He should of started week 1. once people get past the illusion that this is a playoff team, and focus on improving for next year the entire organization will be better off.
We are a playoff team if we qualify for it, which could (and should) happen. And all that the team has done this year has led to an improvement for the future. Look at this defense from the early weeks to now, that is how you improve for the future, by doing your best to play together and win, not giving up and looking to next year.
...and as to the thread topic, absolutely not unless we are out of contention, and maybe not even then. Leave the kid out of it for a whole season, let him catch up with the brave new world of the NFL before you throw him in. Then next year, we can have our Philip Rivers. :grin:
i wonder if there is no in-between when to play Clemens; meaning, he either needs to start soon (within the next two games) or not at all this year. the reason i say this is because let's say we start him the second-to-last game or the last game against Oakland as some have suggested to "see what we've got in him." essentially, you're evaluating Clemens on the basis of one or two games. what good is that? if he plays poorly (which should be expected), then you write him off? i can hear it now, "Clemens didn't play well in his first start in the last game of the season...better look for someone else." however, evaluating him based on five games is a much better assessment. personally, i think he needs to start against Texas or the ensuing week. in all likelihood, we're not making the Playoffs; we won't beat out Jax, KC, San Diego/Denver, or Cincy, who's now creeping back into the Playoff hunt. cheers
Mangini came out today and said Chad is the QB. When you watch the Jets you know the games are always going to be a dog fight because with chad at the helm you never get the quick touchdowns. It's always a grind doing it with the short ding and dunk passes. Forget about it, if we fall behind by a couple of touchdowns you might as well turn the game off. The bottom line is that Chad aint gonna take us to the promised land. I read the scouting report on Clemens and he was considered outside of Cutler the best QB in the draft. In fact, one of the analysts that was on the FAN said that the Jets made a great move drafting Clemens. I was hoping that Mangini has the balls to make a QB change but it aint going to happen. I know Chad's brings alot of "intangibles" but there is no upside with Chad.
Well, to be fair, Cutler hasn't played yet either, and Plummer is about as bad as Pennington, if not worse. I'm of the same thought on Chad, but I guess this is Chad's year no matter what. As long as we make a change for next year we at least will have a chance. If Pennington starts next year though, it'll suck. Cutler and Clemens both definitely need to get a shot at some point though.
Here's what I'd be doing right now if I were Mangini. I'd be playing Chad. With six games to go, benching Chad is a mistake right now and here's why: There are a lot of positives and intangibles to having this be "Chad's team" for the moment. We've got a lot of new, inexperienced, younger players on offense (Ferguson, Mangold, Washington, Brad Smith,... even Houston and arguably Cotchery could be thrown in) who are benefitting by having an experienced and confident QB at the helm. These guys need to develop, mature and gell in an atmoshere of at least winning the games that we're capable of winning in order to get a feel and a taste of what it's like to be winners. It's important that they are convinced they're winners, and right now they're feeling that way. And they'll do this better and quicker under an experienced leader and mentor in Chad Pennington than they will if you throw a brand new, inexperienced, just-drafted, green rookie QB into the mix. If you bring in Clemens right now you run the risk of, quite frankly, having him fall flat on his face. When he does, he not only loses confidence, he drags the entire offensive team down with him. They all lose confidence and feel like losers. So, how long does this go on (with Chad as the starter)? That's the million dollar question. I think you keep Chad in there until the O-line demonstrates it can protect the QB well and block for the run well and when Leon Washington and Houston can run the ball consistently. That could come at any time (and in fact I think it's happening now), but I do think maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to perhaps insert Clemens by week 13 or so and see what happens. Am I wrong in my thinking on this?
as of now, there's no right and wrong on this topic. but a few things: 1) what more do you need to see from the OL to convince you that they can protect. i think the pass-protection is good and will only get better. 2) the run-blocking has been improving every week, so i don't think that's as much of an issue anymore either. 3) the big-eyed rookie QB losing confidence is somewhat murky; there have been plenty of QB's who initially lose (games or the season, i.e. Aikman) that go on to play very well -- and vice versa. so like you said, it's a risk, but i think it's a risk worth taking at this point. the point you made about the other players' development is a good one. but what you're saying then, is that it isn't really about Chad anymore, rather the other players. i agree they need to continue developing, but we don't know if Clemens will stunt their development. the only reservation i have about their development is, Clemens ball will be completely different than Pennington's ball, which could set us back mid-season. i think Clemens needs to come in within the next 2-3 weeks. if he doesn't then he shouldn't come in at all, because evaluating him based on 3 or 4 games is pointless. cheers
