Erik Boland Tues TC

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Erik Boland

August 5, 2008
Day 13: a long day's journey into practice
No, still not a declaration as yet on who starts Thursday in Cleveland. Maybe it will be Favre. Kidding. A little. The Jets never officially took themselves out of that race so until it's dead...

So back to Thursday and what we know, which isn't much. Chad Pennington said a few minutes ago after practice that he expects to be informed of who starts the night before the game.

Just reporting what the man said.

Eric Mangini said the decision would be made, "Later today, tomorrow," and everyone immediately leapt to their computers to report that scoop (we kid, of course).

For what it's worth - probably not much - if you go by the fact quarterbacks have been basically alternating with the first team, Clemens would start Thursday because Pennington went with the 1s today. And there's no practice tomorrow as it?s a travel day. So I'm calling Clemens as the starter now but I reserve the right to change that, even as late as Thursday night at about 7:35 p.m.

On to the show:

* The Jets worked much of the practice on their red zone and goal line offenses, with both Clemens and Pennington making some good throws, though Clemens made a couple more. And no interceptions for either QB.
As mentioned above, Pennington went with the first team. Early on in a red zone drill, Pennington hit Chris Baker in the back of the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown, with Baker getting the better of Eric Smith. For the Calvin Pace fans, on the very next play Pace was in Pennington's face as the quarterback delivered a dump off over the middle to Leon Washington. Laveranues Coles, who missed a few days of practices but came back yesterday, made a sliding 12-yard reception on a Pennington pass over the middle. Coles beat Darrelle Revis on the play. Pennington also had a nice 15-yard throw to Brad Smith on a crossing route, and hit Jerricho Cotchery for a two-yard touchdown a few plays later on a short throw over the middle.

* Clemens primarily handed off his first couple series but got going when he hit Jason Pociask in the back of the end zone - Rudy Burgess was covering - from the 6. A possession later, Clemens, out of the shotgun, delivered a strong throw to the left side that Wallace Wright grabbed over, again, Burgess. The best Clemens' throw went for a 23-yard gain, a tight spiral down the middle of the field to David Clowney, who had beaten Cameron Worrell.

* The Dustin Keller highlight of the day came off a Clemens' ball, a 16-yarder to the right that the rookie tight end plucked off his shoelaces in front of Vernon Gholston, who had dropped back into coverage.

* Alan Faneca ran a lap for a false start penalty a third straight practice. He and Keller ran one together for both committing the penalty on the same play.

* David Harris, Jesse Chatman, Jason Trusnik, Marcus Henry and Shaun Ellis did not practice. This was the first missed practice of camp for Ellis. C.J. Mosley and Mike DeVito shared time in replacing Ellis.

* Mike Nugent ended the 1 hour 53 minute practice by hitting all seven of his field goal tries.

Newsday's Bob Glauber is still at Hofstra. Looks like our NFL columnist might be working on something. I sense it might be Favre-related but I don't want to ask, lest I disturb the thought process that has produced so many memorable columns.

And with that, time to write for tomorrow's paper. The next time this blog checks in ? barring the unforeseen but that?s the thing about the unforeseen, it?s always just that ? will be from Cleveland sometime tomorrow. Yes, Mr. Green T, Cliff, John Z., Darrell, and SO many others, I know what's coming. Or think I do at any rate.


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Posted by Erik Boland on August 5, 2008 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)