Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez took it easy during the team's light practice Monday with a sore left knee, but should play against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto on Thursday.

Coach Rex Ryan said Sanchez had some soreness in the knee after he tweaked it in the Jets' 17-6 win over Carolina on Sunday. Sanchez downplayed it, saying he woke up Monday and the knee was fine, showing no concern that it might hamper him.

"It felt really good," Sanchez said. "The training staff looked at it this morning, stretched me out and we went through the walk-through, pretty seamless. It feels fine. We'll see how it goes as the week goes on and make sure we take it slow and be smart about it."

Even with a short week, Ryan thinks Sanchez shouldn't be limited against the Bills.

"I know
he's sore, so we'll see how that goes," Ryan said. "It is a short week... but he finished the game. I thought he was still moving around pretty good, so hopefully he'll be 100 percent when we play."

With New York leading 14-3 this past Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, Sanchez scrambled for an 8-yard gain before he was tackled near the side-line by Richard Marshall. The Jets got a scare when he went down grabbing at the knee. He missed the next four offensive plays before returning and finishing the victory.

"I thought it almost looked like it scared him and that's why I was like, 'Just breathe. You'll be all right," Ryan said. "We're fortunate that that's probably what it was more than anything."

Sanchez beat out back-up Kellen Clemens for the starting job in the off-season, Clemens was 0-for-1 passing while replacing Sanchez for a few plays.