There is no telling how many more times Tom Brady (old for a quarterback at 38) and Darrelle Revis (old for a cornerback at 30) will encounter one another with both playing at a high level.

But here they are again, at least for one more Sunday, ready for a showdown that could shape the Jets’ must-have-it rematch with the Patriots, who beat them, 30-23, on Oct. 25 at Gillette Stadium.

Darrelle Revis helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl last season, but returned to the Jets in the offseason and took with him a knowledge of New England’s schemes he hopes will help him Sunday. File Photo/The Associated Press

UP NEXT

WHO: Patriots (12-2) at Jets (9-5)

WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday

TV: CBS

FOUR THINGS TO WATCH AGAINST THE JETS

1. Can the Patriots pass rush get to Ryan Fitzpatrick? The Patriots have had a sack in every game this season and are tied for the NFL lead with 47. But the Jets have allowed Fitzpatrick to be sacked just 20 times, which is second-best in the NFL. The Patriots sacked Fitzpatrick twice in a 30-23 victory back in October and need to put pressure on him once again to slow down the Jets’ offense.

2. How much will the Patriots starters play? With a first-round bye already secured, will the Patriots start resting some of their key players, especially those who have been battling injuries? Bill Belichick was asked that early last week and said it was “somewhat of a consideration.” Much will depend on the game situation, of course. But it will be interesting to see how the Patriots handle the final two games.

3. Can the Patriots handle Chris Ivory again? New England held Ivory to just 41 rushing yards in the first game between the two teams. But Ivory is still ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing with 951 yards and seven touchdowns. If linebacker Dont’a Hightower doesn’t play for the Patriots, the run defense is a little weaker.

4. Who’s going to run the ball for the Patriots? They signed veteran free agent Steve Jackson on Tuesday, but he might not be ready after sitting out the entire season. Does Joey Iosefa get the call again after gaining 51 yards in his debut last week? Does Monte Ball come up from the practice squad? Do Brandon Bolden and James White carry the load? The Patriots need some running to keep the Jets honest.

– Mike Lowe, staff writer

Adding to the drama: The fact that Revis played for the Patriots during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2014, and that some observers perceived tension in the air during their brief handshake after that mid-autumn game.

Let’s start with that last part, an on-field encounter that seemed a tad less than warm for former teammates. Might it have had something to do with Revis candidly answering some offseason questions about DeflateGate upon rejoining the Jets?

Revis laughed when asked this week about his relationship with Brady, saying, “Tom’s a great player. He is.”

The more reporters pressed him on that – and the handshake – the less cheerful he became.

“It was a handshake,” he said. “It’s a handshake; it’s a handshake.”

But might it also have been something of a cold shoulder?

“I think a cold shoulder is when you don’t give a handshake,” Revis said. “He gave me a handshake.”

Meanwhile, in New England, when Brady was asked if his relationship with Revis has changed since last year, he said “no” and went on to praise his playing ability.

That, of course, is what really will matter Sunday, more so than a potentially overblown theory about the players not being on cozy terms.

In that regard, the Jets hope Revis’ knowledge of the Patriots from a season spent interacting with them on and off the field might be a plus.

“I know those guys pretty well from being there last year; I have a lot of relationships up there still,” Revis said. “You take what you can and I took what I could from last year and you just add that on to studying film as well, see what those guys are trying to accomplish this year as a team. I mean, it definitely helps.”

But Jets Coach Todd Bowles cautioned that there are two sides to that coin.

“I think the same advantage he has, they have,” Bowles said. “They know him as well, he knows them as well, so that will be a cat-and-mouse game within itself.”

Revis agreed, but he said that after all these years, there aren’t many secrets on either side.

“When you play against a player for so long or you’re in the same conference playing against a quarterback, there are tendencies you can pick up, and vice versa,” he said. “I mean, that’s just how it goes when you’re familiar with somebody that much.

“Sometimes you may want to watch past film and you definitely have to look at the current film of this year. There’s new guys that they have this year and that they plug in all the time.”

Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski said merely practicing against Revis last season improved the team’s receivers.

“He’s obviously a great player,” Gronkowski said. “He brings a lot of talent onto the field, and going versus him just makes you a better player. We just have to prepare for him and know where he is at all times on the field.”

Leonard Hankerson, who opened the season as the Falcons’ number two wide receiver, was set to be waived by the New England Patriots, according to multiple media reports

Hankerson was signed by the Patriots after being waived by the Falcons on Dec. 15.

He played in eight games this season for the Falcons. He was targeted 46 times and caught 26 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns.

He was placed on injured reserved with a hamstring injury on Dec. 4, but later passed a physical and was released. The Falcons said Hankerson, who was signed to a one-year, $1 million contract, no longer fit into their “future plans.”

The Patriots, who have been decimated by injuries, signed Hankerson on Dec. 17. He played 10 of 66 of the offensive snaps last week against Tennessee, but was not targeted and caught no passes in the game.

PLAYOFF POSITION: The Patriots (12-2) have clinched their seventh straight AFC East crown and a bye in the opening round of the playoffs for an NFL-record sixth season in a row. With a win over the Jets (9-5), the Patriots would earn home-field advantage in the AFC for the second consecutive year.

BRADY IS BIG: The Patriots quarterback is 22-6 against the Jets, including 1-1 in playoffs, as a starter, with 42 TDs, 13 interceptions and 6,894 yards. With Brady under center, New England has won nine of the last 10 regular-season meetings with New York. He has 4,405 yards passing through 14 games and needs to average 297.5 yards in the final two games to reach 5,000 yards for the second time in career.

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