Chris Ivory will have plenty of time to recover after punishing the Miami Dolphins for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown on Sunday in London.
However, Ivory better soak up this bye week of rest. After this break, the New York Jets will need their workhorse for the remaining 12 games and perhaps postseason if they can get there.
Head coach Todd Bowles knows he will have to walk a fine line this season. He wants and needs Ivory to set the physical tone for the Jets. But he also has to find a way to keep the 6-foot, 222-pound bruiser fresh and healthy somehow as well.
"It is a long haul," Bowles said. "After this we got 12 straight. We are going to monitor to make sure that he is getting his work in but we are still giving some breaks in between here and there. We know he is a bell cow and everything else but we still got two other guys that can run the ball."
The Jets' backfield, though, is banged up, the story said. Backup Bilal Powell suffered a groin injury against the Dolphins. Ivory was already coming back after being an active scratch in Week 2 against the Eagles with a quad injury. And the Jets have Stevan Ridley (knee) on the PUP list.
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