The New Tork Times NFL Blog August 26, 2009, 6:27 pm Jets? Clemens Reacts to Ryan?s Promotion of Sanchez By Toni Monkovic The transcript as provided by the Jets (I?m not sure anyone could have handled it any better than this): On the timing of the decision to start Mark Sanchez at quarterback? Kellen Clemens: It is better that it was done earlier rather than later. It?s good for whoever (was going to) win to work with the ones and start establishing that chemistry. As far as myself and my reaction, I?m disappointed overall because I think I left some plays out there that I should have made, both in practice and during the games. Going forward it is Mark?s job and I?ll support him. I?ll be an extra set of eyes for him on the sideline. I?ll be more than ready if I am called upon. On if he thought he needed to separate himself to win the job? I didn?t feel that way. Coach Ryan said from the start that it was going to be a fair competition. I think it was. At the end of the day, it was close. Coach Ryan and I spoke frequently throughout the competition to get a feel for him and what he was thinking. But at the end of the day he felt like Mark was the guy for the job. On his initial thoughts when he found out the decision? I am disappointed that there were some plays that I felt like I should make throughout training camp. You?re never going to play perfect, but I had greater expectations than I showed at times. I was too inconsistent, I think. On if he was surprised about the decision after Mark Sanchez?s performance at Baltimore? That was Coach Ryan?s call. I?m glad that the decision was made earlier rather than later. It gives whoever was going to be named the starter the chance to get chemistry with the ones. I am glad the decision was made after the Baltimore game as opposed to waiting until closer to the regular season. On how he feels about losing the quarterback competition this year? Each competition is different. It never feels good to be the guy who will be holding the clip board on September 13. On if he knew that he was going to find out the decision today? (Coach Ryan) was either going to tell us a really good joke or the decision. He has done both (laughing). On his confidence that he was going to win the starting job? I have been preparing and working hard this entire offseason with the expectation of being under center on the 13th. Obviously, things don?t go according to plan sometimes. It?s a bump in the road. It isn?t the end of the road. On if he thought it was a fair competition? Yes, I did. On if he felt that Mark Sanchez outplayed him? It was close. Coach Ryan made that comment that it was close. At the end, that is the direction he wanted to go. On if he was disappointed in his performance? I think that I am a good quarterback and that I can win in this league. I think overall, I need to be more consistent. There were good days, there were good practices, but it needs to stay at that level more consistently. On if he has reflected on the decision? I haven?t reflected on today?s events specifically yet. In hindsight you look at it, but you can?t tell whether it was a good thing or a bad thing or whether you made the most of it until 10 or 15 years down the road. All I can continue to do is to work and get better. Down the road I am going to compete for another job. I will have an opportunity to win and I will be that much better going forward. On playing in New York in the future? I like it here. So I am not addressing that or going down that road. At some point I am going to be able to compete and hopefully with each competition I get a little better. On if he sees himself being a backup-quarterback? Once you start thinking of yourself as a backup you will never be a starter. I am not (thinking) that. KERRY RHODES TRANSCRIPT On the decision to start Mark Sanchez at quarterback? I think he did a good job (in the Baltimore game). Of course it started off rocky. But after that, when you have a young guy like (Mark Sanchez) that can come back against the Ravens starters and drive it for a touchdown it shows that even when he makes a mistake he can come back and try to cancel that out and make a play for us. On if the Jets can win with a rookie quarterback? We are going to find out. We believe in him, everybody does. The coaching staff believes in him. They made the decision. The players are behind him as well. We think we have something special with him. He has to go out and get it done on Sundays but from what we see, we have a lot of confidence in him. Sure he is going to have some mistakes but we are going to try to limit that. We have the best O-line in the game and pretty good runners and skill players. We?re not going to put it all on him. He is going to have the chance to hand the ball off. With the way our running game is going to be this year he is going to have easy reads. He shouldn?t have too many opportunities for mistakes. JERRICHO COTCHERY TRANSCRIPT On the decision to start Mark Sanchez at quarterback? It was said after the game that the sooner we make a decision the better we will be as a team. Us knowing, moving forward we will gain some chemistry with the guys and develop as an offense. On if he knew the decision was coming? Well, I didn?t know it was going to be today. I knew it had to be coming up pretty soon. I knew the decision was going to happen before the third game. I didn?t know that it was going to be today. On if he thought Mark Sanchez was going to be named the starter? We were going to leave that up to the coaches no matter what. I didn?t know how the quarterback battle was going to go at the time. I knew both guys had been performing well. It was going to be up to the coach to make that decision. All of us in here felt the same way. We knew it was a pretty close battle and that the coaches were going to make the best decision for this team.
the fact that it was "close"....was Clemens' downfall. He should've been heads above Sanchez throughout camp. I will say this though....Clemens is a class act.
He is just as classy as Pennington, so hopefully he will teach Sanchez to be a professional exactly the same way. It's too bad he couldn't really put it together, but as NDmick said, he really never sees the big hit coming.
Have to give Clemens kudos for being a good sport... this is the third TC competition he's lost. Now more than ever, it's obvious he is nothing special.
Clemens has always been one of those team first guys in the media. You can't honestly believe he's really acting like that/thinking like that in "real life". If he is, he has zero heart and doesn't deserve another chance somewhere along the line. You need to be fiery.
You don't need to be "fiery" when you are giving the correct answers to the media. You need to show that you are a teammate and support your HC which is exactly what KC did. In other words he said exactly what he was supposed to say. He was not more inconsistent then Sanchez was. He showed the ability to throw the ball down the field and score. He has improved each yr he has been w/the Jets and has been a great team player. Its nice to know that we have an good solid backup in case Sanchez is unable to get the job done.
I agree with the above posts. He might be seething inside, but hey, he was honest about the fact that he didn't make plays that he needed to make and wasn't consistent. That's accurate and he has character for speaking the truth rather than acting like, say, Brandon Marshall did at practice today.
I would agree with this, however I think Sanchez already has a bit of class instilled in him and he seems to have his head on straight. The difference in them is that Sanchez has more talent, upside, knowledge of the game, and is much more fiery.
Prior to the Jets camp, I thought Clemens was on his way out of the NFL, but I think he did well enough to show that he is a serviceable back-up in this league. I think more towards third string, but a back-up nonetheless.
You knnow, thinking about it, I hope Kellen continues to work and get better. If he is called upon here of in the future elsewhere I hope he does well. Sounds like a good guy who knows he made a few too many INT's for Rex's liking.
Exactly... he had no other option than to separate himself and be above Sanchez if he was going to get the job. Anytime it is close, the new guy is going to win on the tie breaker. Better to start him now if he has enough of the playbook down to do the job. Clemens is a good guy... and a as it turns out, a good backup.
That's exactly right. He had to be much, much better than Sanchez to win this competition. Otherwise it would have made no sense to put your 50 million dollar man on the bench and let the guy who will walk at the end of the year play. All that would have done is set the franchise back another year.
Your Right Clemens is a class act, yet, I am sure he can't wait to get the hell out of NY and away from the Jets. One has to wonder what could have been with this guy. I have a gut feeling that the Jets may have ruined a really good QB, by the way they have developed and treated Clemens. Still to this day, he has not been given a full season with a solid supporting cast around him. I know many of you don't like the guy and look at Dirty as the savior, personally he has proven nothing to me yet. I really hope the kid develops as all expects him to, yet, being a Jets fan for forty years, you will pordon me if I keep my hopes in check, for just a little while. I am now reading the Sanchez really won't be fully developed until 2011 or even 2012. Funny how this club is so willing to give some players years to develop and grow playing with the first team. While others were expected to grow and develop behind a patch work of bums and backups.. I only hope for Sanchez sake that he catches on fast, because I know, after 40 years my patience with Jets management is at the end of it's run. An if your looking to sell seats and PSL, winning is the best way to do that. If this kid comes out and stinks up the place due to his lack of playing experience, Jets fans are going to turn on him in a big way. He has never played at any level where the crowds are booing him and calling for the backup. You can take it to the bank, there are many in Jet land, who like me, are not willing to waste 3 years to find out Dirty was not a good fit after all. So good luck to the kid, he really is going to need it. I also expect we will see Clemens at some point this season, either because Sanchez is going to get his bell rung. We saw how close he came at the Ravens game of getting knocked out. That or someone comes to the conclusion that it really was not a good idea to start him this early in his career. He is going to be like a deer in the headlights (this season) and this is not a good thing for a young player on this level playing QB.
I think once the decision is made, it's made. Sanchez has to be the guy all season unless eh get totally shellshocked, but our line is too good for that. Look at Leinart and Young....both started and failed and got pulled, now they both look more like career backups than first round franchise QBs.
