There are few things more misleading than QB play in the preseason, yet here we are two games into the 2007 preseason and people are ready to annoint Clemens as the next Brett Favre and put Pennington out to pasture. I am pleased with Clemens development, but let's put his performance in perspective. His 4 TDs were as much the work of great plays by the wideouts as his passing skills. Clemens has yet to throw a pass that matters and until he gets a season or two under his belt, noboby knows what we have. And he won't get the chance unless Pennington gets hurt or falls apart. I have seen many great preseason performances lead to ...... horrible regular seasons. Remember Rick Mirer against the Vikes in 99. How about Nagle's great 5-0 preseason in 92 that let to all of 4 regular season wins? How about Jack Trudeau's great preseason in 94? In fact, after Pennington lit it up against the Giants in 2005, everybody thought all was wonderful and look how that turned out. Those are just from the Jets. Every team has its August wonders that turn into September blunders. Let's all calm down and let the season start. If the Jets stumble and Pennington is to blame, then we might have a controversy. But this is still a Qb that has won 60% of his starts and is 3 for 3 in playoff appearances when he has been healthy. Nothing matters until the bell goes off on September 9th. I think Jet fans should be far more worried about the Jets first string defense continued inablility to stop the run than anything right now.
I don't believe that this preseason is the main factor in anyone's opinion on Chad Pennington. His performance may have helped fuel the fire for people who are already fed up with him (myself included) but it certainly wasn't the deciding factor. A lot of people already had/have their minds made up on Penny that he's not the answer. Clemens' limited preseason success also doesn't sell me on him being the answer, but what it did do was show me that he could step in and play if need be. By no means is anyone saying he is the answer (I don't think). Debating whether or not Penny is the answer is a pointless debate because no one is going to change their mind. You either think he can do it or you don't. Personally I'd like to see more of Clemens to see if maybe he is the answer because my mind is already made up on Penny.
Thanks for the reminder to keep things in perspective WSW. There are days I can't even read these boards because I find the overreaction to preseseason performance too much to handle. Lets see what the regular season brings...
JWWS, I completely agree with you. Let's not induct Kellen into the Hall of Fame just yet. One little bone to pick though... you implied Pennington was 3 for 3 in playoff appearances where he's healthy... what was his injury last year in the Pats game? I like Pennington, despite his limitations. Let's not kick him to the curb for a guy who hasn't done much against first rate competition yet.
Watching the Jets History DVD reminded me of why I have been such a Chad fan, and that is because I really have never been so emotional over a game as I was in 2002 when we were up against the Packers and the f'n Pats won to allow us the chance to make the playoffs. I cried like a lil bitch. Amazingly, 5 years later--wow it has been 5 years--I am fiending for that feeling, and Chad SEEMS to be the only QB on the roster who can give me that rush. If Clemens turns out to be the real deal I will be so excited, but I am not so sure of his ability yet. Plus, I hate Jaworski.
Pre-Season Hype/Hysteria? Well, I guess screeching and flailing my arms could be taken for hysteria, sure. I'll go chase the mail main down the street to make it official. Hehe Agreed about our run defense. What good is putting points on the board if you give up twice as many. In all honesty, I don't think Clemens unseats Chad even if the season winds up being lost on paper at some point. Throw in Clemens if we're dead in the water, I'm even re-thinking that position if Chad is strong and is HIMSELF doing well. In that event, I wouldn't yank him even then, especially if it means being the spoiler for another team with 2 games left, let's say. Why not rain on someone else's parade? Not that Clemens can't, but I'd rather see a QB that's lead the team all season long give us a better chance of knocking someone out if the game is meaningful to the other side - or to a rival. The only 'expectations' I have for '07 is that we compete like hell every week and see what we've got. If we go 8-8, 9-7 (very possible), I doubt it will be the 'disaster' some fans would love to paint it. This is what rebuilding means. And Rome wasn't built in a day. Patience for the right reasons, I'm perfectly willing to give that. And I've already been waiting a long, long, LONG time. Probably longer than some of you have been alive. If the season goes better than I'm thinking, well, great then, but if you take a turn at 90 miles an hour, you may wreck instead of getting there faster.
Bingo. Honestly, there's no quarterback controversy for me...Chad, with his smarts and experience, obviously still gives us the best chance to win. Despite the tremendous strides he's made this offseason, and his torrid preseason performance, I don't think Clemens is ready yet--and I think most people would agree with me. That being said, I think it's becoming obvious to all but the most myopic Chadette that Clemens is capable of doing things that Chad, quite simply, cannot do. He's got a lightning-quick release, gets great velocity on short- and intermediate-range passes, goes through his progressions very well for such a young QB, and has consistently shown the ability to stand tall and take the big hit while still delivering a strong, accurate throw. It's not so much that I'd rather see Clemens start against the Pats (it certainly could work out, but there's just as good a chance that it would be a total disaster); but seeing a QB with good physical tools just throws Chad's own considerable limitations into stark relief.
The bolded part is the only portion of your post that I don't wholeheartedly agree with. I think people change their minds all the time, although I think Clemens' performance has less to do with peoples' opinions of Pennington than it has to do with the slight sense of relief for the people who are down on Chad the mainstay at QB. I've personally changed my opinion of Chad's capabilities because I got fed up with waiting for his shoulder to heal. That's because it already is healed. His arm strength isn't going to come back to the meager level it was at before he made that ill-advised head-first dive against Buffalo.
why? he said it like many of us feel. penny has proven to be an average qb. most of us jets fans want and expect better. sure there are those that still seem to be hanging onto his 2002 season and see him only as the 2002 penny. many of us have seen him for what he has been since, and want better. lets keep willie and trade you for a six pack....smiley
shows how much you know...he is actually 1/3 in playoff appearances when healthy....beat indy in the 2002 season then lost to Oakland, lost to NE this past season....but in 2004 when he went to the postseason, he was still injured...after the heartbreaking loss to Pittsburgh in that playoff game, he was supposidly still injured with a shoulder injury from that hit vs Buffalo when he tried to scramble...so dont give me this 3/3 crap...3/5 even if he was healthy the whole time PUT IN CLEMENS...CHAD CANNOT WIN US A SUPER BOWL NOW...SO SCREW HIM AND LETS MOVE ON
Umm...i think when he said 3 for 3 in playoff appearances, he means like the 3seasons he was healthy, we made the playoffs, which is true. He does not mean he won all 3 playoff games when healthy, obviously if he never lost a playoff game we would have won a SB already.
