Several things are a lock to transpire when the Jets and Redskins meet Thursday night to open the NFL season:
* There will be a fireworks display at some point during the night.
* Britney Spears will not be wearing a lot of clothing while performing during the pre-game ceremony.
* Herman Edwards and Vinny Testaverde will stand next to each other during the national anthem and they’ll embrace when it’s over.
* Redskins head coach Steve Spurrier is going to order his quarterback to throw the ball deep.
* Jets defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, who doesn’t like to use the word “blitz,” will zone dog (same as blitzing) Redskins second-year QB Patrick Ramsey.
* Daniel Snyder, the attention-craving Redskins’ owner, will hurl his well-dressed body in front of at least one national-television camera during the broadcast.
* Oh, yes, and Laveranues Coles will be angry, because he seemingly always is angry at someone for disrespecting him.
In this case, the source of Coles’ discontent is the Jets’ front office, whom he believes treated him like dirt for having the audacity to make such paltry signing bonus offers of $6 million and $10 million this past offseason in their effort to keep him.
That makes Coles vs. the Jets (and the rest of the free world) the most compelling subplot this already-sure-to-be-entertaining game.
Coles, who enjoyed his time with the regular reporters who cover the Jets as much as he did having his teeth drilled without painkillers, was a popular figure in the Jets’ locker room. So his former teammates know exactly what to expect from the Redskins’ marquee receiver.
“We all know he’s going to try to prove that [the Jets] should have never let him go,” cornerback Aaron Beasley said yesterday. “As a secondary, it’s our job to stop him. You don’t want to get beat by anybody, especially your old teammate. He has my phone number and I know he’ll let me know if he does get me. I’ve got his number, too, of course.”
Coles was the Jets’ leading receiver last season and has been the Redskins’ top receiver in the preseason. The Redskins can’t wait to unveil their $13 million toy. The Jets cannot wait to stop him.
“Obviously, when you’re going up against a friend there’s added incentive to play well,” Jets veteran cornerback Ray Mickens said.
“Oh, there’s going to be talk there, but it’s all fun,” defensive end John Abraham, who did an ABC-TV promo for the game with Coles in Manhattan a couple of months ago, calling him “Laveranues Coleslaw,” said. “Laveranues knows we’re going to talk trash. On the first catch he makes, he’s going to talk. I’m sure when we get our first good lick on him we’re going to talk. We’re going to try to get in his face and stop him, because we can’t hold him down forever.
“I know he’s going to be hyped for the whole game,” Abraham said. “Ever since he [signed with the Redskins as a restricted free agent] he has been talking about this first game.”
Based on several interviews of Jets’ defensive players and coaches, there is no fun bounty on Coles’ head for whoever puts the best shot on him.
“I don’t think he’s angry,” Abraham said. “With $13 million [his signing bonus with Washington], I don’t see how you can be angry about anything. He probably didn’t like the way it went down, but I’m sure he’s not angry about where he is now.”
Coles, of course, refused to speak to reporters via a conference call yesterday.
—-
ONE FOR THE MONEY
Here’s a look at the Jets’ Week 1 record during the past five years:
Year/Opponent/Result/Score
1998/49ers/Loss/36-30, OT
1999/Patriots/Loss/30-28
2000/Packers/Win/20-16
2001/Colts/Loss/45-24
2002/Bills/Win/37-31, OT
Record: 2-3
