New York Post

Next man up mantra for banged-up secondary

- By GREG JOYCE

New Jack City is not getting any relief.

The Jets’ secondary has been beat up the past three weeks and won’t be any healthier Sunday against Kirk Cousins and the Vikings at MetLife Stadium, with cornerback Buster Skrine (concussion) and safety Marcus Maye (thumb) out and cornerback Trumaine Johnson (quad) doubtful.

“We got a bunch of guys to play with,” coach Todd Bowles said Friday. “We’ll play with Parry [Nickerson] and [Darryl] Roberts and Rashard [Robinson] and [Juston] Burris and we’ll go from there.”

Last week, Roberts started in place of Skrine — who had been starting for Johnson — and played all 69 defensive snaps alongside Morris Claiborne. Nickerson also shouldered a heavier workload at slot cornerback.

Robinson made his debut last week, after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but his only snaps came on special teams. Bowles said “it’s possible” he could be more involved in the defense this Sunday.

Terrelle Pryor did not practice all week because of a groin injury and is doubtful for Sunday. It is an aggravatio­n of the same injury that limited the wide receiver in Week 4, but Bowles said it was “too early to tell” if Pryor would need surgery.

With Quincy Enunwa (ankle) out, the Jets are left thin at wide receiver, with only Jermaine Kearse, Robby Anderson, Charone Peake and Andre Roberts healthy. Peake and Roberts are more active on special teams. Bowles said the Jets could consider either promoting Deontay Burnett — a teammate of Sam Darnold’s at USC — from the practice squad or signing another receiver. RB Isaiah Crowell (foot) practiced for the first time this week on a limited basis and is questionab­le. Bowles said he will be a game-time decision. He followed the same pattern last week and was able to play.

LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (foot) is doubtful after not practicing Friday.

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