Maturing Calvin Pryor will return to game action

By his own estimation, Calvin Pryor was having a good season until he sprained his left ankle in the Oct. 25 loss to New England, forcing him out of the lineup. Now the Jets' second-year safety hopes to pick up where he left off when he returns to action Sunday at Houston after a three-week absence.

"I just want my presence felt," Pryor said Friday. "I had a good week of practice with the guys, so hopefully it can roll over to Sunday."

Getting Pryor back might help shore up a defense that has slipped considerably since a strong start. In the first five games, the defense allowed 12.5 points per contest, the fewest in the NFL, and forced 15 turnovers. Not coincidentally, the Jets were 4-1 in that span.

But including the game in which Pryor went down, they have stumbled to a 1-3 record, allowing 27.3 points per game and forcing no turnovers in the three losses. And although Rontez Miles did a nice job filling in at Pryor's spot in last week's loss to Buffalo, there is no question the Jets will be happy to have Pryor back. "I definitely know he's a playmaker," offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson said.

Despite missing the last three games, Pryor is sixth on the team in tackles with 36 (27 solo) and has one interception. The team's first-round pick out of Louisville in 2014 had 60 total tackles as a rookie (35 solo) in 16 games (11 starts).

Those numbers are not particularly impressive. Some of that had to do with Pryor's being forced, because of the entire secondary's struggles, to play more in coverage than closer to the line of scrimmage.

His biggest struggles last year, though, came off the field. He was late to a meeting, was late to lifting sessions and weight checks, and was held out of the starting lineup for a game by then-defensive backs coach Tim McDonald as punishment.

Pryor, 23, said he is a different player and person than he was last year and attributed the difference to "maturity."

He credited his father, also named Calvin, with sparking his turnaround. He said he knew he needed to change all along and kept trying to tell himself to stop making so many mistakes. But he wasn't able to change his behavior until he went home to Florida during the Jets' bye week and his father forcefully told him to clean up his act.

"I only looked up to one person in my whole life and that was my dad," Pryor said. "Me and him had a talk and he just told me I have to get my stuff together -- like he always told me. And I just took it and ran with it."

Notes & quotes:Defensive end Sheldon Richardson, who has been hobbled by a hamstring injury, did not practice. Coach Todd Bowles said whether he plays in Houston will be a "game-time decision." . . . Safety Dion Bailey is out with an ankle sprain . . . Cornerback Buster Skrine was limited in practice and is questionable . . . Cornerback Dee Milliner, sent home Thursday because of a high temperature, was back and practiced fully, Bowles said . . . Houston quarterback Brian Hoyer (concussion) is out, meaning backup T.J. Yates will start. Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson (ankle) also is listed as out and linebacker Akeem Dent (hamstring) and running back Chris Polk (hamstring) are listed as questionable.