Jenny Vrentas reports that Shaun Ellis will need surgery on his broken hand, but he intends to play in the AFC Championship game on Sunday. Ellis injured his hand on the first play of the game and had to have it heavily wrapped to finish the game. He did miss a sack on Rivers because he was unable to wrap him up.
On the very first play of the Jets' divisional playoff game against the Chargers Sunday, Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis said he went to engage the opposing offensive lineman. Then, "my hand just gave out," he said."I tried to just finish that series. Then, once I got to the sideline, I said. 'You know what, my hand is broken,'" Ellis said on a conference call with reporters today. "Then they checked and were like, 'Yeah, you're right, it is.' "
Ellis got X-rays after the game and said he'll need surgery to put screws in the broken left hand. But he will wait until after the Indianapolis game and will play this week with his hand "clubbed up" in a cast -- the same way he finished out the Chargers game. He ended with one tackle but did miss a sack on Chargers QB Philip Rivers because he couldn't wrap him up.
Having surgery this week was an option, Ellis said, but the skin wouldn't have healed up in time and he would not have been able to play this week.
"The skin would burst back open," Ellis said. "So I have to suck it up, cast it up again and go back and play."
Wrapped or unwrapped, Ellis gives us the best chance on Sunday, sure it will be painful but it will take more than a broken hand to keep a lineman out of the Championship game. If only we had drafted a DE/OLB who could be relied on to come in and rush the passer.