Rex did his best to get Plaxico involved

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- There was a slight twinge of frustration evident as Plaxico Burress stood in front of his locker after Sunday's win, answering queries about why he didn't get the ball once.

The wide receiver had no catches and just two targets, the first not coming until the initial play of the fourth quarter with the Jets facing a first-and-goal at the Jacksonville 6. Rex Ryan left Mark Sanchez in even though things were well in hand, all just so Burress wouldn't get completely shut out.

Ryan said Monday the whole situation had nothing to do with Burress clamoring for the ball, nor was it done to appease the 6-5 wideout. "No," Ryan said, "it would be more my ego than his, for sure.

"I think I was more frustrated about it than anybody," he added, "because I wanted to see him catch the passes and all that. I think we all do."

Ryan repeated what Burress said after the game: Jacksonville played a safety over the top of him all afternoon long.

"He was doubled almost every single snap," Ryan said. "Does he still have that respect and everything else? Yeah, absolutely. He is a special player and people know it . . . They're no dummies. [Jack] Del Rio is a smart coach and he knows that this guy can hit you on a big play immediately, as soon as you put one guy out there."

Still, in hindsight, Ryan said maybe it wasn't the most prudent thing to leave Sanchez in. Two plays after his initial target of Burress, Sanchez was looking for him again on third down and banged his throwing arm on Matt Roth's helmet.

Sanchez walked to the sideline holding his arm, though he was fine. He saw action on one more play on the Jets' next possession. "If I knew he was going to get hit," Ryan said, "would I have just run the draw? Probably. But you know what? I'm glad we tried to get him a shot, tried to get him a pass in there. But yeah, I'd love to take that third down back . . . That's on me. That was my call."