Cimini Practice Report: Nice Start For The QB's

[flgreen]

Practice report: Nice start for QBs

 

 

July, 26, 2013

 

Jul 26

 

 

2:22

 

 

PM ET

 

 

By  Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com

 

 

 

CORTLAND, N.Y. -- The ballyhooed quarterback competition got off to a positive start, with both Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith performing reasonably well in the first practice. Neither player committed a turnover, an all-important statistic for the turnover-plagued Jets.

 

 

As expected, Sanchez worked with the first team, taking a majority of the reps. They will alternate throughout camp. He completed seven of 10 passes (one drop) and was "sacked" twice. (This wasn't a padded practice; the players were in shells.) Sanchez's favorite target was WR Clyde Gates, who caught two passes. He also connected twice with TE Kellen Winslow, who made a diving grab for about 30 yards late in practice.

 

 

Afterward, Sanchez said he was pleased with the first day, saying "everything went smoothly."

 

 

Smith went 4-for-7, with one sack and a fumble (it was recovered). If this were simply a throwing contest, Smith would win easily. He throws a nice ball, a tight spiral even on deep throws. His longest completion was about 40 yards to WR Stephen Hill. Actually, he threw the ball over the wrong shoulder, but Hill made a terrific adjustment -- a positive step for the second-year wideout.

 

 

Smith, who had more than 30 career fumbles at West Virginia, got careless on his final play, letting a defender slap the ball out of his hands in the pocket.

 

 

GATES IS SWINGING: It was quite a debut for Gates, whom Rex Ryan called the offensive MVP of the first practice. Gates, who missed several spring practices due to a balky hamstring, looked healthy and fast. His signature moment came in a 7-on-7 drill, when he made a diving, fingertip catch on a deep ball by Sanchez. Sanchez thought he led Gates too far, but Gates showed excellent accleration with the ball in the air. The Jets have been waiting a year for Gates to step up. This was only one day, but it was a step.

 

 

Actually, this was a good day for the Jets' much-maligned receiving corps. Titus Ryan and Hill also stood out in the crowd. Winslow made a couple of nice plays, but he also coughed up the ball on a strip by S Jaiquawn Jarrett.

 

 

SPEED ON DEFENSE: It's too early to make bold predictions, but it's already apparent that the defense is faster than a year ago. Then again, everything is faster than a dinosaur, right? The highlight moment came when DE/LB Quinton Coples chased Smith out of the pocket. Coples actually ran stride-for-stride with Smith, forcing him out of bounds. In pursuit, Coples barked at Smith, "Ain't that fast." Smith was impressed.

 

 

"That's amazing, right?" Smith said. "He's about 280 pounds and he's going step for step with me."

 

 

INJURY REPORT: RB Joe McKnight was removed from the non-football injury list and practiced. ... RB Chris Ivory (hamstring) sat out. He said he'll return in a couple of days. ... CB Aaron Berry limped off after getting tangled up with WR Joe Collins. ... WR Santonio Holmes, on the physically-unable-to-perform list, worked off to the side.

 

 

ODDS AND ENDS: There was a new wrinkle at the start of practice. An entire period was devoted to open-field tackling, with a focus on special teams. ... S Antonio Allen worked with the starting unit. ... Willie Colon and Stephen Peterman were the starting guards. ... The offense worked on some Wildcat, but not much. ... Rookie DT Sheldon Richardson, fresh off signing a $10 million contract, made an early splash. He recorded a sack on the fourth play of team drills. He started in the base defense. ... There were two false-start penalties with Sanchez at quarterback. Sanchez explained that, under orders from OC Marty Morhninweg, he was trying to be aggressive with his cadence. ... OLB Ricky Sapp had a sack. ... QB Greg McElroy was the No. 3, Matt Simms No.4. Simms threw an interception, the only pick in practice.

[Matt39]

(This wasn't a padded practice; the players were in shells.) 

 

Nothing to see here.

[Greenseed4]

Coples running step for step with Geno Smith is pretty impressive.  I'd have to imagine Geno Smith could win a foot race against most QBs in the league. 

[slats]

This is a far cry from what we're used to in training camp. Could be because they're still working in a lot of new starters on defense, but both QBs completing more than 50% of their passes with no turnovers? Wow. Maybe Mornhinweg knows what he's doing, after all.

[whodeawhodat]

This is a far cry from what we're used to in training camp. Could be because they're still working in a lot of new starters on defense, but both QBs completing more than 50% of their passes with no turnovers? Wow. Maybe Mornhinweg knows what he's doing, after all.

 

could he be any worse than Luigi???  Offense has a lot of new starters as well and a new system, no?

[flgreen]

Practice report: Day 1

22 m ago By Kimberley A. Martin

Photo credit: Left to right: Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy, center, and Geno Smith. (James Escher) | Left to right: Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy, center, and Geno Smith. (James Escher)

 

A small smattering of fans at SUNY Cortland witnessed the first day of the 2013 Jets, cheering every acrobatic catch and applauding the hustle of their team.

 

The stands were practically empty Friday – a stark contrast to the circus-like atmosphere that enveloped upstate New York a year ago thanks to Tebowmania. But that’s how the Jets, and particular Mark Sanchez, like it.

 

The quarterback competition between him and rookie Geno Smith is far from over, but both signal-callers looked decent on Day 1. They each made some beautiful throws, and also lofted some off-target passes. (Meaning: it's far too early to discern who's got the edge.)

 

Smith said he’s pretty comfortable with the playbook at this point, and hasn’t had any trouble going through his reads and progressions. He threaded the needle a couple of times in practice, hitting receivers in stride. But the rookie cautioned: “It's like learning the dictionary. You'll never know everything."

 

Asked if there were any nerves on his first day, however, Smith smiled: “Not at all.”

 

“I had errors,” he later said. “But the thing is, there’s always room for improvement. I’ve always been a confident guy. I hope you guys have realized that I’m always going to be confident.”

 

Rex Ryan said Smith didn’t look like a rookie on the field, adding: “He can throw it with anybody.”

 

Sanchez, meanwhile, looked solid on the day. To no surprise, he took the first-team reps. The fifth-year signal-caller was intercepted, however, when a pass to Kellen Winslow popped out of the tight end’s hands and into Antonio Garay’s arms.

 

"I thought they looked great," Sanchez said of his receiving corps. "Kellen Winslow made a big catch at the end of practice.

 

Braylon (Edwards) looks good, like he never left. He hasn’t lost a step at all. We’ll get Tone back. A lot of those receivers looked good. Jeremy Kerley, Clyde Gates looked good. There’s guys running all over the field and there are some big-time catches for us."

 

GATES IMPRESSES: The Jets receiving corps is a work in progress, but Clyde Gates seemed determined to prove he’s got playmaking ability. The wide receiver made several nice catches in practice, including a diving catch on a Sanchez 7-on-7 pass that caught Antonio Cromartie’s attention. “That's how you catch the ball!” the cornerback yelled after Gates’ tumbling/diving catch.

 

Gates’ Day 1 performance was so good, Ryan named the wideout the MVP of the offense.

 

"I thought I had him overthrown by a yard-and-a-half and he clicked it into an extra gear," Sanchez said. "Made a fingertip catch. Those are the kinds of plays we expect from Clyde. That’s the kind of receiver he can be. When you put it on the practice field, that’s encouraging for him. It will boost his confidence."

 

NEWS & NOTES

 

…Titus Ryan also showcased some skills, beating second-year safety Antonio Allen on a couple deep passes and hauling down a deep throw from Smith while keeping his feet in bounds.

 

…WR Santonio Holmes, RB Chris Ivory and WR Rontez Miles spent practice pedaling on the stationary bikes. Ivory said he experienced hamstring tightness right before camp, but being sidelined was just a precautionary measure.

 

… Aaron Berry avoided a potentially serious injury Friday after getting tangled up with receiver Joe Collins. The cornerback crumpled after colliding with Collins during a drill period and lay motionless for about a minute. Berry appeared to be writing in pain, clutching one of his legs, but he limped off the field under the watchful eye of the trainers.

 

…Gates wasn’t the only player to catch Rex’s attention. The Jets head coach complimented young running back John Griffin, saying: “The lil’ Griffin guy is showing out a lil bit.”

 

…The first fisticuffs of training camp came courtesy of Garay and J.B. Shugarts, who traded blows during a team period.

…As expected, the Jets sprinkled in some Wildcat reps during a team period. (Hey, remember Tim Tebow?!) 

[faba]

I can not make any conclusions from a first day of training camp-Cimini being semi positive is the most surprising event.

[Bleedin Green]

This is a far cry from what we're used to in training camp. Could be because they're still working in a lot of new starters on defense, but both QBs completing more than 50% of their passes with no turnovers? Wow. Maybe Mornhinweg knows what he's doing, after all.

 

Sshhhhhh, don't say things like that, you're going to jinx it!  If that really turns out to be the case, he could be the Jets' first competent offensive coach since.... um.... well............ I don't freakin' know, Weis?

[JoeKlecko]

The ballyhooed quarterback competition got off to a positive start, with both Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith performing reasonably well in the first practice. Neither player committed a turnover, an all-important statistic for the turnover-plagued Jets.

 

 

Typical Cimini inaccuracy.  He claimed that neither player committed a TO, yet Kimberly A. Martin said:

 

 The fifth-year signal-caller was intercepted, however, when a pass to Kellen Winslow popped out of the tight end’s hands and into Antonio Garay’s arms.

 

 

 

 

In the good news dept. (if it continues):

 

GATES IS SWINGING: It was quite a debut for Gates, whom Rex Ryan called the offensive MVP of the first practice. Gates, who missed several spring practices due to a balky hamstring, looked healthy and fast. His signature moment came in a 7-on-7 drill, when he made a diving, fingertip catch on a deep ball by Sanchez. Sanchez thought he led Gates too far, but Gates showed excellent accleration with the ball in the air. The Jets have been waiting a year for Gates to step up. This was only one day, but it was a step.

 

 

and

 

Actually, he threw the ball over the wrong shoulder, but Hill made a terrific adjustment -- a positive step for the second-year wideout.

 

 

not to mention that he actually caught the ball.  and

 

Titus Ryan and Hill also stood out in the crowd. 

 

 

and 

 

Titus Ryan also showcased some skills, beating second-year safety Antonio Allen on a couple deep passes and hauling down a deep throw from Smith while keeping his feet in bounds.

 

 

then there's this impressive feat, which should bode well for the pass rush:

 

The highlight moment came when DE/LB Quinton Coples chased Smith out of the pocket. Coples actually ran stride-for-stride with Smith, forcing him out of bounds. In pursuit, Coples barked at Smith, "Ain't that fast." Smith was impressed.

 

"That's amazing, right?" Smith said. "He's about 280 pounds and he's going step for step with me."

 

[flgreen]

Typical Cimini inaccuracy.  He claimed that neither player committed a TO, yet Kimberly A. Martin said:

 

 

 

In the good news dept. (if it continues):

 

 

and

 

 

not to mention that he actually caught the ball.  and

 

 

and 

 

 

then there's this impressive feat, which should bode well for the pass rush:

Martin is the only scribe calling it an interception, all the others said Winslow fumbled it.  Doesn't really matter, the ball hit him in the hands.  

 

  All in all I thought it was a decent article

[JoeKlecko]

Martin is the only scribe calling it an interception, all the others said Winslow fumbled it.  Doesn't really matter, the ball hit him in the hands.  

 

  All in all I thought it was a decent article

 

OK Thanks.  Perhaps I was allowing my immediate disdain and distrust of Cimini influence me too much.

 

FTR, My comments were not meant to put you down for posting the article.  I appreciate any TC news, even if it is Cimini.  

 

And yes, especially for Cimini, it was a decent article.  I kept waiting for the digs and negative comments, but they weren't there.

 

Also, I forgot to say it earlier, but absolutely loved both Richardson and Sapp getting sacks.  I hope it's the first of many for both of them.

[flgreen]

OK Thanks.  Perhaps I was allowing my immediate disdain and distrust of Cimini influence me too much.

 

FTR, My comments were not meant to put you down for posting the article.  I appreciate any TC news, even if it is Cimini.  

 

And yes, especially for Cimini, it was a decent article.  I kept waiting for the digs and negative comments, but they weren't there.

 

Also, I forgot to say it earlier, but absolutely loved both Richardson and Sapp getting sacks.  I hope it's the first of many for both of them.

No problem I love a good Cimini or Mehta bashing

[flgreen]

Quinton Coples Displays Plenty of Giddyup

 

 

Posted 48 minutes ago

 

 

  Charlie Frankel  Reporter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quarterback Geno Smith takes the snap and rolls out to his left on a bootleg pass play.

 

 

Defensive end Quinton Coples is across the line of scrimmage watching his every move. His assignment on the play: contain Smith. Given Geno's reputation for using his speed to evade defenders — he runs a sub-4.6 in the 40 — Coples has been given no easy task.

 

 

Smith begins to hustle toward the left sideline, now sprinting toward the outside, keeping his eyes downfield, looking to make a pass all the while.

 

 

“He was my responsibility,” Coples said, “and I just wanted to assure him that he could not outrun me.”

 

 

Smith hardly gets past the line of scrimmage before Coples cuts him off and forces him out of bounds.

 

 

“Not that fast!” Coples shouts. “Not that fast!”

 

 

“Now he can’t get into the press and tell y’all that he can outrun me,” he said.

 

 

Typically on the receiving end of compliments regarding foot speed, Smith was amazed by Coples’ ability to keep up with him on the bootleg during this morning’s practice.

 

 

“The guy’s like 280 [actually 6'6", 290] and he’s running step for step with me,” Smith said, “That’s a good sign.”

 

 

Entering his second year, Coples will transition from a defensive end to a D-line/linebacker hybrid. With the change in position comes a change in responsibilities.

 

 

As he transfers into the second level of the defense, containing quarterbacks and showing off his speed will be even more necessary than before. With an emphasis on keeping pace with those in the backfield, running stride for stride with Smith shows his ability to get the job done effectively.

 

 

“I can’t wait until he’s chasing other guys down on Sunday,” Smith said.

 

 

Coples added that becoming a hybrid defensive lineman/linebacker will come naturally with some reliance on the coaching staff and his pre-NFL playing days.

 

 

“It’s a position that I’ve played a little bit throughout my years of football,” he said, “and the coaches are giving me some good feedback and constructive criticism as well.”

 

 

Coples will look to improve upon his impressive rookie campaign in which he led the team with 5.5 sacks. But he understands that physical ability alone cannot lead to success.

 

 

“It’s about understanding what you’re doing and understanding your responsibility more than anything,” he said.

 

 

Once he learns his new responsibilities, this Jet will be ready for takeoff.

[Larz]

so the theme for the offense is going to be

 

 

"fumble"

 

yay

[jorge o8]

hey to hear something good is nice for a change even if is this early

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

Saying Sanchez had a great first day at camp is like the British boasting that they repelled the first wave of Zulu attackers at Islawanda.