Shonn Greene: Sore ribs, short night

The question was obvious. Why did New York Jets rookie running back Shonn Greene of Iowa get such little work in the Jets' preseason game against Baltimore Monday night?

Greene was slated to get a lot more action than the two rushes and one reception he had early in the second-half of the game.

It turns out, according to this Associated Press story, Greene took a shot to his ribs in the game and was withheld from further action after that.

"Nothing broken, but tender," Jets Coach Rex Ryan said, "so I think that's it."

But, that's all it takes in pro football to lose a little footing. Incumbent running backs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington looked good against the Ravens. Some sort of  splitting of carries between those two and Greene that has been hinted at for a few weeks now may be a little longer in happening.

Greene has time on his side, of course. The Jets didn't make a trade to draft him with the first pick in the third round in April if they didn't see Greene as part of their plans sooner rather than later.