Pennington or Bust

To paraphrase the old saying: one man’s post-season is another man’s off-season. Well, that time of the year is upon us; the time when Jets fans can put the previous 16 disappointments behind us and look forward to the 0-0 record that awaits us in September. To make matters more painful, we must coincide our forced optimism with a Patriots team that seems to be bound for greatness.

Hopefully, as the combine gets underway and draft day approaches, the Jets management won’t do anything too hasty. I have one big concern for 2008; the quarterback situation. It shouldn't be a concern, but unfortunately it already is because of the pathetic midseason decision to suddenly usher in the Clemens era.

I feel that usually the passing game is given the benefit of the doubt and the running game, the most basic and difficult element of a football offense, becomes the scapegoat. “If only we could run the ball, our passing game would come right along.” Well, if my summation is correct, the Jets were the exception to the rule this year, benching Chad Pennington who was handcuffed by a gutless and predictable offensive scheme. Kellen Clemens may be the future of the team, but last I checked, Pennington was a proven quarterback with the second highest accuracy rating in NFL history, behind Kurt Warner. Pennington throttled the Colts in the 2002 playoffs. He was a missed Doug Brien field goal away from the 2004 AFC Championship game. He propelled a written-off Jets team into the playoffs last year. Show me some consistency in coaching, play-calling, and offensive line protection, and I’ll be the first to point fingers at any quarterback. But when Laveranues Coles is told to run 7 yard out patterns on seemingly every down, any smart corner is going to wait for a high pass so he can wind up and plant the receiver or wait for a lower pass that he can jump for a pick-6. The criticism of Pennington is derived from this very dilemma. He’s lambasted for hanging his receivers out to dry on lobs or throwing a pick that ends up being a nail in the coffin for Gang Green. Put Tom Brady or Peyton Manning in this very offense and I’d like to see if they thrive or struggle.

For a moment, think back to the Jets game at Cincinnati this past season. Second play from scrimmage, Pennington threw a 50-plus yard touchdown pass to Coles. So the supposedly weak-armed Pennington IS capable of such a throw, and yet the vertical game is rarely tested. It’s almost as if the coaching staff has turned Chad Pennington’s allegedly weak arm into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Chad's arm is weak, so let's call weak plays. If you want to run the west coast offense, run it. But run it well. In the last two seasons the Jets have been running a version of the west coast (short passes as an extension of the run game) which seems to give up on itself early game and becomes sloppy. Just when some rhythm has been established, they split Chad out in the flat, bring Brad Smith in to play quarterback, and run an option that the defense knows is coming. Last year it was novel and fresh. This year, it was just cute and disruptive.

A mantra for any new head coach in this league: Ask not what your quarterback can do for you. Ask what you can do for your quarterback. Give Chad the tools he needs to resume his earlier form and the offensive efficiency will speak for itself. Last year Chad threw his first career red zone interception. That’s five years under Herm Edwards that he never committed that cardinal sin. That’s not a result of good decision-making as much as it is smart coaching. I wasn’t rushing to anoint Mangini as Mangenius, but now that he’s earned that title I’m also not rushing to strip him of it. I’d like to give him another season to live up to the moniker he prematurely earned. If he is a Man-Genie, however, I’d like to make three wishes: Chad, Chad, and more Chad.