NFL

McKnight, Burress will play for Jets

Joe McKnight wasn’t going to let a little thing like a hyperextended toe keep him out this week — of all weeks.

The injury is disconcerting enough that the NFL’s leading kickoff returner is considering wearing a plate in his shoe tomorrow night against New England, but McKnight said yesterday the pain took a backseat to the gravity of the Jets’ situation.

“It’s Patriots Week, so I can’t sit out this week,” McKnight said after practicing full yesterday following two consecutive days spent on the sidelines. “We need this win [to lead the division], so I just want to go out there and give them my all.”

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The 5-3 Jets, who can take sole possession of the AFC East lead with a win tomorrow coupled with a Buffalo loss to Dallas, certainly can use McKnight’s game-changing return skills against the Patriots.

McKnight, who is listed as probable on the injury report, leads the league with a 40.2-yard average on 15 run backs, including a 107-yarder for a touchdown last month against the Ravens and a 59-yarder last week in the rout of the Bills.

McKnight is being included on some midseason All-Pro teams amid the Jets’ three-game winning streak, so the toe wasn’t going to be a roadblock.

“It didn’t affect me at all today, and I’m expecting the same Sunday night,” he said.

* The Jets will be at close to full strength tomorrow night after wide receiver Plaxico Burress (back) and defensive tackle Mike DeVito (knee) both practiced in full yesterday and declared themselves set to face New England.

Safety Brodney Pool (knee) and backup tight end Shawn Nelson (undisclosed illness) are the only players listed as questionable on the injury report, and Pool appears unlikely to play. But Burress returned to practice yesterday after sitting out the previous two days, while DeVito — sidelined the past two games by an injury suffered in practice — didn’t miss a drill all week.

* Tight end Dustin Keller has reason to relish tomorrow night’s matchup, considering he beats up on the Patriots like no other team. Keller enters the game with 26 catches for 315 yards and two TDs in seven career games against New England.

* Mark Sanchez turned 25 yesterday, an event that seemed to slip Ryan’s mind but not that of the coach’s wife.

Rex said Michelle Ryan got Sanchez a scarf as a gift, prompting him to tease the QB about it.

“You know that scarf look,” Ryan said jokingly. “I never thought it was [a] good [look], but she thought it was cute.”