Hard-fought struggle ahead in Pennington-Clemens clash By Michael Blunda July 8, 2008 The first in a five-part series ~ ~ ~ Jets ? Chad Pennington vs. Kellen Clemens The Jets? starting QB position might be the biggest question mark in the NFL ? it?s truly a coin flip between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens. Each man started eight games for the team in ?07, with Pennington posting the better numbers of the two. Though his weak arm limits the play-calling, Pennington has been a fairly effective pro and might give the Jets the best chance to win now, which they definitely are aiming to do. Clemens has the much stronger arm but is inexperienced, something that showed in his performance last season. Since he?s much younger and could be their QB for years to come, Clemens might be New York?s choice; regardless, this battle will rage on deep into the preseason. Whoever emerges will have some nice targets around him and should have some fantasy relevance. > http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Fantasy+Football/Fantasy+Extras/2008/tcbattlesqb.htm
Many fans think Clemens is a foregone conclusion, that it's his job to lose in TC. While it may be true that the team would prefer the younger, stronger-armed Clemens to step up, I expect one hell of a fight from Pennington. Anyone counting Penny out beforehand is making a mistake. He's always been SO competitve. TC should be REALLY interesting this year in many ways, not the least of which is the QB battle for #1.
Pennington may have had "better numbers" but anyone watching the games knows he is done. He looked terrible last year.
There wasn't much to like from either one of them, behind the O-line we had last year. It becomes a matter of degree as to which one panicked more and made the most mental errors as the pocket was collapsing. Unfortunately, which one exhibits the most poise under pressure cannot be determined at TC, so here we go again. We can only wait to see which one looks better in meaningless "preseason games" (in reality, practice skirmishes which all NFL teams choose to call "games" in order to charge their ticketholders full price for admission), and even there we can't ever really tell much. All I can say is, Pennington has always looked pretty sharp in practice. Every time I've seen him, his timing has been fairly sharp even when it was obvious the one year that he wasn't even finished rehabbing yet. But then, characteristically, Penny would go on to start in real games and the old Deer-In-The-Headlights, Keystone Cops, Chinese Fire Drills would start again. The problem for us is (and for Penny), there's really no reason for the coaches to assume the same exact pattern won't repeat itself this year.... good camp, lousy performance when the real hitting starts. So this is why I'm thinking that if both QBs rate fairly close in camp, Clemens will get the nod, if only for the fact that we already know Chad's propensity for not handling real-game pressure very well and the fact that every NFL team across the country by now knows exactly how to defend against the well-known Pennington dink-and-dunk "execution."
Whoever wins, I'm hoping we get off to a good start, otherwise the questions will begin to resurface about putting in whichever guy isn't playing. Once you get into the regular season, that kind of thing isn't good for the team. Camp is about competing for jobs, but the season is not the time to have a split QB situation.
He should have been cut, traded or released a long time ago. With that said Chad is the king of the Red Shirt controlled scrimmage. As good as any Qb in the league at looking like an all-pro against rookies, journeymen and t/c cuts who won't lay a hand on him or jump his passes. If Chad starts he will be done for good this year because that first game in Miami will not be the forgone conclusion of a win that everyone thinks it will be and it gets ugly the next two weeks in Ne and Sd. If nothing else starting him will almost guarantee we will not have to suffer through another year of him again.
I just dont understand why Chad would be the starter, I just cant understand it. Yeah Kellen had a horrible year as a 2nd year player, 1st year starter, but @ the same time... The whole team had a horrible year. The Jets had a horrid O-Line last year. Clement was protecting for Kellen as the RT and Montgomery and other bums were run blocking as our "LG". Coles was banged up, J-Mac really hurt the team and we really had no production from our slot Wr's. Last year was also the 1st year with Thomas Jones as the HB. Last year, Chad was the QB who was getting the snaps with the first string during training camp, he also was the starting QB during most pre-season games. Those two INT's returned for TD's in the pre-season were just a preview of what Chad did last year. Simple out routes turning into 6 points for the opposing team. Chad has also has a chance to gain the much needed chemestry over the years with players like Coles, Baker, Cotchery, Mangold and Ferguson. I have always been a die-hard Chad supporter, never bashed him or anything like that, but after last year, I just know that his time is up as a starting QB. Lets give Kellen a chance to get ready and actually be the starting QB for the regular season. Lets give Kellen a chance to work with players like Coles, Cotchery, Baker, Dustin Keller, Leon Washington, Thomas Jones, Faneca, Ferguson and Mangold. lets give this kid who has a whole lot of talent and potential a chance during training camp as well as pre-season. I just think Kellen can do alot of great things with an O-Line that has proven veterans such as Faneca and Woody along with young potential and talent in Ferguson, Mangold and Moore. Lets give Kellen a chance to have a ground attack with Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. Lets give him the chance to gain chemestry and timing with players such as Coles, Baker, Cotchery, Keller, Brad Smith and maybe even Bubba Franks. If we can have a tough run game, Kellen can be one hell of a 3rd year player for this Jets team, behind this O-Line. If ANYTHING, last year can only make him a stronger QB. You gotta learn to lose before you can win, and Kellen and the Jets did more than enough of losing last year.
Clemens looked terrible last year too, should we start Ainge then? Fact of the matter is the QB position is our biggest question mark heading into the year and until one of them steps up and becomes a legitimate starting QB in this league the team is going nowhere. The QB position won't be decided off of last years play, if it was Erik Ainge would be the opening day starter.
^Is it actually here. Wow eight days woo hoo. Fianlly! No more regurgitation. Shut up and start throwin
Chad has the Exp and has brought us to the Play offs 3 out of his 5 seasons as starter but clemens deserves a shot with a real line.
I like this post and it makes sense. I'm hoping (and guessing) this is what's in Mangini's mind also. There's nothing wrong with starting out TC with the same old mantra, "The competition is open and the best man wins" theme, but he's got to be thinking that Clemens should be getting a TON of snaps with the first team. Chad will be pushing the shit out of him though... and that's a good thing.
Yes, agreed.......I expect Chad to put up an incredible fight; It would shock me a bit if Chad won the battle, and I won't count him out, but most of me wants to turn the page to the KC era. If Chad wins, KC's future here will be under suspect.
Kellen seemed to have a lot of chemistry with Chansi Stuckey last year at TC before Stuckey went down. He really did not have a bad camp overall. In fact, based on that, I was all for yanking Pennington several games earlier than Mangini actually did. It was becoming obvious that Chad was not going to pull out the season and we really had nothing to lose by giving Clemens the experience at that point. But the O-line was a complete disaster though... I mean really putrid. By the KC game it was downright painful to watch. And Clemens made it look even worse than it had to be because he was getting hammered like hell and making bad decisions. It got so bad in the KC game that some of the "fans" were chanting "C... H... A... D... CHAD, CHAD, CHAD" instead of the J-E-T-S thing, wanting Chad to be reinserted. How f@cking embarassing. We won that meaningless game too, which made it even more f@cking painful because I knew it made us slip in the draft.
I never understand people who root for losses to improve draft slots. You play to win every game, and it's too speculative whether a given slot really will translate into all that significant an improvement. Look at the first round picks two years ago. Mangold was picked after Ferguson and is the better player.
