It looks like Laveranues Coles is going to be physically – and mentally – able to play tomorrow afternoon when the Jets face the Chiefs at Giants Stadium.
“If he’s medically cleared, then he’ll play,” coach Eric Mangini said the Jets’ No. 1 wideout, who suffered a concussion last week against the Raiders. Coles practiced fully yesterday and is listed as probable for tomorrow’s game.
PHOTOS: Matchups: Chiefs At Jets
“I’m feeling OK,” Coles said.
Coles has suffered three concussions in less than two years, and he said the final decision if he plays is not his.
“Basically, it’s the doctors’ decision,” Coles said. “I don’t think that they would put us in a position that would jeopardize our long-term health. . . . If a guy practiced today, then he practiced because he got the opportunity to practice and the doctor cleared him.”
Coles isn’t the only beat-up wideout. Jerricho Cotchery is questionable with a shoulder problem.
It’s a good bet both players will end up on the field. But if Cotchery doesn’t play or is limited, or if Coles isn’t at full speed, there’s a chance backups Brad Smith and Chansi Stuckey to see extra action.
“I’m just going to take the same approach and work on my preparation and get ready for the game,” Smith said, “and whatever happens, happens.”
Smith was impressive last week in Oakland. He ran four times for 59 yards and caught four passes for 29 more. He also ripped off a 36-yard jaunt, the longest run of his career.
Smith’s four grabs were his first of the season, and his four carries gave him six for the year. The third-year player, who’s listed as a quarterback in the Jets’ media guide and who played under center at Missouri, is apparently making steady improvement at wideout.
“Each year,” Mangini said, “he gets a little bit better at the receiver position.”
Mangini said the ultimate goal is to have Smith as a regular wideout.
“[He’s] just continuing to grow,” Mangini said. “Similar to Jerricho’s development. Jerricho really started as a core [special] teams guy. He got better and better each year. He got some opportunities and eventually he emerged as a starting receiver.”
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer declines to label Smith as a wideout or a hybrid. He classifies him a different way.
“I see him as a really good player,” he said. “That’s how I see him.”
Stuckey, in his second year out of Clemson, has slowed recently, with just four catches in his last three games after scoring touchdowns in each of the first three games of the season.
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RT Damien Woody (calf) is questionable for tomorrow.