appears ready to make his return to the .The No. 1 overall pick told Gary Sanchez Jersey reporters Thursday he'd be surprised if he doesn't play against the . Clowney has been sidelined since the second half of Week 1 with a knee injury. Clowney said the knee is still sore, but he plans to "."Clowney to repair a torn meniscus in the knee in September. He was a game-time decision for against the but .If Clowney does return, it will be interesting to see how coach uses Jorge Posada Jersey his high-profile rookie. is coming off a against the and has played well in Clowney's absence at weakside outside linebacker.O'Brien called Mercilus one of the "more improved guys" on Houston's roster this season."When J.D. comes back, he'll have to work back into the Paul O'Neill Jersey mix," O'Brien said Tuesday, . "That's not just something that's going to be handed to him, that's for sure. Whitney's played well enough to deserve playing time, that's for sure, and that'll be a competition.""You don't just hand it to a guy coming off of six weeks being out, especially when the other guy has played pretty well," O'Brien added Brian Roberts Jersey .This is a luxury for O'Brien to be dealing with -- but also a touchy situation when you're talking about the first overall pick in the draft. Clowney has to play, but O'Brien Matt Holliday Jersey has to win games.The latest Around The NFL Podcast discu ses the top 10 for 2014. Find more Around The NFL content on .