HOUSTON — There were times last night when you wondered whether Jets rookie quarterback Greg McElroy would be able to walk out of Reliant Stadium after his first game as a pro.
McElroy, who was sacked five times, looked shaky when he first entered the game. McElroy ended up playing three quarters, though, and threw a staggering 39 passes, completing 23 of them for 208 yards with a touchdown.
“It looked like for a minute to me that we were trying to find out how tough that kid was and I think we found out,” coach Rex Ryan said.
With regular backup quarterback Mark Brunell sidelined with a dislocated left pinkie, McElroy relieved Mark Sanchez to start the second quarter and stayed in the rest of the game.
“It was awesome,” said McElroy, a seventh-round pick from Alabama. “It was just so great to be out there playing again. I feel like I learned so much on the job. I felt great.”
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Backup offensive lineman Rob Turner will have an MRI exam on his right ankle today after leaving the game in the first quarter. . . . Running back Joe McKnight left the game with a head injury. Ryan would not say whether McKnight had a concussion.
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Wide receiver Plaxico Burress (sprained left ankle) said during an in-game interview with ESPN that he will practice for the first time tomorrow.
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Ryan is known for his bold statements, but one he made last night is crazy even for him. Ryan said he expects wide receiver Derrick Mason to make 90-100 catches this season.
Last year, Mason caught 61 with the Ravens.
“A slot receiver typically in this league you’ll catch about 60 balls, but I think he’s exceptional,” Ryan said. “I think with those two guys on the outside that we have with Plaxico and [Santonio Holmes] he should be a special slot receiver.”
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The most entertaining moment of the game may have been Ryan’s outburst in the second quarter when the Jets had too many men on the field. Ryan, trying to get a timeout, walked onto the field and then threw his headset in disgust with his shirt opening in the process.