JET NOTES
The revolving door on the interior of the Jets’ defensive line continues.
When they line up against the 49ers Monday night at Giants Stadium, they’ll have their third line combination in place with Shane Burton starting in place of Tom Barndt at the left defensive tackle.
“It’s been a unique situation to say the least,” defensive line coach Rubin Carter said. “Having Steve Martin (the starting right DT) and Barndt for only the last couple of weeks, we’re pretty much starting over as a defensive (line) unit.”
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Punter Tom Tupa and the newly-signed Dan Pope shared the punting duties yesterday in practice and Tupa was booming his punts, leaving little doubt about who’ll be punting Monday night.
Though Tupa is listed as “questionable” on the injury list with a sore hip, look for him to continue as the Jets’ punter Monday despite his poor game against the Patriots last week.
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Punt and KO returner Chad Morton, who’s also listed as “questionable” with a sprained right ankle, practiced in full pads yesterday and looked terrific, showing no signs of favoring the leg at all while making speedy returns and cuts.
SS Victor Green, who’s listed as “questionable’ with a right thigh contusion, participated on a limited basis in practice with no pads, though he vowed to play in the game.
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One of the practice highlights yesterday was a punishing pancake block of LB Mo Lewis by third-string TE Daniel Wilcox during a seven-on-seven drill. Wilcox’s block left Lewis, who knocked Drew Bledsoe out for a few weeks last Sunday, flat on his back.
Matthew Hatchette, who’s still seeking his first catch as a Jet and has been making some of his niftiest moves of late ducking away from reporters, got off to a tough start in practice yesterday, dropping a pass over the middle of the field, where he was all alone.
Hatchette got better, though, making a terrific leaping catch over CB Aaron Glenn and S Chris Hayes for a long TD and making an over-the-shoulder grab over S Jamie Henderson for another TD.