Football
Associated Press 16y

Jets WR Cotchery misses practice with injured finger, Coles limited again by ankle

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Kellen Clemens might be without his top
two targets when the New York Jets take on the winless Miami
Dolphins.

Jerricho Cotchery has missed practice all week with an injured
right index finger, while Laveranues Coles has been limited by an
ankle injury that caused him to miss New York's game against Dallas
on Thanksgiving.

"We'll look at all those guys and evaluate at the end of the
week and see how it is," coach Eric Mangini said Thursday.

Mangini revealed that Cotchery's injury occurred Monday during
practice, but wouldn't go into specifics, as is the Jets' policy.
In fact, it was a bit surprising Mangini acknowledged which finger
was injured; it was weeks before he revealed which knee linebacker
Jonathan Vilma needed season-ending surgery on earlier this month.

Cotchery, normally one of the handful of players who speaks to
the media daily, hasn't been seen in the locker room or on the
practice field all week. Cotchery leads the Jets with 54 catches
for 730 yards and a touchdown.

Coles was injured during the Jets' 19-16 overtime win against
Pittsburgh on Nov. 18 while making a 56-yard catch off a flea
flicker that set up a touchdown. He returned briefly, but was
noticeably hobbled and then sat out against the Cowboys.

Coles, second on the team with 43 catches for 529 yards and six
TDs, hopes to play and has been on the practice field, but has been
limited. His availability for Sunday was still uncertain.

If Coles and Cotchery can't go, Clemens' main targets would be
Justin McCareins, Brad Smith and tight end Chris Baker, who have a
combined 58 catches this season. The only other wide receivers on
the Jets' active roster are Wallace Wright and Chris Davis,
although they also have David Clowney, Evan Prall and David Ball on
the practice squad.

"You want everybody to be there and we'll work them through the
normal game plan, like we do with anybody who's in that
situation," Mangini said of Coles and Cotchery. "And then, it's
also the type of thing where other guys get opportunities if they
aren't there. That's why you work so many different people in terms
of combinations, so that the quarterback is always working with
different guys and there is some flexibility if you do encounter a
situation like this."

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