Jets Didn't Expect It, But Zach's Out

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Randy's Radar

Jets Didn't Expect It, But Zach's Out

Published: Fri, September 21, 2007 - 2:25pm EDT
Eric Allen

By Eric Allen

Allen is the senior managing editor of newyorkjets.com. He is in his seventh season with the Jets.


File Under: Thomas Jones, Adrien Clarke, Zach Thomas, Cam Cameron, Dolphins linebacker

09/21 — Seven-time Pro Bowler Zach Thomas will not face the Jets Sunday. Thomas, who racked up 165 tackles to unofficially lead the NFL last season, suffered a concussion against the Cowboys and wasn’t able to practice this week.

"It'll kind of be going day-to-day," said Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron of the star linebacker. "They got back the MRI and they didn't see anything on that. They do further tests and so forth, so it's ongoing, but he's been ruled out of this game."

Moments earlier, inside the Jets’ locker room today, the Green & White expected a different outcome.

“We're approaching the game like he’s playing and he’s a great player. He has been a great player for a long time,” said RB Thomas Jones. “We aren’t even looking at it like that. We’re assuming he's going to play and we are prepared for him.”

Jones was the main media attraction following practice, but Randy Lange also chatted with Adrien Clarke about Thomas.

"We expect 54 to be in there,” said the Jets’ starting LG. “We know he's a heck of a player and he fights through all injuries and everything, and that's what we're expecting to see."

This is a major blow to the Dolphins defense, which was already allowing 178 yards per game on the ground. OLB Channing Crowder will move over to the middle and Derrick Pope now becomes a starter on the outside.

You’d expect Jones to get carries early and often come Sunday afternoon. He averaged only 2.9 yards per rush against the Patriots and the Ravens, but he ran hard and he’s in a good state of mind.

“We have had a really good week of practice. We haven’t done anything different this week than we’ve done the past couple of weeks and training camp,” he said. “It’s the same thing. The defenses we’ve gone up against have played really good against us.”

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dougmc Said:

Fri, September 21, 2007 - 8:30pm EDT

"Players have been out or hurt the last 2 games... lets hope third time is a charm.We need to right the ship this week and the weeks to come. I bet Frisman Jackson would have caught the drops by Justin Mc. With the mediocre offseason moves we'll always be playing catch-up to the Pats. We can only hope to be a solid team that overachieves instead of getting franchise names to put us in the up echolo"

Offensive Comment?

Drew Said:

Fri, September 21, 2007 - 9:28pm EDT

"Has anyone read the Peter King column in SI?? King calls Mangini a snitch and codebreaker by turning his mentor in!! Has anyone realized what Belichick has done to Eric in the last few years? Let alone how he left the Jets and Parcells(his mentor)dry to go to NE while keeping the Hess money... He locked Mangini out of NE, the handshakes, tampering charges and then cheats in game 1! Bad job P.King"

Offensive Comment?

Tim Said:

Fri, September 21, 2007 - 9:43pm EDT

"You never like to see a player get his noggin hurt, but the Jets should have a much better chance of winning this game (althought I think they would have anyway)"

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