"The Jets had hoped to get Jerricho Cotchery back from his hamstring injury in time to play tomorrow in Oakland, but the starting wide receiver will miss his second straight week. Considering the passing game fell apart last week -- with Gang Green throwing six interceptions -- that cannot be good news.

"Jerricho's not going to be able to play this week," coach Rex Ryan said yesterday. "I was hoping Jerricho [would] be able to do it, but to make that trip all the way out there, we feel it's best for him to stay back and rehab. . . . He's not going to play.

"I did [think he could play]. I was hoping. He was getting better, but we definitely don't want this happening all the time, and each week we're wondering if he's going to be up. We don't want to make it worse. If we have a chance to get him 100 percent, or near 100 percent, that's probably the best option."

With Cotchery and Brad Smith out, David Clowney will start again opposite Braylon Edwards. Losing Cotchery is a tough blow for the Jets' already-sputtering aerial attack.

"I didn't take any practice reps, so obviously it hasn't gotten to that point yet. . . . I probably won't be out there," said Cotchery, who said he shouldn't have pushed himself to play in the Jets' 31-27 Monday night loss in Miami, just four days after suffering the initial injury.

"Normally with the type of hamstring I have, it's a two-game deal," Cotchery added. "Obviously, I pushed the issue the first time around, coming back [for] the Miami game. So it probably would've been the Miami and the Buffalo game. Now it's the Buffalo and Oakland game."

Tomorrow's game could be trickier than the Raiders' rancid record would imply, with Pro Bowl corner Nnamdi Asomugha and Chris Johnson providing a tough test for the Jets' depleted receiving corps.

"They're not shy about getting in your face and going man coverage. That's what we're going to get from them and we'll probably get it 90 percent of the time," Ryan said. "You've got two excellent corners, one super corner and another I think is underrated. It's going to be a big challenge for our guys. I'm confident in those two guys. I think we can win those one-on-one battles. We're going to find out." "