FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A few leftovers from Thursday’s interview with New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis:

His growth in his eighth NFL season. “I think I’m a better player than I was a couple years ago, just by the growth as a player, growing in this league. Just continuing to stay consistent with my studies and what I do as a player.”

Returning to MetLife Stadium. "This will be my second trip. Last year, I was in Tampa and that was our first game of the year. It was pretty weird. I’m just going to approach it like I did that game, just to try to have no pressure and relax. ... I do know a lot of those guys in New York and still talk to a lot of those guys. Try to look at it not as practice [against the Jets]; look at it as really competition.”

What makes Rob Gronkowski an MVP candidate. “The same stuff you see in the game he’s doing in practice. He’s humble about it, the way he approaches the game. He goes out and works at it. Him and Tom [Brady], the chemistry they have, you see them working on that week in and week out at practice. You have to give him credit. The catches you see in games are the catches you see in practice, and you’re just in awe sometimes of how much chemistry they have between the two.”

Revis’ own candidacy in the MVP race. “I didn’t even know I was involved in that conversation, so it’s something totally new to me. I have no idea. I just look at the sky’s the limit and you never know what’s going to be ahead of you. Like I said, I’m humbled by it, to even be in that conversation with the other guys.”