Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Early signs point towards Mark Sanchez sitting next week

Mark Sanchez

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez walks past spectators taking pictures prior to a NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Monday, Dec. 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

AP

As the clip at the bottom of this post shows, Rex Ryan and the Jets learned they were in the playoffs in unusual fashion.

Now they can consider how best to take advantage of their good fortune. Ryan indicated he’d like to use next week’s game against the Bills as a quasi bye week, according to ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini.

That means they will likely rest quarterback Mark Sanchez because of his injured shoulder.

“We’ll take it day-by-day and play it by ear,” Sanchez said after Sunday’s loss. “But I’m with coach, whatever he thinks is best for me and the team, we’ll handle it that way.”

Sanchez put together an impressive overall effort against the Bears with 269 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

The Jets could potentially change their playoff seed from six to five (if the Steelers lost and Ravens won), but that’s not a difference worth fighting for.

(UPDATE: From Neil Best of Newsday: “Saw Sanchez sitting by his locker after game rotating his right shoulder and wincing. No chance he plays vs. Buffalo.”

[kml_flashembed movie="http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33399756?launch=40813846" width="420" height="245" allowFullscreen="true” /]