5 New York Jets Players Who Need to Get Healthy During Bye Week

Aside from a few nicks and bruises, the New York Jets have avoided the injury bug leading up to their Week 11 bye.

Geno Smith sustained the most notable injury—not because of the injury itself, but because Michael Vick has played well in the absence of the potential franchise quarterback.

Vick is dealing with a lingering injury, but he performed much better than Smith under center. Expect the veteran quarterback to start when Gang Green takes the field against the Buffalo Bills in Week 12.  

The rest of the roster, excluding those on season-ending injured reserve, get a much-needed intermission to nurse those nagging injuries that affect effort and execution from game to game.

Though these injuries are classified as minor, the effects are witnessed on the stat sheet and in the film room. Missed assignments and opportunities could be the result of a player struggling to play hurt.

The recuperation process often involves surgery, but a week off can do wonders for the body after 10 weeks of physical play. Here are five players that need it most, based on the Jets’ needs, probability of losing a starting job and inexplicable poor play.

Willie Colon

USA TODAY Sports

Willie Colon missed a significant part of the offseason due to a knee cartilage injury. He spent significant time during training camp rehabbing his knee and recovering from torn biceps. Throughout the season, Colon has appeared on the Jets' official team injury report because of his knee, which likely explains his subpar performance at right guard.

The Jets offensive line has been problematic as a whole, but Colon only allowed a total of 18 pressures on the quarterback last season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). This season, he has already allowed a total of 19. 

Specifically, the veteran guard has been unable to counter the interior bull rush, forcing the signal-caller to scramble away from a sack. He’s responsible for 16 hurries on the quarterback; the total was 14 for the 2013 season.

Colon will continue to start and play with a knee that likely isn’t 100 percent. Expect Vick or Smith to move the pocket a bit when facing stronger nose tackles who can push Colon off his base. Buffalo's Kyle Williams had 1.5 sacks in the first game in Week 8. The offensive line will try to contain him again in its next game after the bye.

Percy Harvin

USA TODAY Sports

Percy Harvin suffered a heel injury in practice last week, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The injury was downplayed leading to the Pittsburgh Steelers game, but it could have factored into why the newly acquired receiver had a minimal impact on the victory.

Harvin caught three passes for 23 yards and added 33 rushing yards on six attempts. The production was a stark difference from his outburst against the Kansas City Chiefs a week prior. The Steelers’ pass defense had struggled tremendously leading up to the Week 10 matchup.

One can only speculate if Harvin’s heel injury affected his route running and ability to make cuts on the field. After giving up 703 passing yards within the last two weeks, it’s unlikely Pittsburgh flipped the switch so dramatically, shutting down the Jets’ most explosive receiver.

Darrin Walls

USA TODAY Sports

The Jets secondary has struggled all season; Darrin Walls has started in seven of those games. In fact, when targeted in coverage, Walls surrenders the highest quarterback rating (135.1) among Jets cornerbacks. New York isn’t exactly clamoring for his return, but it certainly gives Rex Ryan one more asset in a shorthanded position.

Walls is nursing a calf injury that could cost him an opportunity to return to the starting lineup for the remainder of the season.

Marcus Williams played two solid games in the past two weeks. Phillip Adams returned to the starting lineup after being benched in the previous week against the Chiefs. Jaiquawn Jarrett was the star defensive player against the Steelers, but Adams kept Antonio Brown out of the end zone.

The pass defense has been shuffled constantly. Ryan will likely continue to start players who don’t give up yards in chunks or lapse in poor coverage. Walls will likely see the field if he returns in Week 12; however, based on the Steelers game, he could be the nickelback behind two healthier cornerbacks.

Michael Vick

USA TODAY Sports

Vick is no stranger to playing with injury. This recent foot injury isn’t any different.

Vick played a decent game against the Chiefs despite a conspicuous hobble on the field. The veteran quarterback also slammed his head on the turf. He had to pass concussion protocol before re-entering the game.

According to Ryan, via NJ Advance Media Jets reporter Darryl Slater, there is more concern about the foot injury that caused a noticeable limp: "He had a foot injury that I think we’re more concerned with than the other (head injury). He passed the concussion protocol and all that. If anything, he’s got a foot that keeps getting stepped on. I think that’s the biggest concern right now."

A foot injury for Vick is more of a hindrance because of his playing style. In the last two games, he has 12 rushes for 57 yards. While it doesn’t seem significant, the all-time leading rushing quarterback, per ESPN New York reporter Jane McManus, relies on his feet to get him out of an overcrowded pocket.

If Vick is unable to escape trouble, it’ll severely limit his ability to move the ball when left with limited throwing options. If the injury worsens, Brice McCain's ankle-breaking highlight from last week could be the last exhilarating run from the top rushing quarterback in NFL history. 

Geno Smith

USA TODAY Sports

Smith has the most intriguing injury plot. Vick hasn’t lit stadiums on fire with his play, but the offense has established a rhythm Smith failed to create.

Before Smith’s right shoulder became an issue, it was his poor play that sent him to the bench.

Vick stepped in, and the offense never looked back. Coach Ryan is trying to win games to save his job, and it’s clear the veteran quarterback with a nagging foot injury is a better option than the potential franchise quarterback resting a shoulder injury.

For Smith, the longer he sits on the bench, the less likely he’ll start for the Jets next season. Whether deserved or not, New York could bury another young quarterback’s career. Vick has earned the right to play, but starting the 34-year old quarterback creates a much larger issue. Who becomes the franchise quarterback?

For eight weeks, Smith held the keys to the franchise. Now, an injury may have pushed him too far behind Vick to regain his status.

If the Jets finish with six wins or less, they’ll have a legitimate chance of drafting another potential franchise quarterback. If Vick is re-signed, the patience for Smith to develop will be shorter than ever, considering the comparison between the two quarterbacks this year.

Smith finds himself in a difficult situation. He must find a way to get back on the field to reclaim his starting job. Doing so would temporarily avoid being labeled a backup quarterback.

He must erase the memory of throwing three interceptions in the first quarter of a game after struggling in the first half of the season.

If anything, the bye week should instill a sense of urgency for the second-year quarterback with only 24 starts on a mediocre resume.

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics are provided by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Follow @AuthorLysander