Shotgun wedding for Jets

[Smizzy]

Shotgun wedding for Jets

Herm's wary, Chad fired up

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Chad Pennington and Jets are ready to ride shotgun with new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger.

Something strange is happening this summer on the Jets' practice fields, something that hasn't been seen in these parts in quite some time. It occurs almost every day, and it usually causes a buzz in the bleachers.

What could prompt such a response? Cheerleaders? No, nothing like that. The fans are excited because the Jets have legalized the gun - the shotgun, that is.

After a four-year ban on the shotgun formation, the Jets have emerged from the stone age under new coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. In most cities, this wouldn't qualify as a radical development. For the Jets, the shotgun is a welcomed change - long overdue, according to some players.

"There are a few dinosaurs in the league as far as coaches that don't want to use the shotgun, and Paul Hackett is one of them," Chad Pennington said yesterday at Hofstra. "You're not going to teach an old dog new tricks."

Hackett is a Bill Walsh disciple, and they believe the shotgun serves no purpose in a West Coast offense. The scheme is based on timing and the long snap from center tends to disrupt the rhythm of a play - or so they say.

The Jets used the shotgun in 2000 under Dan Henning, who served as Al Groh's coordinator. When Hackett arrived in 2001, the shotgun was locked in the closet. Oh, the players tried to get Hackett to change his mind, but he refused to budge.

"We always wanted it," center Kevin Mawae said. "We asked, but it never got done. It wasn't part of the way we ran our offense."

The players used to joke about using it in a game, but it never happened because they didn't want to cause trouble. The shotgun never was an option, not even in hurry-up situations with the game on the line.

Enter Heimerdinger, who used it in Tennessee with Steve McNair as his triggerman. He didn't have to convince Pennington to buy in; Pennington grew up in the shotgun during his college days at Marshall.

"In this league, you have to be versatile in what you do," Pennington said. "You have to make adjustments. The shotgun allows you to make those adjustments. It gives you that split-second longer to get rid of the ball if you're getting a big-time pass rush."

The shotgun puts added pressure on the center and quarterback. Not every center can handle the snap; it shouldn't be a problem for Mawae, who did it from 1998 to 2000.

For the quarterback, the main concerns are catching the ball and making a quick read of the coverage. Because he has the focus on catching the snap, the quarterback has less time to read the defense.

Herm Edwards seemed less enthusiastic about it than his players. He can appreciate the possible benefits, and he thinks Pennington can handle it, but, he said, "There are some fallacies to it, too."

For instance, if the blocking breaks down against a blitz, it's "hard because you're trying to look at the blitz and trying to catch the ball at the same time," Edwards said.

Some perspective: The Patriots use the shotgun extensively, but Tom Brady didn't have great numbers last season. According to STATS, Inc., he attempted 146 passes in the shotgun, with seven interceptions and only three touchdowns.

Clearly, it's not a magic elixir, but the Jets' change in philosophy has caused a stir. When Heimerdinger bumps into fans, he's invariably besieged with questions about the shotgun. At practice yesterday, one fan turned to another and asked, "Hey, have you seen them go into shotgun yet?"

"The shotgun doesn't make your offense," Mawae said, "but it helps you out in certain situations, without a doubt

[Preston Howley III]

For instance, if the blocking breaks down against a blitz, it's "hard because you're trying to look at the blitz and trying to catch the ball at the same time," Edwards said.

Not for nothing, but the blocking breaks down against the blitz, anyway. In fact, pass protection in general has sucked snowballs the past few seasons.

[PatsFanTX]

For the quarterback, the main concerns are catching the ball and making a quick read of the coverage. Because he has the focus on catching the snap, the quarterback has less time to read the defense.

Was Cimini on the sauce when he wrote that?

The biggest advantage the shotgun gives a QB is the ability to see the field better which allows him to make his reads quicker.

[Jetsfan80]

"There are a few dinosaurs in the league as far as coaches that don't want to use the shotgun, and Paul Hackett is one of them," Chad Pennington said yesterday at Hofstra. "You're not going to teach an old dog new tricks."

I see Chad is taking a page out of Herm's book now. Of course, Chad was all too keen to be Hackett's only defendant a year ago. What changed, Chad, maybe the fact that you were exposed as an average QB who happens to be made of glass?