JET NOTES

Here’s the early word from the Jets:

There will be no Sophomore Jinx for Chad Pennington, with or without Laveranues Coles.

“We did lose a great receiver, but I think our corps is stronger,” Pennington said. “We’re pulling together and it’s stepping up our play. What we can’t forget here is that Curtis Conway is a 10-year veteran. He is very smooth, intelligent player and he still has speed.”

The Jets view Conway, Wayne Chrebet and Santana Moss as interchangeable parts, and Herm Edwards trusts Pennington so much that he is insisting that offensive coordinator Paul Hackett call more go routes to instill the fear of God in opposing cornerbacks.

“I think we got some guys who can run down the boundary and catch the ball,” Edwards said.

And a guy who can throw it. “It requires more trust in the receiver to go get the ball than touch and accuracy,” Pennington said.

Testaverde is impressed with Pennington’s new and improved deep ball. “He’s pretty good at it,” Testaverde said. “He seems to be able to make all the throws, which not a lot of quarterbacks can do.”

Pennington is more relaxed and vows to learn from his emotional meltdown in the playoffs against the Raiders.

His teammates no longer view him as their little brother. He’s more of a leader now. “He’s wiser,” Curtis Martin said. “If I had to bet money on who was the smartest guy on the field, [it’s] between him and Vinny. Chad’s a student of the game. I think his confidence has risen to another level. It’s like now he doesn’t blink an eye. He’s not timid at all. He has no fear, no hesitation. He knows what he can do. We know what he can do and we have confidence in him. And that makes a big difference for him.”

Martin was asked about Coles leaving for the Redskins: “I don’t think that’s gonna be a big problem,” he said. ” Laveranues is gone. They formed a chemistry, but it’s the NFL. Things change. We’ll miss Laveranues. We’ll miss Randy [Thomas]. We’ll miss Chad [Morton]. Yet those three aren’t the New York Jets. I don’t think we’ll miss a step. Laveranues, he’s in Washington. We would love to have him but we don’t, so now he’s the enemy.”

Sophomore Jinx? “The key to that is not trying to save the world,” Pennington said, “and play within yourself. The question is, ‘Can you be the same guy for your team every day? Will they know what to expect every time you step in the huddle?’ “

* Jets placed C Dennis O’Sullivan (biceps) and CB Will Hunter (ankle) on the physically unable to play list . . . Edwards is intrigued with C.W. Post RB-KR Ian Smart. “He has a little something to him,” Edwards said . . . DT Chester McGlockton (not in shape) won’t practice until next week.