Kellen Clemens, who’ll make his third career start Sunday when the Jets play the Steelers at Giants Stadium, said he got away from football during the bye week.
“I didn’t watch a single game,” said Clemens, who went home to Oregon. “I spent some time with my family and spent time with my wife, which I don’t get to do a lot of during the season. For about 2½ or three days, I totally unwound and tried to recharge the battery.”
Part of that recharging came watching his sisters play a volleyball game for the University of Portland.
“It was really good to watch them play,” he said. “They got beat in three [games], but it was good to watch them.”
Clemens will be facing a similar attacking defense in the Steelers to what he faced in his first NFL start against the Ravens earlier this season.
“As far as bringing pressure, there are a lot of similarities,” he said. “They’re both very aggressive defenses. Pittsburgh is ranked even higher than Baltimore right now – No. 1 against the run, against the pass and in points allowed. They’re a very talented group in a lot of different phases.”
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Laveranues Coles, who had his 107-consecutive game playing streak stopped two weeks ago because of a concussion, is ready to get back onto the field this week.
“I’m good,” he said yesterday. “I’m practicing and happy to be back out there with the guys. You never know how important something is until you face certain situations in your life. I realized how much I love the game of football and I’m ready to get back out there and start playing.”
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The Steelers lost starting FS Ryan Clark (inflamed spleen) and reserve TE Jerame Tuman (back) for the season when they placed the two on injured reserve yesterday.
Meanwhile, Steelers’ RB Willie Parker (hip), RB Gary Russell (personal reasons), LaMarr Woodley (groin) along with WR Hines Ward and T Marvel Smith (both coaches’ decisions) didn’t practice yesterday.
Only two Jets were limited in practice yesterday – NT Dewayne Robertson (knee) and WR Chris Davis (shoulder).