11/30 — What had been an island of stability all last year and through most of the first half of this season continues its month of turmoil with word late this afternoon that WR Jerricho Cotchery will sit out Sunday's game at Miami with an injured right index finger.

Head coach Eric Mangini said Cotchery sustained his finger injury during Monday's practice. J-Co had started 28 consecutive games since moving into the lineup from the 2006 opener.

Cotchery's distressed digit comes hard on the heels of Laveranues Coles' recent travails. LC's own more prodigious streak of 104 consecutive regular-season NFL starts came ot an end when he sat out the Washington game with a concussion he suffered late in Game 8 vs. Buffalo.

Then two plays into his return to action against Pittsburgh, Coles gathered in that 56-yard fleaflicker from Kellen Clemens and injured his ankle. That injury sat him out of the Thanksgiving game at Dallas and has him listed as questionable for Miami after participating on a limited basis at all three practices this week.

That won't make things any easier for Clemens and the Jets offense against the Dolphins' improving defense, which has been in the NFL's top 10 against the pass in nine of the last 10 weeks. But as head coach Eric Mangini said earlier today — and any other coach in any other sport worth his salt will say when pressed — you'd like to have all your players, but an injury gives an opportunity to the other guys on your roster.

In the Jets' case, that means more time for Justin McCareins and Brad Smith, who already have had their reps increase the last three games with the Coles situation. Wallace Wright could move more prominently into the wideout picture, as could Chris Davis, who hasn't played in two games since making his NFL debut and banging up his shoulder vs. Washington.

And as John Beattie of newyorkjets.com details in his news story today, TE Chris Baker should continue to figure in Clemens' and the offense's plans. In the last three games, C-Bake and his magical hands have had 18 passes thrown to him, the most he's had in a three-game span in his six Jets seasons, and he's come down with 11 catches (tied for most in a three-game span in his career) for 112 yards.

It's not Tony Gonzalez or Shannon Sharpe at their peak, but it's a possible salvation for a Jets offense that nevertheless figures to put the ball in Thomas Jones' gut a whole lot as well at Dolphin Stadium in less than 48 hours.