Chad has to earn starting job back~ Newsday

[Smizzy]

Chad has to earn starting job back

BY KEN BERGER

Newsday Staff Writer

June 16, 2006

Practicing in full view of the media for the first time in his attempt to come back from a second right shoulder operation, Chad Pennington was poised for the first 11-on-11 reps of minicamp Thursday.

When the starting offense gathered near midfield, a quarterback with a red jersey got the play from offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and strode to the huddle. But it wasn't Pennington; it was rookie Kellen Clemens.

Was it significant that Clemens, and not Pennington or Patrick Ramsey, was the first quarterback to take his turns with the rest of the starting offense? "I knew you were going to ask that," said Pennington, who bristled at the question from a TV reporter. "Good for you. Maybe you can create a story, I don't know."

On Pennington's first day with two practices since last August, two things became abundantly clear: 1) Pennington's competitive fire is burning as fiercely as ever, and 2) he's going to need it.

For the first time since he replaced Vinny Testaverde as the starter in 2002, Pennington finds himself in a fair, even competition. And while he was able to make all the throws asked of him on the first day of coach Eric Mangini's mandatory minicamp, he no longer looked like the unequivocal leader of the offense.

He was merely one of four quarterbacks taking his turns.

"The feeling of coming out here every day and competing isn't different," Pennington said. "It's different to the outside world because Coach has made it clear that it is an open competition, and that's fine."

With the offensive installation still in the early stages, Pennington, Clemens, Ramsey and Brooks Bollinger focused almost exclusively on the short passing game: quick slants and outs.

Unofficially, Pennington attempted only three throws beyond 25 yards.

The longest came about only because cornerback Derrick Strait blew a coverage resulting in a 35-yard completion to Laveranues Coles.

Pennington said he remains on a "pitch count," but neither he nor Mangini would specify how many throws he's limited to per day. The quarterbacks split the reps evenly in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, but Pennington was relegated to handoffs during the individual portions when the other quarterbacks were throwing to receivers.

As for the rotation, the afternoon session supported the assertions of Pennington and Mangini that all four quarterbacks are taking equal turns with the starting offense. Pennington got the bulk of the first-team work in the afternoon practice.

"Right now am I where I want to be? Absolutely not, because I understand the long process of getting back." Pennington said. "My whole goal is to come back strong for training camp and be ready."

Clemens' command and arm strength looked good, but he struggled some in the team drills. Both Pennington and Clemens thrived late in the afternoon session, directing the starting offense to field goals in the two-minute drill.

"I can't afford to let one day slip by where I come off the field and say, 'You know what? I didn't get better today,'" Pennington said.

By all indications, he got better Thursday. Friday is another day on a long road back.

Notes & quotes: RB Curtis Martin, coming back from knee surgery, participated on a limited basis ... C Trey Teague is out for at least the minicamp with an unspecified left leg injury. Mangini declined to characterize the nature or severity ... RB Derrick Blaylock also did not participate because of a leg injury Mangini said he sustained last week ... The starting offensive line looked like this: left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, left guard Pete Kendall, center Nick Mangold, right guard Brandon Moore and right tackle Adrian Jones ... Sione Pouha worked with the first unit at nose tackle. Dewayne Robertson worked at nose and end.

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And so he should. If he can come back and show he can lead the team and be the starting Quaterback for the New York Jets then fine, lets give him the chance. If not, then it's all Ramsey for 06.