NFL

JETS DEFENSE KNOWS THE DRILL

When Jets players arrive at Weeb Ewbank Hall each Wednesday to start preparation for the next opponent, they check a schedule to see what’s on the agenda.

When they arrived yesterday, there was something that stood out and was sure to set a tone for the week: tackling drills.

“You look at the schedule and that thing says, ‘Tackling drills,’ you’re like, OK,” WR Laveranues Coles said yesterday. “We haven’t done tackling drills since training camp. I’m sure things will get a little bit physical around here in practice.

“LC don’t like tackling drills.”

S Eric Smith, whose locker is near Coles’, laughed and said, “I’ll take tackling drills every practice,” and the way the Jets have been missing tackles, Eric Mangini might do that.

In Sunday’s 35-24 loss to the Giants, the Jets’ defense lacked in technique (see CB Andre Dyson’s whiff on Plaxico Burress’ TD) and tenacity (see Brandon Jacobs’ 74 rushing yards in the second half). That’s why, in the early part of practice, the players were working tackling dummies and doing tackling drills Mangini used in training camp.

“Maybe he feels that us working harder will get us to finish a game and complete a game,” Coles said, referring to the team’s inconsistent play.

WR Jerricho Cotchery said, “We obviously missed a lot of tackles last week, so I guess that’s going to be a point of emphasis.”

Coles said, “[Mangini] will get it out of us, one way or another. That’s the way he is. He will push and he will push until he gets the results he wants. He doesn’t have to yell at you. He puts you on the screen in front of the team and shows you what you did wrong and point it out to everybody. Your team, your staff, everybody gets to see you making a mistake. There ain’t no fun in that, especially if you’re a competitor.”

S Erik Coleman, who missed last week’s game with a concussion, returned to practice yesterday and worked in a limited capacity. Also limited in practice were Coles (knee), RT Anthony Clement (thigh), DE Shaun Ellis (foot), WR Justin McCareins (ankle), QB Chad Pennington (ankle), NT Dewayne Robertson (knee) and Coleman’s replacement last week, S Eric Smith (thigh).

For the Eagles, RB Brian Westbrook returned to practice after missing the previous game with an abdominal strain. Among the Eagles who didn’t practice were LT William Thomas (knee), S Brian Dawkins (neck) and G Todd Herrmans (knee).

Should Thomas not play, Winston Justice, who was schooled by Giants DE Osi Umenyiora two weeks ago, again would start in Thomas’ place.

“I have communicated with Winston and told him that I support him 100 percent and not to worry about it,” Eagles QB Donovan McNabb said yesterday. “In this league, you have to have a short memory. He’s a great player and a hard worker. It’s unfortunate that it was his first game (starting) that that happened, but it wasn’t all just Winston Justice. It was the 10 other guys as well.”