08/13 ? Brett Ratliff showed some late arm in today's late training camp practice. On a cool August evening on Long Island, in front of a strong crowd of more than 5,000, the first-year QB from Utah got ready for the two-minute drills to end practice by launching a deep ball during situation drills to rookie WR Marcus Henry, who made perhaps his biggest reception of camp for a 40-yard gain against DB Rudy Burgess. Then came the two-minute conditions: offense trailing, 31-23, 1:44 left, no timeouts, deep in their own territory (minus-12). Brett Favre could get only to his 43 before throwing a fourth-and-2 pass over the middle for Chansi Stuckey that Drew Coleman swatted down with a diving PD. Enter the Rat. Ratliff completed six of nine for 49 yards and mixed in a 16-yard scramble to set up the do-or-die scenario: fourth down at the plus-18, four seconds left. The QB scrambled to his right, where he was chased by hard-charging LB Marques Murrell. He doubled back to his left, got his body set and fired a pass that Wallace Wright snared in the back of the end zone with no time left. Unfortunately for the offense, it also needed the two-point conversion to send this game to "OT." Ratliff tried to sling it to David Clowney, who couldn't hold it in the end zone. So the tobacconist's phrase comes to mind: Close but no cigar. The players spent the last hour of practice slightly less burdened than they had the first hour when they removed their shoulder pads and replaced them with their "toilet seats," the thin protective pads with a particular shape. But it wasn't an easygoing final hour, at least not for the third offensive unit. QB Erik Ainge put the center snap on the ground and for that plus no doubt for other indiscretions, head coach Eric Mangini had that entire unit take the penalty lap together around turf practice field. Then as they finished the lap, Mangini spun his outstretched hand and pointed index finger over his head. He wasn't signaling a home run. The unit continued to run a "big lap" around the grass field as well. A few other highlights: ■ Stuckey made an eye-opening backhand grab of a Favre out pass and turned upfield on CB Ahmad Carroll for a TD in early team drills. ■ Jesse Chatman showed some quicks as he took a handoff from Ainge and zipped off for a long run. ■ Kellen Clemens threw a quick pass over the middle to Clowney but the ball deflected off his hands to Murrell, who came up with the pick. ■ Leon Washington took a handoff off his right side, appeared to have been "tackled," but kept on running. Suddenly it was a smiling but serious footrace among Washington, Kerry Rhodes and Carroll. Rhodes finally grabbed a handful of Leon's jersey inside the 10. ■ Mike Nugent, with a wind to his back, got off some booming midpractice kicks. He hit his first five field goals before missing from 46 and 49 kicking toward the Arena League posts. Then he put five kickoffs from his 30 to the backline of the opposing end zone. DE Shaun Ellis and LB Jason Trusnik were joined for sideline work by WR Laveranues Coles. The late practice unofficially ran 2 hours, 18 minutes, the longest of camp. Thursday the Jets hold their last practice of the week, an afternoon affair (1:30 p.m. stretching), then take Friday to prepare for their preseason home opener against the Washington Redskins.
I think it is a little early to determine that. Rat boy is grabbing a lot of attention with his efforts thus far in training camp.
i cant argue witht he fact that ratliff looks good, i dont know who is playing better right now clemens or ratliff, but it looks almost even to me.
