Jerricho Cotchery amongst New York Jets who could return against the New England Patriots
A day after dismantling the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-10, the New York Jets got a little more good news. On Friday 26 November,
ESPNNewYork.com reported that Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery is expected to return for the team’s critical AFC East showdown with the New England Patriots on Monday 6 December.
The seventh-year receiver has been sidelined for the Jets’ past two games, nursing a partially torn groin. However, he could give his squad just the offensive boost they need in what New York coach Rex Ryan deemed “the marquee game of the year.”
Cotchery isn’t the only Jet who’s looking to return to action when the team takes on their divisional rivals. Ryan anticipates that defensive backs Dwight Lowery and Marquice Cole will be back in the New York secondary to help defend against Tom Brady and the
Patriots’ potent passing attack.
Lowery has missed the last two contests while recovering from a concussion, while Cole has been sidelined during the past three games with an injury to his hamstring.
“All of our guys will be ready to go for this game, so, hopefully, we’ll be at full strength,” Ryan said, before implying that there was a good chance that Cole, Cotchery, and Lowery would be ready for the Monday night showdown.
Cotchery, the team’s third-best option at the receiver position, should help the Jets against a porous Patriots pass defence that ranks near the bottom of the NFL. Coming into this week, New England was allowing 288 yards through the air per game, second worst
in the league.
When asked about his teammates’ potential return, right tackle Damien Woody, who has also been plagued by injuries this season, expressed the importance of playing if possible.
“You hear a lot of people say, ‘Just get well and get ready for New England,’ but it doesn’t work that way in this league,” Woody told reporters after his team’s most recent win. “If you have an opportunity to be out there with your teammates, you have to go
out there and do it.”
The game could potentially have implications in both the AFC East, as well as the overall playoff picture, as both teams enter the contest with impressive 9-2 records.
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