Babin concerned about Titans' changes, his contract status

Jason Babin will be an unrestricted free agent once the NFL lockout ends. And, from the sound of it, he might not return to the Tennessee Titans after his breakout 2010 season.

"There's so much uncertainty with Tennessee, what their culture's going to be, who their quarterback's going to be, what kind of atmosphere is going to evolve out of a whole new coaching staff," the defensive end recently told MLive.com.

"When you put that many new people together -- new offense, defense, new guy at the helm, at quarterback -- it's kind of hard to predict what the culture's going to be, what the atmosphere's going to be," he added. "And even more so, the hierarchy of how things are going to rank importance-wise. So it's kind of hard for me to say yes or no until, (No.) 1, they talk to me and express interest. And No. 2, I can see how things unfold as far as the team as a whole goes."

The Titans have gone through a tumultuous offseason. First, they announced that quarterback Vince Young would be traded or released after his relationship with the team turned rocky. Then they parted with coach Jeff Fisher and promoted offensive line coach Mike Munchak to run the team.

Munchak built his own staff, and defensive line coach Jim Washburn, whom Babin called "the greatest position coach I've ever had," departed for the Philadelphia Eagles. That led to speculation that Babin could rejoin the Eagles, who didn't match the Titans' offer sheet to the lineman last year, and he didn't exactly shoot down the possibility when asked about it in January.

"There's been no 'Hey Jason, we want you in Philly' discussions, but it would be hard for me not to contemplate it if he said, 'Jason, I want you in Philly,' " Babin said. "He resurrected me. I'd have to at least give that serious consideration. But Tennessee is where I made a home, my kids go to school there, we live there. So I feel like I'm in a tough position."

Before Babin joined the Titans, he was considered a journeyman, spending time with the Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs after being a first-round draft pick by the Houston Texans in 2004. But Babin blossomed under Washburn's tutelage, recording 12.5 sacks -- 7.5 more than his previous career high -- and receiving his first Pro Bowl berth.

That kind of performance usually produces a big payday, but the lockout has prevented Babin from negotiating with teams or signing a contract. The Titans decided in February to put contract talks with Babin on hold, and his agent, Rich Rosa, said then that the team hadn't "closed the door" on bringing back the defensive end.

"I've been a little anxious," Babin told MLive.com. "I would have liked to have had my contract situation squared away March 3. But there's a picture that involves the NFL as a whole, so I really can't be selfish when it comes to that. We've got to get some things squared away when it comes to the (collective bargaining agreement).

"I'm not overly concerned about having a job. I more so concerned about having my family there with me and the situation I'm going to be in -- meaning find the right schools, the right neighborhoods, find a house to live in, for a four- or five-year contract. So those are the kind of things that peeve me that they're probably not going to happen."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Smith confident in place with 49ers despite free-agent status

Alex Smith is leading throwing sessions in the San Francisco 49ers' players-only workouts -- a completely normal development if not for the business of the quarterback technically being a free agent.

It's just another unusual aspect of a very strange NFL offseason.

Smith will be an unrestricted free agent once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, but new 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh's public and private comments about the quarterback have left the six-year veteran comfortable that he'll be in San Francisco next season.

"I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't for the relationship there, to be honest with you," Smith told the Bay Area News Group on Wednesday. "For the feeling I got from Harbaugh, the offensive coaching staff, from every time I've been in there, from before the lockout, from when the lockout ended that day and a half. ... But I have such a good feeling. I feel they've been up front about everything they've told me."

Harbaugh has been so vocal in his support of Smith that the NFL reportedly told the 49ers to stop talking about the quarterback or any free agents during the lockout.

"I laughed when the article came out that they told Harbaugh to stop talking about me," Smith said.

Smith said it felt good to read about Harbaugh's positive thoughts on him.

"You know, this is the first for me, to have an offensive head coach, especially someone who played the position and really knows what it's like to sit back in the pocket and all the different things that can impact your play," Smith said.

Smith told The Sacramento Bee that plans are in the works for a minicamp-style practice involving the 49ers' offensive players. Smith said the session would begin "shortly" and that the 49ers could have a number of them throughout the summer, depending on the status of the work stoppage.

"Becoming familiar with the terminology, the formations, the motions, the concepts -- things like that," Smith said when asked to describe the goal of the workouts. "So that whenever this (lockout) ends, you're not having to re-learn that."

Harbaugh might have great faith in Smith, but that doesn't mean the 2005 No. 1 overall draft pick has a long future as San Francisco's signal-caller. The team drafted Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft in April.

Is it strange to have Smith's future replacement stand next to him during these workouts?

"No question," he said. "Oh, it's new. I guess I've slowly dealt with it, though. I don't think I've had a year without competition really in the last four years, though."

Smith spoke about the circle of life for an NFL quarterback, thinking back to when he was the hotshot from draft day.

"It did remind me a lot of when I came in, and Tim Rattay, to be honest with you," Smith said, referencing the quarterback whom he replaced in the 49ers' starting lineup. "... And I did think back about how good Tim was. How easy it would be to be bitter and to be an ass. Those guys did it the right way with me, and I'm going to do the same thing."

Kaepernick might be the future, but it appears that Smith remains the present in San Francisco. But he's not assuming he's the No. 1 guy just yet.

"I don't really view it like that," Smith said. "You're going to get into camp, and anywhere you go, the best guy's going to play. I mean, that's the way it's going to be. That's the way I view it. I know he (Harbaugh) said that, but for me, this is going to be wide open, and I'm going in with that mentality."

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Packers QB Rodgers' status remains uclear vs. Giants

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- As of Monday, the Green Bay Packers couldn't say for sure that Aaron Rodgers will be able to play this weekend.

They did know this: Despite Sunday night's tough 31-27 loss at New England, the Packers still are virtually assured of a playoff spot if they win their final two games.

Even after watching yet another close game go the wrong way -- all six of the Packers' losses this season have come by four points or fewer -- Packers coach Mike McCarthy generally was upbeat about the way his team played in a road game against the NFL's hottest team with Rodgers on the sideline.

"You get angry, and you don't sweep anything under the rug," McCarthy said Monday. "There was a lot of positive aspects of the game last night that would lead to a very high performance level, and there's some things that we need to do a better job in, particularly in critical points in the game."

Rodgers sat out Sunday night's game a week after sustaining his second concussion of the season. McCarthy said he will have more information on Rodgers' availability Wednesday.

"We're still going through our medical process now with all of our players," McCarthy said.

Backup Matt Flynn played well in Rodgers' place, throwing for 251 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He nearly rallied the Packers late in the fourth quarter, but a late drive ended with a sack.

"It's a tough one to swallow," Flynn said after the game. "It makes you sit there and think what you could have done different, make a play here, just things that kind of eat you up that you can't stop thinking about. It's definitely tough to swallow, but we've got to look forward. We've got two games left and we've still got things in front of us."

Flynn credited Rodgers with helping him out during his first career start.

"Me and Aaron talked all week," Flynn said. "He just told me to cut it loose and have fun out there, trust your preparation, trust your reads. He was with me the whole time on the sideline, talking to me. He was a big help to me."

Flynn said his inexperience wasn't a factor on the final drive.

The Packers were driving toward what could have been a game-winning touchdown, but got bogged down after a sack forced them to burn their third timeout with just under a minute remaining. A third-down pass from Flynn to Donald Driver came close to the first down marker, but the Packers lost valuable time while waiting for officials to determine if it was first down or fourth down.

They ended up a yard short. Flynn got one last snap off with the clock running down, but was sacked on the final play.

"That third-down play, we couldn't really tell if we got the first down or not," Flynn said. "We would have gone up and clocked the ball and had an opportunity to call a better play, but once they spotted it late, it was fourth down and we just had to go. I don't feel like it was inexperience. I've been around the game and we work 2-minute drills all the time."

McCarthy said the sack earlier in the drive hurt the Packers' ability to manage the clock, but the coach wasn't critical of the way Flynn handled the final two plays.

"I thought that Matt did fine with the operation of the third-down to the fourth-down play," McCarthy said. "They went with a three-man rush, Matt tried to extend the play -- which you like to do there -- and he was sacked."

Should Rodgers return to practice this week, it would give the Packers a big boost going into their final two games. The Packers host the New York Giants on Sunday, then face the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field a week later.

They'll likely have to face the Giants without defensive end Cullen Jenkins, who has missed the last two games with a lingering calf injury. McCarthy hopes Jenkins will be able to return for the regular season finale against Chicago.

McCarthy seemed optimistic about safety Nick Collins, who left Sunday's game with a rib injury. And he said outside linebacker Frank Zombo could return from a knee injury after sitting out Sunday's game.

Win both games, and the Packers are virtually assured a playoff spot.

"That sounds good, but we've got to win a close game," cornerback Charles Woodson said. "And we haven't done that. We haven't shown that we can do that yet."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Favre struggling with shoulder injury; status still unknown

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Brett Favre's sprained throwing shoulder makes it difficult for him to put on a shirt or pull on his socks, so the 41-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback will wait a few days before he decides about playing against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Favre said Wednesday that he is unsure if he will be able to extend his NFL record for consecutive games started. He hopes a few more days of rest will provide some clarity for him to make a decision by Friday, but Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier said he wouldn't be surprised if it goes right up until game time.

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Favre has started in 297 consecutive regular-season games, a record he cherishes more than any other he has achieved over the past 20 seasons. But if that mark ends Sunday, Favre insisted he is fine with that.

"It really hasn't crossed my mind this week that I've got to get out there to keep the streak going," Favre said. "I think the most important streak right now is we've won two in a row."

Favre didn't practice Wednesday and said it was unlikely that he would get much work in this week. He has played through numerous injuries throughout his career to keep the remarkable streak going, a reputation for toughness that has Frazier thinking that Favre will be ready to go again this week.

"Brett Favre is so, so unique when it comes to recovering from injuries," Frazier said. "I'm optimistic that he will be out there playing on Sunday."

In what he says is his final season, Favre has only reinforced his iron-man reputation. He is playing on a left foot that has two broken bones and also has played through tendinitis in his throwing elbow and injuries to his calf, neck, back and chin.

Still, Favre has thrown a league-high 18 interceptions, and his 69.6 passer rating ranks 29th in the league, ahead of just Arizona Cardinals veteran Derek Anderson and Carolina Panthers rookie Jimmy Clausen.

Favre said this injury, a sprained SC joint, is different. He has never had one like it before and isn't sure how he will recover. It happened when he was crunched by Buffalo Bills linebacker Arthur Moats in the third play of the game last Sunday and is even more significant because it is in Favre's throwing shoulder, which rendered him unable to play the rest of the game.

"I know if I pull my shirt over my head right now, I'm going to feel it," Favre said. "And if you think that way in a game: 'Ooh, if I throw this hook, it's going to (hurt), I may want to throw it to the flat first,' then I probably shouldn't play."

Tarvaris Jackson filled in for the rest of the game, throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions in Minnesota's 38-14 victory over Buffalo. If Favre cannot play, Jackson would make the start.

Frazier said team doctors and trainers are still discussing if a painkilling injection would even help Favre. A sprained SC joint is a rare injury in football, and the location -- where the collarbone meets the breastbone -- can make it more difficult to quickly rehabilitate.

Despite the beating he has taken this season, Favre still said he doesn't have any regrets about returning. He sometimes thinks about the toll that it will take on his body five or 10 years down the road.

"I think had I not played this year, I was going to still feel the 19 years I've played for many years to come," Favre said. "I probably haven't helped myself too much this year. But I chose to play, that's part of it. As an older player, you find it harder, as we all do, to recover from certain injuries. But that's the price you pay."

Frazier said it isn't an option to start Favre to keep the streak alive, then pull him for Jackson early in the game.

"Either he can go or he can't go," Frazier said. "We'd like to make that determination, and when he goes in there, we're at full expectation that he'll play for four quarters. That will be the plan. We wouldn't go into it, get a start, play a couple reps and get out. No."

That's fine with Favre.

"I want to see this through, and that means game and season," Favre said. "But I also don't want to jeopardize the team by just doing it for selfish reasons, and I wouldn't do that. Just treat it day to day, and if the streak's over this week, it's over."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Chiefs' Cassel has appendectomy; no word on Sunday status

Quarterback Matt Cassel, a key reason the Kansas City Chiefs have emerged as contenders and lead the AFC West late in the season, underwent an appendectomy Wednesday.

The Chiefs said the procedure was a success, and they expect Cassel to return to work this week. They didn't say he would be ready to play Sunday when the Chiefs (8-4) travel to San Diego for a showdown with the Chargers (6-6), who trail Kansas City by two games in the division.

Brodie Croyle, who is 0-9 as an NFL starter and hasn't appeared in a game all year, took most of the practice snaps Wednesday. The Chiefs also signed quarterback Tyler Palko to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.

Coach Todd Haley, who insisted on saying during his news conference only that Cassel had "an illness," declined to speculate on whether or not his quarterback will be ready for Sunday's game.

"Again, he'll be on the injury report as illness today," Haley said. "And we'll just take it from there as we do all injuries."

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger underwent an appendectomy four days before the 2006 season opener. He returned to play in a Week 2 game -- 15 days after the surgery -- and his passer ratings in that and the following contest -- 38.7 and 30.7 -- were among the six worst of his career.

While the Chiefs didn't release any details of Cassel's operation, the American College of Surgeons website advises patients who have had a minimally invasive appendectomy not to "lift or participate in strenuous activity for three to five days" after the procedure.

Cassel helped present area high school star Bubba Starling an award Tuesday morning, then appeared at another event Tuesday night. The Chiefs didn't say if Cassel underwent emergency surgery, which might suggest a more invasive procedure.

In his second season as the Chiefs' full-time starter, Cassel has thrived under the tutelage of Haley and first-year offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, connecting on 212 of 354 passes for 2,503 yards and 23 touchdowns. He has thrown an NFL-low four interceptions. His current streak of 158 passes without an interception is the third-longest active streak in the league.

Cassel was the AFC's Offensive Player of the Month in November, completing 90 of 144 passes for 1,111 yards and 12 TDs with only one interception.

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Croyle, a third-round draft pick out of Alabama in 2006, was projected as the Chiefs' foundation quarterback before Herman Edwards was fired as head coach after the 2008 season. Injury prone, Croyle immediately dropped to the second team when new general manager Scott Pioli traded for Cassel before the 2009 season. Croyle hasn't started since the 2009 season opener, when Cassel was hurt.

Croyle said this week will be no different than any other for him, other than the fact he'll take more practice reps.

"Just got to prepare like you always do," he said. "My number's called, got to be ready to go. You've got to be ready to go on any play."

Croyle has seen action in 16 regular-season games, completing 173 of 300 passes for 1,631 yards and eight touchdowns with eight interceptions.

The Chiefs also placed cornerback Jackie Bates (knee) on season-ending injured reserve and signed linebacker Micah Johnson to the practice squad.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Colts' Collie improving, but status unclear vs. Bengals

The Colts expect receiver Austin Collie to be just fine, eventually.

Their playoff hopes may hinge on it.

One day after Collie lay motionless on the field for nearly 10 minutes, coach Jim Caldwell said Monday that the second-year receiver returned to Indianapolis on the team flight and was recovering from a concussion.

"Obviously the doctors felt good enough about his situation to allow him to travel back with us on the airplane," Caldwell said. "I think that's a pretty good indication that things were trending in the right direction. He came back, he was home sleeping, our medical staff had an opportunity to talk with him this morning and his symptoms are subsiding. He's trending in the right direction, which is great."

Fortunately, Collie appears to have escaped a more serious injury after Sunday's frightening scene in Philadelphia.

The contact on Collie was initiated by Eagles safety Quintin Mikell, who delivered a legal hit with his shoulder to the chest area of Collie. That contact propelled Collie toward Eagles safety Kurt Coleman, causing Coleman to make helmet-to-helmet contact with Collie,who crumpled to the turf with his two arms frozen in the air.

Collie was strapped to a backboard and taken off the field on a stretcher.

NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reports that Because the helmet-to-helmet contact was a result of Collie being driven toward Coleman by Mikell's legal hit, the NFL will not impose a fine on Coleman.

"You definitely want to pray in that situation so that it's not bad as it looks," defensive captain Gary Brackett said. "And for that moment, it really puts things in perspective."

At halftime, the Colts said Collie was awake and alert.

And after the game, Collie could be seen walking around the locker room though he did not take reporters' questions.

Teammates were relieved with what they saw and heard.

"Austin is one of my best friends on this team and it's tough to watch. It's tough," tight end Jacob Tamme said. "We just tried to focus on football, but it's definitely tough. It was good to get to talk to him (on the plane), and he's going to be good -- we hope."

But the latest injury is yet another blow for the defending AFC champs.

Twelve players have already gone on injured reserve, and that list doesn't even include oft-injured safety Bob Sanders, who tore the biceps muscle in his right arm in the season opener and hasn't played since. Colts President Bill Polian said last week he hoped Sanders would return next month.

And the injury rash just seems to be getting worse.

At one point Sunday, all three of Indy's opening-day linebackers were on the sideline -- Gary Brackett, Philip Wheeler and Clint Session.

The usually high-powered offense hasn't been immune, either.

Manning has already lost All-Pro tight end Dallas Clark (wrist) for the season and has played the last two games without Joseph Addai (left shoulder). The four-man receiving corps that was expected to the deepest and most talented of the Manning era, has played together once all season, and even Polian said Saturday that while the team mantra is next man up, he's not even sure who the next man is.

Yet somehow, the Colts are 5-3 and are tied for the AFC South lead.

"I don't think we've really changed anything about this offense," Tamme said. "That's really the neat thing about this team, we understand what we're supposed to do and just go out there and go to work."

How long can the Colts keep winning this way? Who knows?

The Colts gave their players an unscheduled day off Monday, presumably to let them get an extra day to heal.

They need it.

Addai, third-string running back Mike Hart (ankle) and Session didn't even make the trip to Philly. Brackett and Wheeler both left the game briefly in the second half, and, now Collie, who just returned from thumb surgery, will be back on the injury report.

New NFL rules on concussions will require Collie to take a baseline neurological test and have his answers compared with the ones he gave before the season. He also has to be cleared by team doctors and an independent neurological specialist before he can get back in pads.

"They can make a determination of where he is," Caldwell said. "He'll be released to play whenever he is cleared."

But at least, he appears to be OK and the Colts hope he'll be back soon.

"I think it was great even to be able to relay the news that, 'Hey, he is fine. He's alert,' even prior to the game being finished," Caldwell said. "That certainly lifted a lot of spirits, in that regard.

"He is a guy that can come back and do his job," Caldwell added. "We fully anticipate that he will have the same fervor and fire in terms of his preparation in terms of trying to overcome this setback."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Saints RB Thomas using crutches, unsure about injury status

Pierre Thomas hobbled into the New Orleans Saints' locker room on crutches Thursday, keeping weight off his sprained left ankle and sounding perplexed about why his recovery is going so much slower than he'd hoped.

"I really don't know what's the whole problem. Everybody keeps saying it's a sprain or maybe a little tear there," Thomas said. "I don't know for sure if that's true. I'm hearing so many different stories. I don't know what to believe."

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Thomas, the Saints' leading rusher in 2009, accounted for 280 total yards from scrimmage and one rushing touchdown in the first three games of this season. His injury occurred while he was being tackled late in the fourth quarter of a Week 3 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Thomas returned for the extra period in that game and gained 23 yards on a screen.

Thomas even returned to practice on a limited basis three days before New Orleans' Week 4 loss at Arizona.

At that time, Saints coach Sean Payton sounded optimistic that Thomas was close to returning when he spoke about the possibility of both the running back and safety Roman Harper (then slowed by a hamstring pull) playing in the Cardinals game.

"They were limited, but they got work today, and both of them are progressing quickly," Payton said then, adding that the players would be game-time decisions that week.

Thomas hasn't practiced since, though he seemed to be making progress Wednesday when he was present for the portion of practice open to reporters, participated in the team stretch and did some light jogging.

During the open portion of practice Thursday, however, Thomas was nowhere to be seen.

"All I'm thinking about is just trying to get healthy, just trying to get better," Thomas said. "I was told to stay off my foot. So that's why I'm in the crutches and in the boot. They told me to take a little pressure off, be on crutches for a little while just see how it does."

Thomas said he hasn't been given a timetable on his return, but he doesn't fault the doctors and trainers who have diagnosed and treated the injury.

"I'm not upset with anybody -- no person. I'm upset with my injury," Thomas said. "It's taking too long."

Fellow running back Reggie Bush also didn't practice Thursday as he continues to recover from a broken bone in his lower right leg. It's highly unlikely that Bush will return this week, a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora on Wednesday.

"Both with him and Pierre, there's a little bit of wait and see," Payton said Thursday. "They'd have to do something more than what we've seen these first two days (of practice this week). In Pierre's case, we put him in a walking boot to take some of the pressure off after his workouts leading up to this week, trying to rest it. So it will be unlikely that he gets to practice, and then with Reggie, we'll just monitor him again. We'll list the game status (Friday)."

There were signs of the Saints getting healthier on defense. Starting cornerbacks Jabari Greer (left shoulder) and Tracy Porter (left knee) both practiced Thursday on a limited basis, as did linebacker Scott Shanle.

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Greer was injured during the Saints' Week 6 victory at Tampa Bay. Porter had arthroscopic surgery to repair his left lateral meniscus after injuring himself in Week 4. Shanle has missed two games since pulling his left hamstring.

Porter said he felt "pretty good," but he wasn't yet sure if he'd play Sunday.

"I'd like to," Porter said. "But I want to be smart, just as my coaches and my trainers want to be smart with me as well. If they don't feel it's the right time, they're going to hold me out. But if they tell me I can go, I'm definitely going to be happy and excited about that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Favre unsure of status after re-injuring ankle vs. Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Vikings quarterback Brett Favre struggled to walk through the locker room and to and from his postgame news conference after re-injuring his surgically repaired left ankle in Sunday’s 28-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He said he knows by the time he gets off the plane back in Minneapolis, it would be “pretty bad.”

As for his playing status next week against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., Favre said, “Who knows? I hope I do. If I can play but not be effective, then it’s not worth playing. I hope I use good judgment. So, we’ll see. I’m not a spring chicken any more. I don’t heal as quickly.”

He went on.

“I know the heart’s in the right place, though,” he said.

Favre said he injured his ankle while being hit on a third-quarter interception by Packers’ linebacker A.J. Hawk –- one of three interceptions. Favre did not wear any type of walking boot or other support after the game. However, he could not put any pressure on his left ankle as he tried to walk down steps from a stage following his news conference.

The 41-year-old quarterback lit up his former team in two games last season, including a four-touchdown performance at Lambeau Field.

Favre wasn't nearly as effective on Sunday night, though his fourth-quarter pass to Percy Harvin nearly capped a dramatic comeback. The play, originally ruled a touchdown, was overturned after an official review.

In addition to his ankle issue, Favre has dealt with tendinitis in his right elbow this season. Favre has started in 291 consecutive games, an NFL record for quarterbacks.

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Jets CB Revis, LB Pace will go to Denver, but status uncertain

Darrelle Revis and Calvin Pace are coming along for the ride.

Whether the New York Jets' defensive stars play in Denver against the Broncos on Sunday is still up in the air.

Jets coach Rex Ryan said Thursday that he wants both players to travel with the team Friday rather than have them stay back at the facility to rehabilitate their injuries. They will be evaluated after the 4-hour flight and the team's walkthrough Saturday.

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"After talking to Darrelle and all that, we're going to take him to Denver, one way or the other, because he wants to be with his team, whether he can play or not," Ryan said. "And that's where I want him, also. Hopefully he'll be ready to play."

When asked if the same plan stood for Pace, Ryan said: "Yeah, both of them will make the trip."

Revis and Pace were limited at practice Thursday after not participating in team drills Wednesday.

"So," Ryan said, "that's an improvement from yesterday."

Revis played in the Jets' 29-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, but he said his left hamstring was "very sore" and bothered him throughout the game. He had been sidelined two games with a strained hamstring.

"He looked good today," Ryan said. "Again, though, it's too early to say he's definitely going to play. I'm still not comfortable with that."

Ryan and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine both said the defense will prepare as if Revis will not play, although the All-Pro cornerback practiced a lot with the first-team unit Wednesday. Ryan added that it's possible the Jets could use Revis in a limited role against the Broncos, rather than have him sit out completely.

"If that's what we think ends up being the best thing for us and the best thing for Darrelle, absolutely," the coach said.

Pace made his regular-season debut Monday after missing the first four games with a broken right foot. He was extremely sore Wednesday, but he said he'll be fine to play.

"He felt good today," Ryan said. "Yesterday, he was probably worse than Darrelle. That's how sore he was, but he did really well today, did exactly what was asked."

The Jets have a bye after their game against the Broncos.

Ryan didn't mince words when asked about the matchup between the Jets' offense and Revis' counterpart, Champ Bailey, who will try to stifle New York's 25th-ranked passing offense.

"Champ Bailey is a heck of a player. He used to be the best corner of the league, now he's probably 2 or 3. But we have the No. 1 guy, I think Champ will tell you."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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