Coles in Sorry State for First Game Back

[Charlie Murphaaay]

The Newark Star-Ledger reports WR Laveranues Coles was apologetic to teammates for dropping two touchdown catches at Kansas City in Week 1. "I couldn't even sleep last night," Coles said the day after the game.

Coles In Sorry State for First Game Back

Monday, September 12, 2005

BY STEVE POLITI

Star-Ledger Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- His first game back in a Jets uniform did not start with a game-breaking touchdown, like Laveranues Coles had hoped it would.

Instead, it started with an apology.

Coles found quarterback Chad Pennington in the locker room after the 27-7 loss to the Chiefs yesterday and accepted the blame for dropping a certain touchdown pass in the third quarter.

The play would have cut Kansas City's lead to 20-7, maybe giving the Jets a fighting chance. Instead, the Jets failed to score until garbage time, when Pennington was already on the bench.

"I went to Chad in the locker room and told him I felt really bad about dropping that pass," Coles said. "I put that on my shoulders. That's an opportunity for me to change the game. That's the reason they brought me back here, to make plays and change the momentum of the game, and I didn't get it done."

On the very next play, Coles broke free down the sideline for another potential touchdown, but this time, Pennington overthrew him, and the Jets would eventually turn the ball over on downs.

"That's another opportunity I missed again," Coles said. "Everything was fine. He gave me an opportunity to make a play and I didn't make a play.

"Chad made a lot of good throws. A lot of us as a unit didn't make the plays, but me especially, I didn't make the plays to help this ballclub. I put the burden on myself to go out and get better."

Coles, acquired in an off-season trade that sent Santana Moss to the Redskins, finished the game with six catches for 66 yards. He also dropped a potential touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, when backup Jay Fiedler had replaced Pennington at quarterback.

It was hardly the debut the Jets expected from Coles. He had 89 catches and a career-best 1,264 in 2002, his last season with the Jets, and the team believed bringing him back would reunite Pennington with his favorite target.

Instead, tight end Chris Baker (seven catches, 124 yards and a TD) was the Jets' most reliable receiver, while Coles and Pennington -- who talked about their chemistry -- struggled to click.

But Coles remained optimistic, despite the offense's poor performance.

"Even at the end, when the game was out of reach, guys kept fighting, and that says a lot about the character of the guys we have on this team," Coles said. "That's the positive we have to take from it.

"That's what makes guys professional, to put a bad play, a bad game behind us and move on. If we can do that, I think we can go in the right direction."

[jrockster21]

On the very next play, Coles broke free down the sideline for another potential touchdown, but this time, Pennington overthrew him, and the Jets would eventually turn the ball over on downs.

I see the media still won't admit that Toeverneous has a Toe problem...

[Charlie Murphaaay]

I see the media still won't admit that Toeverneous has a Toe problem...

Yeah, it looks like either Pennington either really overthrew Laverneous, or his 4.1 speed over 2 seasons has changed for 4.6 for some "strange" reason.

Who know's maybe it was the Redskin Uniform, or a heavier brand of Riddell helmet, or weighted down cleats, or bean bag gloves, or......

[zoony]

OK Flowtrain, that's your cue.

Permission to weigh in granted.

[Charlie Murphaaay]

Well, at least Coles apologized. After all, he could have blamed the wind, or the sun.

[Monk4theHall81]

That is exactly why Gibbs got rid of him, say what you want about him wanting out, but we didnt exactly want to keep him either

WAY TO GO JOE

:dallasuck

[thinker]

I thought Flow said that coles was needed only as a possession receiver - not a downfield threat. Don't possession guys have to catch the ball when it hits them in the hands?

[SkinsNatsFan]

I'd like to know why he wasn't ever able to break free for a potential touchdown for the Redskins after his toe problem started.

[Charlie Murphaaay]

I thought Flow said that coles was needed only as a possession receiver - not a downfield threat. Don't possession guys have to catch the ball when it hits them in the hands?

Now thinker, a reception can be made with your hands, feet, facemask elbow and ribcage. It's kinda selfish to blame his hands.

It's funny to see Coles go back to the Jets, and turn into 50/50. :laugh:

[jbishop26]

Coles will never be the same until he gets the surgey he needs on his toe, which has the outside chance of ending his career, which is why he's never going to get it.

[Walking Deadman]

This is what Coles did last year......he and Gardner dropped alot of passes in the early games (dropped both Ramsey and Brunell passes). It took almost half the season for him to start making solid catches, but then he couldn't out-run guys or break tackles.

Funny thing is that Brunell got alot of heat for Coles drops (granted Brunell did have problems), but now many media outlets are saying that Pennington is to blame and that his arm is lousy.

Coles isn't helping his QB, I'm starting to think we may have won out on that trade for Moss.

[goose34]

I didn't watch the game and only saw a few highlights but the highlights of the drops i saw he was open by a good deal. So it looks like his toe hasn't been a big problem imo. He just needs to catch the ball.

I thought Skin fans overrated Coles when he was a Skin, but also think a lot of skin fans are underrating him now that he is gone. I think he will have a nice season (with his toe) if they can keep Chad healthy.

[gimpy007]

I unerstand that the toe issue would keep him from being a down field threat, but what the heck does his toe what to do with dropping passes..?

[Flowtrain]

I see the media still won't admit that Toeverneous has a Toe problem...

This is a strange thing for you to say. Wouldn't a toe problem prevent Coles from getting separation, as Skins fans complained last year?

Yet here, Coles blew past coverage and broke free 30+ yards down the field on two occasions. It would seem to me that the fact that he moved so fluidly and explosively to put himself in wide open position would be evidence in support of his health, not against it.

This is pretty simple logic.

[Flowtrain]

I thought Flow said that coles was needed only as a possession receiver - not a downfield threat. Don't possession guys have to catch the ball when it hits them in the hands?

Absolutely. This is what Coles did beautifully in preseason. I'm unaccustomed to seeing him drop balls, though I understand that he dropped a couple with the Skins when after he jammed his hand. If Coles can't catch those passes, he'll be useless.

But Sunday was a strange day for the Jets in which the league's best center couldn't snap the ball straight, the K slipped on an imaginary banana peel and the QB lost the handle 6 times. The fact that a sure-handed WR dropped an easy pass was consistent with the entire team misfiring and playing completely out of synch.

If Coles' hands were to suddenly become a liability, I think even his harshest critics would be shocked.

[Flowtrain]

That is exactly why Gibbs got rid of him, say what you want about him wanting out, but we didnt exactly want to keep him either

Gibbs got rid of Coles because he dropped too many passes in the endzone?

It's incredible how the passing of a few months and the swapping of jerseys can warp a fan's recollection so severely.

[Hogskin1]

Absolutely. This is what Coles did beautifully in preseason. I'm unaccustomed to seeing him drop balls, though I understand that he dropped a couple with the Skins when after he jammed his hand. If Coles can't catch those passes, he'll be useless.

But Sunday was a strange day for the Jets in which the league's best center couldn't snap the ball straight, the K slipped on an imaginary banana peel and the QB lost the handle 6 times. The fact that a sure-handed WR dropped an easy pass was consistent with the entire team misfiring and playing completely out of synch.

If Coles' hands were to suddenly become a liability, I think even his harshest critics would be shocked.

You made some very good points in your responses, but I do disagree that he dropped a "couple" passes with the Skins. I saw him drop a good number of them after he jammed his finger, and the drops continued even after the finger was supposedly healed. I figured he was "hearing footsteps" since they kept passing to him over the middle, and he kept getting clobbered. But these Jets drops were not in that category. Maybe last year's drops have left him with a mental hangup about it. Time will tell.

At least it's not our problem now.