A day after Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said Ed Reed wouldn’t start Sunday, head coach Rex Ryan confirmed the newly acquired free safety will definitely suit up and play against the Bills, and his duties could change depending upon how the game and situations dictate.
“He’ll be ready to roll,” Ryan said. “[We’re] definitely going to play him. We definitely have a plan for Ed. Can we alter it? Absolutely. We’ll see what happens. During the course of the game, if there are things where we think he’d give us our best opportunity, then we’ll definitely look at that.”
Ryan also took added pride in knowing the future Hall of Famer picked the Jets over several other teams, notably the perennial AFC East champion Patriots.
“He chose us,” Ryan said. “You can almost look at it that way, too. It wasn’t like we were the only suitor for Ed Reed. [Teammates] see the way he is. All eyes are on him. They see how he practices, and they’ll see how he prepares soon. I think they’re going to really enjoy him as a teammate.”
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The Jets will gain one wideout and lose another. Jeremy Kerley (left elbow) has been ruled out for Sunday, while Santonio Holmes (hamstring) is probable after missing five games, and is expected to play in Buffalo.
Kerley — who has a team-high 28 catches for 347 yards — was injured Nov. 3 against the Saints, and didn’t practice Friday after being limited to the bike Thursday. But Holmes — who had five catches for a career-high 154 yards and a touchdown in the first game against Buffalo on Sept. 22 — should be back, although Ryan will be careful with him.
“Will he be on a pitch count? I think we’ll be smart about that,” Ryan said. “We’re not going to put him out there for 80 snaps. But does he look good to me? He absolutely looks good.”
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The Jets had eight sacks in 27-20 victory over the Bills in Week 3, when their young defensive line announced its presence to the NFL with authority. And Ryan said the scary thought for opponents is they’re young and just getting better.
“We showed early that was the kind of front we had,” Ryan said. “The way they work, the way they prepare, that’s why I think we’ll keep ascending. … This is a young group that’s going to be together for a long time, and may ascend for a long, long time to come. That’s an ideal situation for us.”
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The Bills will be without their two top wideouts, Stevie Johnson (groin) and Robert Woods (ankle).
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The Jets get back tight ends Kellen Winslow (PED suspension) and Jeff Cumberland (concussion), although reserve outside linebacker Garrett McIntyre (knee) is out.
For the Jets, the following were listed as probable: Cumberland, Holmes, Winslow (knee), safety Antonio Allen (concussion), guard Willie Colon (calf), wide receivers Joshua Cribbs (knee), Stephen Hill (foot, knee) and Greg Salas (knee), cornerbacks Antonio Cromartie (hip) and Darrin Walls (shoulder), defensive end Leger Douzable (illness), defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis (back), running backs Alex Green (hamstring) and Chris Ivory (knee), linebacker Calvin Pace (hip) and tight end Zach Sudfeld (knee).