Welcome Back, 87

By admin Posted On March 11, 2005

by Joe Grinwis
Contributing Columnist

Two weeks ago many Jets fans were sitting in their chars on their computers reading articles about a Laveranues Coles return to the Jets for Santana Moss. For most Jets fans, that was a dream. Well now it has become a reality. The Jets have finally completed a Coles-Moss trade that will bring back the 27 year old wide reciever who has been sorely missed.

When Coles was here in New York back in 2002 with Chad Pennington, Pennington had his best year in his three years as a starter and with Coles back, Jets fans can only help with his surgery behind him and Coles back, Chad will be back to the Chad of 02, if not better. With everyone saying Chad cannot win the “big game”, well, back in 02 with Coles here, he won some pretty big games towards the end of the season against New England and Green Bay to get the Jets into the playoffs.

Coles brings a lot more to the table then Santana Moss does. Although the Jets will miss Moss on punt returns, although he did a pretty poor job minus the playoffs doing it, Coles will bring a downfield prescense that makes Moss look like nothing. Moss was good for those deep passes once every three games and punt returns. Coles is the guy who can go out there and make great catches and have a 7-10 catch game with 100 yards and a touchdown or so.

Backing up to the Coles-Pennington relationship, back in 2002 was there a better combination then these two? It’s an argument that could’ve been made. This was supposed to be the Aikman-Irvin, the Young-Rice, and all those other good QB, good WR tandems that have existed. Well that was put on hold for two years, but now it’s back.

#87 is back Jets fans, get ready to see the Chad of old.