DE Shaun Ellis broke his hand on the Jets' first defensive play in their 17-14 win at San Diego on Sunday. He says his hand "just gave out" when he was blocked by an offensive lineman.
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 Jets face Indianapolis in the AFC title game and will play this week with his hand "clubbed up" in a cast -- the same way he finished out the Chargers game.
Ellis continued to play on third downs after the injury against San Diego, but teammate DE Mike DeVito took over for him on first and second downs, which DeVito said he usually does late in the game anyway. Ellis ended with one tackle but did miss a sack on Chargers QB Philip Rivers because he couldn't wrap him up.
Head coach Rex Ryan confirmed Ellis' hand is broken but said he doesn't know how many bones have been fractured. The team will construct a better cast for him next week that will hopefully allow him to use his fingers, Ryan said.