By Tom Rock
Here it is, the final blog post of July. Dog days, here we come!
I was looking at the calendar and realized that in less than a month the preseason will be finished. The Jets close out their faux four on Aug. 30 in Philly. If anyone is planning a road trip, you should know that the Mets play the Phils that day at 1 p.m. and the Jets play the Eagles at 7. The stadia (not stadiums, as you students of Latin will know) are right across the parking lot from each other so you can park once and see two games. Just a thought.
The Jets worked on some trick plays at this evening’s practice, and while I’m not at liberty to tell you what they were, I can tell you they did not work. I can also tell you that the team finished with a hurry-up situation with both the first- and second- offensive units, and neither one could get inside the 30, leaving Mike Nugent to miss a pair of FGAs, one wide right, the other left.
Leon Washington made a pair of sweet catches out of the backfield today, one in each practice. And FB Darian Barnes made a nice catch and run. I’d hate to be standing in front of that guy.
Pete Kendall wasn’t the only o-lineman wheelin’ and dealin’ on the exercise bike today. Andrew Wicker, who’s been there for a few practices, and Ed Blanton joined him in the infirmary area. I was watching Pete pedal that exercise bike this evening. He was pedaling so slowing, the thing didn’t need to be bolted down to be stationary.
Andre Dyson missed another practice, though he is dressing for the affairs and does participate in some of the stretching and calisthenics. He made a play a few days ago and came up shaking his hand, so that might be the issue. Makes sense because it would allow him to do the lower-body work and balancing acts the team focuses on in the beginning of each workout.
I’ll have to scrap my big Tony Fisher feature. The veteran RB was waived by the Jets today, less than a week after they brought him in to replace Cedric Houston. Replacing Fisher is former Texans RB Tony Hollings. He’s the third player in training camp so far to wear No. 32, following Houston and Fisher. Not a good luck number. The Curse of Barlow lingers!
One practice tomorrow at 2 p.m. Be there or be fined $14,000.