Sanchez sprained his right posterior cruciate ligament in Week 13 against the Bills after an awkward dive forward, even though Yankees manager Joe Girardi had been brought in to teach the rookie how to properly slide at a Jets practice.
"I'm sorry to coach Girardi," Sanchez said after the Bills game. "He spent all that time trying to help me. And I know Rex [Ryan] wants me to slide and everybody wants me to slide, but in the heat of the moment, I was trying to get the first down. That's just the way I play."
Sanchez, who dislocated his left kneecap in 2008 while at USC, missed one game but then returned to action and helped the Jets get to the AFC Championship Game. His playoff performance should comfort those with concerns about his knee.
