The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Bell gets good news from MRI
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets got some good news on Le’Veon Bell’s MRI.
Adam Gase said there was nothing structurally wrong with Bell’s knee, and he thinks he should be able to play Sunday against the Giants. But the Jets held Bell out of practice Wednesday.
“He was trying to practice today. We were discouraging that,” Gase said Wednesday. “We thought it would not be the right thing for him to do, go out there and practice. He was like, ‘Yeah you’re right, probably should stay inside.’
“I think he’s going to be all right. He’s just really sore right now.”
The Jets (17) will continue to be cautious with their star running back, who is dealing with knee and ankle issues. Bell walked through the locker room with Kinesio tape down his leg, but he didn’t stop to talk reporters.
Gase said the injury happened in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins. Bell played through it. Gase had no idea anything was bothering Bell until Monday when he wasn’t at team meetings and film review to undergo the MRI.
“There was nothing structural or anything like that on the MRI,” Gase said. “He was pretty sore. He took a weird hit late in the game. I don’t think it really hit him until almost like a day later.”
Bell had one of his better games as a Jet in Miami on Sunday, but he still isn’t producing the way he did in Pittsburgh.
He had 25 touches for 121 yards against the Dolphins. In the prior game, Bell only had 11 touches for 35 yards at Jacksonville. Bell didn’t speak to the media after each game.
Bell admitted after a practice last week that he
was frustrated by the loss and his lack of involvement against the Jaguars. He voiced that concern to Gase, who made sure Bell was more of a focal point versus Miami.
If Bell is limited at all this Sunday, it should mean more of an opportunity for Ty Montgomery and Bilal Powell.
The two veteran backs have only 20 combined carries this season. Bell has played at least 90% of the offensive snaps five times in seven games.
The Jets also signed Josh Adams, the Eagles’ leading rusher last year, to their active roster. Adams had been on the practice squad. It was reported that the Jets promoted Adams to block another team from getting him. But Gase alluded to using Adams on special teams.
“We’ve been talking about it for a couple of weeks, bringing him up,” Gase said. “We brought him here for a reason. He’s explosive.”
Gase also is hoping to get good news on tight end Chris Herndon this week.
He said the anticipation was that Herndon, who
has been hampered by a hamstring injury, would practice in full Wednesday for the first time since August. But Herndon was listed as limited in the first injury report of the week.
If he keeps progressing, Herndon may finally make his season debut Sunday.
He was suspended the first four games of the season. Herndon aggravated his hamstring running routes the Friday before he was eligible to return to the team. He has missed the last three games because of it.
Herndon was active this past Sunday but still
wasn’t ready to play.
“I think that him being dressed this week and going through pregame, I think that helped him,” Gase said. ”I think he felt better when he did that. We’ll see how it goes today.
“He’s trying to work through it and he’s trying to fight through that stage of, ‘What’s going to happen when I really go?’ I know he’s been trying to do that on the side when he’s running and things like that, nonfootball stuff. He’s doing that, but it’s about having the confidence to do it within the play.”