled with Revis' lockdown ability, revolutionized cornerback play.

"I think we did something with him that really hadn't been done in the NFL," said Ryan, alluding to the concept of putting him in single coverage against the opponents' No. 1 receivers.

When he coached him, Ryan often referred to Revis as one of the best corners he's ever seen, putting him in the conversation with Deion Sanders. Asked if he stills considers Revis the best, he smiled.

"If I say something, I'm going to get ripped," Ryan said. "Richard Sherman is going to attack me or something. I haven't seen everybody, but of the ones I see, I would think so."

In recent weeks, the Patriots have used Revis the way he was deployed in New York, matched up against the top receiver. If that's the case, he'll be covering Eric Decker a lot Thursday.

"He's one of the best, if not the best," Decker said. "It's going to be, if we have one-on-one matchups at all, it's going to be tough."

Geno Smith has struggled with interceptions -- seven in six games -- so it probably would be wise to avoid Revis' side. Ryan joked that "not too many are going in that direction."

The Buffalo Bills stayed away from Revis, targeting Sammy Watkins only three times last week. The result: Only two receptions for 27 yards.

"They call it Revis Island, and it's still Revis Island," Jets receiver David Nelson said. "He's gotten better as he's gotten older."