A day after the Jets’ 22-17 loss to the Bills, the mystery around Chris Ivory’s minuscule role in the game continued.
“That’s just the game plan they had for me that game,” Ivory said Monday.
The running back, who rushed for 1,070 yards this season, had a season-low six carries Sunday as the Jets opted to give Stevan Ridley more carries. Ivory gained 81 yards, including 58 on his first carry.
“It was the way they stacked the box and did some things that talked us out of some things,” Jets coach Todd Bowles said. “We have audibles, we audibiled the football. Maybe we could have ran it more, maybe we couldn’t have in hindsight.”
Ivory dealt with a knee injury last week, but said it was not a factor Sunday.
“I let my coach know I was fine. I was fine,” Ivory said. “I felt I was moving good enough for it to be seen.”
Ivory may have played his final game as a Jet. He is scheduled to become a free agent in March.
“Only thing I can say about that, if we reach an agreement, I would love to be back,” Ivory said. “Until then, I guess we’ll see what the future holds.”
Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson broke his right fibula and will need surgery at some point in the next week to fix it.
Wilkerson injured the leg in the third quarter when he got twisted awkwardly in a pile. The Jets have a major decision to make on Wilkerson, who could become a free agent.
“We’re going to have that discussion,” Bowles said about re-signing the Pro Bowler. “Obviously in the offseason we’re going to have a ton of them, and that’s going to be one of them.”
G Willie Colon (knee) spent the final two months of the season on injured reserve. He said right now he’d like to keep playing, but injuries may push the 32-year-old into retirement.
“I do, but that’s my mind talking and my heart. My body may be saying something else,” Colon said. “I have to be sensitive about that. It’s up in the air. I don’t know if I’m coming back or not or what I’ll do. I’m just going to take this offseason and listen to myself.”
Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins nearly had a season-saving grab in the fourth quarter Sunday, but he could not hold onto the deep pass after getting hit by Bills defensive back Mario Butler. Could he have scored if he caught it?
“Yeah, I would have scored 100 percent,” Thompkins said.
Bowles said cornerback Dee Milliner will compete for a starting job next year, but he has to stay healthy. Milliner had another injury-plagued year and did not play a defensive snap this season. … What is on Bowles’ priority list this offseason? “I think we need to get faster,” he said. … The Jets hold the 20th pick in April’s NFL Draft.