CORTLAND – The Jets survived a scare on Saturday night when Santonio Holmes left the team’s hour-long intrasquad scrimmage with a rib injury. Rex Ryan initially believed that he had lost the explosive playmaking wide receiver to a broken rib, but X-rays were negative. Holmes is day-to-day, the team said.
 
“I don’t know if Santonio did break a rib or not, but the fact it was sticking out… is probably an indicator,” Ryan said right after the scrimmage. “But again, I’m sure he’ll be fine. We’ll have to check on him later. Other than that, he had a good day.”
 
Holmes was injured after getting drilled by Antonio Cromartie on a seven-yard completion from Mark Sanchez during the first-team’s lone touchdown drive. Cromartie made a clean tackle short of the first down marker.
 
 “He’s a tough guy,” Ryan said of Holmes. “But I don’t think he’s going to be running out there tomorrow or the next day. But we’ll have to see.”
 
Holmes was targeted five times and had three receptions for 22 yards (with one drop) before he took off his pads and walked off the field into the locker room with a trainer. The veteran wide receiver hadn’t participated in team drills for the previous two practices due to “body soreness” and missed part of minicamp with hamstring tightness.
 
The Jets have been hit with a rash of injuries to receivers during the first week of training camp. Gang Green finished their previous practice with only five healthy wideouts. They dodged a bullet with Holmes.
 
Holmes and Sanchez have apparently repaired their rift from last season, training together on both coasts this offseason. It’s unknown whether Sanchez’s primary weapon will be able to play in the preseason opener in Cincinnati on Friday.
 
“You’d love to have your No. 1 guy out there, your big gun out there,” Ryan said. “He looked good today. You saw that him and Sanchez connected several times. It’s not ideal. But you just got to play the hand that’s dealt you.”
 
The Jets have little experience at wideout behind Holmes. Rookie Stephen Hill wasn’t even targeted during the scrimmage. Jeremy Kerley didn’t play due to a nagging hamstring injury.
 
“That’s tough, because we definitely had some injury problems at that position,” outside linebacker Aaron Maybin said. “But any time that somebody goes down, one of the big things that Rex preaches is next man up. You have to be ready to step in and fill the void. Obviously, (Holmes) is a huge figure on our offense and he’s somebody that we definitely count on.”
 
NOTES:
OLB Calvin Pace and rookie ILB Demario Davis each had virtual sacks of Sanchez.
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Kicker Nick Folk made all three of his field goal tries and appears to have a slight edge over Josh Brown, who went 3 for 4.
 
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Dustin Keller had 3 catches for 31 yards. Shonn Greene had 6 carries for 5 yards behind an offensive line that was missing starters Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore and Wayne Hunter.
 
Bilal Powell caught an 8-yard touchdown from Sanchez on a third and goal play.
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NT Sione Po’uha (forehead) and RT Wayne Hunter (lower back) didn’t participate.
 
Mangold traveled to London to watch his sister, Holley, participate in the Olympic weightlifting competition. Vlad Ducasse started at right guard for Brandon Moore, who went to Canton for Curtis Martin’s Hall of Fame induction.
 
Matt Simms threw a 31-yard touchdown to Raymond Webber.
 
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