Drama at the Goal line

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Drama at the Goal Line: Some Play-by-Play

Posted by Andrew LeRay on August 11, 2011 – 6:45 pm

Update, 7:15 p.m. ET

For the first time in training camp, the Jets today pitted the offense against the defense in goal-line drills. Both squads were especially animated for the drills, leaving their harnesses on the sidelines, raising the intensity level. There were 13 plays run altogether from the 1-yard line. Here’s what happened:

Ones vs. Ones

■ RB Shonn Greene takes a handoff from QB Mark Sanchez and runs off right tackle. He’s taken down after LB Bryan Thomas pushes the offensive line back, tripping Greene at the 2. Loss of a yard.

■ Sanchez completes a play-action pass to TE Matthew Mulligan after rolling out to the left. Touchdown.

■ Sanchez runs a bootleg to the right, beating the defenders to the end zone. Touchdown.

■ Sanchez hands off to Greene, who runs between the tackles and finds the paint. Touchdown.

Twos vs. Twos

■ On the first play, DT Kenrick Ellis stuffs RB Bilal Powell at the line of scrimmage. No gain.

■ Powell takes a handoff from QB Mark Brunell, cuts right and is tripped up behind the line. LB Jamaal Westerman is the first to reach Powell. Loss of a yard.

■ DT Sione Pouha checks in on offense as an eligible receiver and Brunell targets the 325-pounder with a play-action pass. The throw sails high. Incomplete.

■ The fourth play for the second teams ends with an offensive pass interference penalty.

Threes vs. Threes

■ QB Greg McElroy, leading the offense, completes a play-action pass to FB Brian Toal on the first play from scrimmage. Touchdown.

■ RB Chris Jennings receives the handoff from McElroy, cuts it back to the right and scores. Touchdown.

Ones vs. Ones II

■ The first teams then return to the field for the final three plays. Shonn Greene carries on the first play but fumbles at the goal line on a force by Thomas. No gain.

■ Greene then tries to run the ball back through the gut but is stuffed by Ellis and S Brodney Pool. The play triggers a vocal reaction from CB Darrelle Revis and cheers from the crowd. No gain.

■ On the final goal-line play, Greene tries and succeeds at reaching the end zone from the only angle he hasn’t yet tried: the air. Touchdown.

At the end of goal-line practice, C Nick Mangold remained down on the field for some time. He was attended to quickly by the Jets’ trainers as his teammates and fans looked on warily. Mangold rose to his knees, then his feet, and walked off under his own power. He was taken inside to be further evaluated and did not return to practice. A late update today described Mangold’s injury as a stinger and his prognosis is day-to-day.

Marquice Cole Returns

CB Marquice Cole made his debut in practice today. Cole was on a leave of absence from the team as he attended to his family after the death of his brother. He made his presence felt early in practice, breaking up a deep pass attempt from McElroy intended for WR Patrick Turner. After practice, he talked about returning to the team.

“I know to make up for those days that I was gone is going to be hard,” said Cole. “I’m going to take it one day at a time. I’m going to have to do some extra film study, stay after a little longer.”

Cole arrived Wednesday, not knowing it was a scheduled team off day. He said being around his teammates and playing football again can be therapeutic for him, and he is happy to be on the field.

“Every time somebody reached out to me, I showed my appreciation for it,” said Cole. “Everything that everybody has done in this organization is awesome.”

Kicking and Punting

The kicking competition stayed heated, both candidates refusing to show a weakness. Nick Folk and Nick Novak both went 4-for-4 on their FG attempts.

On the other hand, the punters showed their inconsistency. Australian Chris Bryan could not find a rhythm in punting the ball off the side off his foot. Bryan has an extremely powerful leg but was not able to show it off this afternoon. T.J. Conley was steadier, displaying impressive hang time on a number of punts.

Practice Notes

LB Nick Bellore continues to impress, especially in 7-on-7 drills. … Bellore’s college teammate, LB Matt Berning, returned to practice today. … Powell saw more carries than usual with the second offense. … McElroy sported a classic look, wearing all black cleats with white socks, the only Jets player to do so. … After Mangold left practice, OL Rob Turner filled in as the first-team center.

[19andOhWait]

that must have been fun to watch