By Tom Rock
The Jets could be playing without three of their four main captains on Sunday. Vilma is on the IR, Pennington will be on the bench, and the Jets just revealed that Laveranues Coles has a concussion. Shaun Ellis, the lone man standing with a C on his shirt on offense or defense, had better watch himself! Oh yeah, Mike Nugent and Brad Kassell are captains also.
Coles didn’t dress for practice today. It’s the second time this year he’s had to deal with a head injury, taking that hit against the Dolphins on Christmas 10 months ago. Something to keep an eye on.
Mike DeVito took a pounding in practice today, getting the brunt of a Darian Barnes hit in the one-one-one tackling drills. Maybe Barnes was taking out some aggression since he was inactive on Sunday and DeVito dressed. Anyway, DeVito looked pretty stung and wasn’t participating in many drills after the collision. A few of DeVito’s fellow defensive linemen later surrounded Barnes and it seemed that there was some words exchanged until TE Chris Baker and a few others came over to break it up. Were they just having fun jawing or were there real issues? Hard to tell from far away.
Kellen Clemens is still the starting quarterback, and he went through his first Wednesday press conference (though he did step to the podium on Monday when he was announced as the starter). Apparently Kellen was unsure of the rules and asked a Jets PR staffer if he could walk through the locker room now without being bugged by us buggy reporters. “That’s the deal,” he was told. Kellen seemed to enjoy that.
I saw Pennington in the locker room out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t see anyone talk to him. We guess he’s now fair game in that room, just like Kellen was when he was the backup. It’s strange how things change.
Ben Graham keeps shanking punts, and he put two off far to the right in practice today. One went so far off course it hit a car in the parking lot. He’s got that thunderous kick, but if he can’t start controlling it the Jets may be having some auditions during the offseason. Or maybe even during the bye.
Finally, I asked Nick Mangold, the center, if there is a different, um, feel from either quarterback. He, of course, comes in intimate contact with them on each play that isn’t a shotgun snap. Mangold said he didn’t change his snap for any quarterback and couldn’t tell whose hands he was dealing with without looking. He also said that Kellen and Chad “have the same twang” in their voice, which may make it easier when it comes to hearing the signals.
Happy Halloween!
Comments (4)
Coles was quite vulnerable to that hit due to the loft in Pennington's throws. Looking back on the season, it seems to happen every week in which Coles, Cotchery, Baker and others need to leap high to get the pass, leaving them open to such crushing hits. Wonder if that played a factor or not in showing Chad the bench
Manmoron is trying to be like Belicheck. Problem is his team blows and he is not half the coach.
Sell the team, Fire Manidiot, Fire TannenBum
Last month Mcgee had to sit out with a brain injury. Lets call it what it is, the NFL’s dirty secret is getting worse. Not one mention of the fact that the N.E. Patriots have not had one concussion this year. Why, a medical procedure which positions the jaw and corrects orthopedic structures. Yet the NFL lets players like Coles twist in the wind. www.mahercor.com
Don't bother...let him rest up for next season.....they're going to win at most 1 game anyway......