07/31 — There was a little different flavor to the camp practice early Tuesday evening. Early on it was physical, as blocking was being emphasized on kickoff returns. Midway through, the Jets shed some pads and finished the rest of the workout in shells. And the defense continued its yapping at the offense, with Justin Miller vocal and Eric Barton at one point (playfully) spiking the ball at Chad Pennington's feet.

And it was also different because a few less visible players came up with some big plays, led by QB Kellen Clemens on the practice's last drive.

Clemens, running a two-minute drill (actually a 1:03 drill with his team trailing, 16-15), hit one of the prettiest passes of his short tenure as a Jets QB. It came with 27 seconds to play on fourth-and-10 at the 50. He dropped back and then threw a jump pass that found WR Frisman Jackson open in the middle of the defense for a first down.

Clemens also hit Jackson and Wallace Wright on previous pinpoint throws.

Early on, TE Sean Ryan came up big, making a couple of receptions that included a short TD from Pennington in team drills. After that period, O-coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, unhappy with his unit's limp play early in the morning practice, shook every offensive player's hand.

One of those Ryan completions came from Marques Tuiasosopo, but Tui also slightly overthrew Chansi Stuckey, who turned around too soon, with the ball nestling in the outstretched hands of safety Raymond Ventrone.

The two two-minute drills ended the same way, with 49-yard missed field goals by Mike Nugent, who just hasn't found the groove kicking at those Arena League-width goalposts.

I watched the practice beneath a stained baseball cap that has significance for a lot of Jets fans, since it bears the name of a state on the front: Mississippi. "Lange, you know how old that hat is?" asked my good friend Rich Cimini of the Daily News. Indeed, I do. In 1995 and again early in 1996, the Green & White traveled to Jackson, Miss., for preseason games during Rich Kotite's two years at the helm.

Both were losses, 13-10 to the Eagles in '95, 31-13 to the Houston Oilers the next year. But what I remembered most about both games was the smothering heat and humidity, the sweat dripping down my back even in the unconditioned pressbox.

I may have jumped the gun on my message hat today, since the evening weather in Hempstead was actually pleasant. But the hat could return today (one practice at 2 p.m.) through Sunday, when the temps are projected to reach 88, 88, 88, 89 and 87.