DL Sione Pouha joked that he needed more time in the diner and the weight room to compare to Kris Jenkins, the player he'll replace in some capacity this week agains the Raiders. D-line coach Mike Pettine expects Puha to play well and the group as a whole to play with a chip on its shoulder. "I think Sione has proved that he's a legit NFL defensive lineman," Pettine said. "While he's no Kris Jenkins, he's not a Pro Bowler, when you see the two standing next to each other, it's an optical illusion. You think Sione's small. He's not a small man at all. ... He's one of the strongest guys on the team. His strengths are his strength. I think he's a better athlete than people give him credit for. He's very instinctive, especially in the run game (and) has a good feel for blocking patterns and where to go." 10/22/2009

Pouha is noticeably thinner this summer after shedding 25 pounds from his 325-pound frame.
08/14/2007