Bolands Blog 10/23/08- Coles & E.Smith suffered concussions

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Coles and Smith both suffered concussions
The news of the day was coach Eric Mangini disclosing this morning that Laveranues Coles suffered a concussion during Sunday’s game and so too did safety Eric Smith.

For Smith, that was his second one in three weeks as the safety got one from his hit on Anquan Boldin.

“I can’t remember if it was on the special teams play that he was in or one of the sideline tackles,” Mangini said of the Smith concussion Sunday.

Coles’ situation was curious in that he reentered the game after staying on the ground for a couple of minutes after landing on his head pursuing a pass.

“There’s an in-game protocol and there’s a prior-to-the game protocol,” Mangini said. “That’s why we have the doctors and the trainers on the sidelines. They make those decisions. Those aren’t coaching decisions. We won’t put anybody back in the game until they’re cleared medically to go back into the game.”

Coles amicably talked to reporters in the locker room about a variety of subjects, though one of them wasn’t his concussion. Anything injury related for players is forbidden fruit. It would be hard to imagine Coles, who has had several concussions in the last three seasons, playing one week after this most recent one, but he’s been on the practice field in a limited basis so far this week (as has Eric Smith), so anything’s possible. And with Jerricho Cotchery being limited with his shoulder problem, Brad Smith and Chansi Stuckey will be called on to fill the void.

As will, likely, David Clowney. Mangini didn’t say Clowney would be active for the first time this season on Sunday, but it’s sounding more and more like a sure thing.

“It’s one of those things where the more time the better, but that doesn’t mean that he couldn’t play now,” Mangini said of Clowney. “It’s not…since he’s not on the injury report, that’s his status. He’s live.”

Clowney in general terms he talked about how desperately he wants to suit up for a game.

“I cannot even describe how bad I want to be out on that field right now,” Clowney said.

Also from the 35 minutes we were at practice:

* Damien Woody participated in a lot more drills than he did yesterday, though when the injury report comes out later this afternoon I expect him still to be listed as limited on the injury report.

* Bubba Franks, for the second straight day, wasn’t anywhere near the practice field. Franks is listed as having a hip injury and with him missing Wednesday and Thursday’s practice sessions, it’s not a stretch to speculate he probably won’t play Sunday.

* Wallace Wright caught a long pass.

Two final notes: We will have Live Chat VIII on this very blog Friday (tomorrow) morning at 11. Getcha popcorn ready.

Also, happy birthday to Jets PR-man-in-chief Bruce Speight, who continues to send me late-night “suggestions” on how I can improve this blog. To paraphrase him at the end of press conferences, “We’re good.”