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IT'S A PENN SHARPENER

CHAD AIMS TO FIND FOCUS

By LENN ROBBINS

GIANT TASK: Chad Pennington, who was picked off twice by the Vikings last week, hopes to get back on track tonight against the Giants.August 25, 2007 -- Now that the Pete Kendall saga is over, the Jets kindly request that everyone goes back to focusing on football.

Whether that's good news or bad has a lot to do with how Gang Green, especially quarterback Chad Pennington, performs tonight in a preseason game against the Giants.

There's always debate how much importance should be placed on preseason games, but it would be disconcerting if Pennington and Co. played as poorly as they did last week in a 37-20 loss to the Vikings. Pennington was 7-of-10 for 40 yards and was picked off twice.

"I feel good," Pennington said. "We've had some good practices getting to the end of training camp. Now you start to focus on resting and taking care of your body and try to get geared up for the regular season and use these next few opportunities to hone some things.

"But it's not the end of the world. The game of football is going to create some adversity and challenges and you've got to be able to attack those challenges and face those challenges head on. You have to realize that in the preseason you do everything you can to be successful and if something doesn't work out, you move on and learn from it."

The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, posting a 10-6 record, and there are playoff expectations in '07. Pennington rebounded from a second shoulder surgery to complete almost 65 percent of his passes with 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Clearly he must increase the number of scoring passes and cut down on the picks if the Jets, who face a more difficult schedule than last year, are to match or better that 10-6 mark.

"Chad to me is such a consistent guy, which is really what you're looking for, his approach, and I experienced this all last season," Eric Mangini said. "His approach stays the same and his work ethic stays the same, and he's just very focused at having everything as precise as possible."

Pennington hasn't had much of an opportunity to display his precision. He could see more work against the Giants. Certainly Pennington has questions about his offensive line in the wake of the trade of Kendall to the Redskins and the promotion of rookie Jacob Bender to the first team at left guard.

"We're making progress," Pennington said. "We're still ironing some things out and doing some different things. We're trying to work on some of the details of the fundamentals that we want to get better at and start to prepare ourselves even more and be more detailed. This is just the next step in a long process."

As a team and as an offense we want to be able to feel comfortable and confident in what we're doing and always understand that we're trying to get better and enjoy the process each week, including the whole season. You want to keep making progress, and that's what we're focused on."

lenn.robbins@nypost.com

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Jets know they're not ready to fly yet

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BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, August 25th 2007, 4:00 AM

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Rookie Jacob Bender might have big shoes to fill: Pete Kendall's.

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Kendall TradeDo you think the Jets got fair value for Pete Kendall?

Yes

No

Read Rich Cimini's The Jets Stream

Their new franchise running back, Thomas Jones, hasn't practiced in two weeks. The offensive line still isn't whole, for Pete's sake. Their prized rookie, Darrelle Revis, who could be a Week 1 starter, hasn't played a down. If that weren't enough, the Jets suddenly have a quarterback situation that bears watching.

And they have only 15 days until the season opener against the Patriots.

Eric Mangini's second preseason has been filled with uncertainty, and tinged with turmoil, creating a greater sense of urgency for the annual game against the Giants tonight at the Meadowlands. The outcome doesn't matter - few will remember it by Oct. 7, when they meet in the regular season - but this is a peace-of-mind game for the Jets.

The issues:

Chad Pennington. Another poor performance isn't going to cost Pennington his job, not even with Kellen Clemens gaining on him, but he can do a lot for his confidence - and the team's - with a nice rebound from last week's two-interception debacle.

Mangini, trying to squelch the early whispers of a quarterback controversy, said he's "really happy" with Pennington. After a long week of practice, Pennington seemed upbeat about the State of Chad.

"I need to tighten up some things - my footwork and ball security," said Pennington, who probably will play into the third quarter. "If I can get that accomplished, I'll be pretty happy with things."

What Pennington needs more than anything is game action. He has attempted only 10 passes in two games, completing seven for 40 yards. Look for him to throw at least 20 times against the Giants' shaky pass defense, which would make him ready for the regular season. It also would be nice to score a touchdown; the first-team offense has yet to reach the end zone.

The left guard mess. The Jets unloaded a headache, trading the disgruntled Pete Kendall to the Redskins, but now they have another headache: finding a replacement. Rookie Jacob Bender is expected to start after practicing the entire week with the regulars, but Adrien Clarke and Adrian Jones remain in the competition, according to team officials.

Bender is smart and tough, but his pass-protection skills need a lot of work. He played in a triple-option offense at Nicholls State, a Division I-AA school, so he wasn't required to pass-block. Do you think Pennington might be a bit concerned? He has a right to be.

"There are a lot of things we like about (Bender) - his work ethic and his physicality at the line of scrimmage," GM Mike Tannenbaum said.

If Bender doesn't lock up the job tonight, the Jets will scour the market as teams around the league make cuts.

Revis. After a 20-day contract dispute and five practices, the first-round pick will see his first game action at cornerback. The former Pitt standout could start tonight for Andre Dyson, who has been hampered by a leg injury throughout camp. If Revis fares well, the Jets might be inclined to leave him in the lineup, opposite David Barrett, who has nailed down the other starting job.

"I'm progressing every day. It's starting to come to me now," said Revis, who also may get a chance to return kickoffs and punts. "I'm starting to make plays (in practice)."

GIANT PAINS: Jones (calf), CB/KR Justin Miller (hamstring) and S Eric Smith (leg) are not expected to play ... Bubble players who need strong performances include QB Marques Tuiasosopo, DE Kimo von Oelhoffen, DE Michael Haynes, LB Anthony Schlegel, LB Andre Wadsworth, DT C.J. Mosley and WR Frisman Jackson.

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Jets' protective wall becomes greener

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: August 25, 2007)

For all the Jets need and hope to accomplish tonight against the Giants, nothing has become as paramount as preserving quarterback Chad Pennington's health.

In other words, Jacob Bender, welcome to the NFL.

The sixth-round pick out of Division I-AA Nicholls State will start at left guard now that Pete Kendall's contract dispute has been resolved by Thursday's trade of the 12-year veteran to the Washington Redskins.

Surely, he'll share snaps with Adrien Clarke - who has been unable to win the position outright - Adrian Jones and Wade Smith. But the focus will be squarely on the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Bender because of his conversion from tackle, because of his small-school background and because he rarely pass blocked in Nicholls State's triple-option offense.

"Being in the NFL is a dream," Bender said. "Finally I'm here, working and competing. That's what I'm out here to do. I'm taking corrections from coaches and I keep busting my butt."

That Bender is working hard is not in question. Whether he can protect Pennington's backside is.

Even with backup quarterback Kellen Clemens' progress in training camp, the Jets' aspirations for a second straight playoff season rest on Pennington's remaining healthy again. Last season marked the first time in his NFL career the 31-year-old Pennington had started all 16 games.

The third preseason game is typically the most important for the starters as they usually play three quarters.

"I've been working hard on my pass blocking as well as everything else," Bender said. "(I'm working at) becoming a good NFL football player and I'm going to keep working."

No less an authority than Kendall himself endorsed Bender.

"Jacob's a big kid, quick off the ball," Kendall said after the deal was announced. "He has got great upside. He's going to be a good football player. You can tell he really likes to play the game. You can tell he's going to be a good one."

Pennington toed the company line Thursday, saying he didn't believe the organization would have put any of its players in harm's way - for example, potentially putting the franchise quarterback at risk.

At the same time, Pennington understands the importance of tonight's game. He did not throw a pass in his two series in the Jets' 31-16 win over the Falcons in the preseason opener. In last week's 37-20 loss to the Vikings, Pennington had two interceptions returned for touchdowns in the first quarter despite completing 7 of 10 for 40 yards.

Pennington needs to establish some offensive rhythm tonight since he's not likely to play much, if at all, Thursday at Philadelphia.

"We're making progress," Pennington said. "We're still ironing some things out, doing some different things. We're trying to work on the fundamental things we want to get better at. I feel good. We've had some good practices. Getting to the end of training camp, now I can focus on the rest of the body and gearing up for the regular season."

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.com and read his Jets' blog at www.jets.lohudblogs.com. E-MAIL ARTICLE | PRINTER-FRIENDLY FORMAT | E-MAIL ALERTS

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FIVE QUESTIONS FOR THE JETS

Saturday, August 25, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

1. How will rookie LG Jacob Bender fare in his first start?

The thinking was that the Jets would wait to see how Bender played against the Giants before trading veteran guard Pete Kendall. They didn't, and if Bender implodes, the Jets have issues on the offensive line.

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2. Will QB Chad Pennington bounce back from a subpar showing?

Pennington insists there's nothing to worry about. He has a ton of weapons in WRs Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Justin McCareins, Brad Smith, rookie Chansi Stuckey and TE Chris Baker.

3. When is the defense going to show up?

Excuses, excuses, excuses from this bunch. The Vikings rolled up 167 yards rushing and the players say it's just the little things. We're not buying it.

4. How will CB Darrelle Revis fare in his first game action?

The Jets have the first-round pick playing cornerback and nickel back. The nickel position, which he never played in college, is a tall order because you're in the middle of the field and don't have the sidelines to help you. Revis, though, appears to be the real deal.

5. Which unheralded rookie or free agent will claim a roster spot?

LB Blake Costanzo, a Garfield native, S Raymond Ventrone, CB Manny Collins, a Rutgers product and Plainfield native, and RB Danny Ware are among those trying to catch the attention of the coaches.

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Hear no evil

Saturday, August 25, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

Although Chad Pennington threw two interceptions -- both returned for touchdowns -- in the first quarter of last Friday's 37-20 drubbing by the Minnesota Vikings, he wonders what all the fuss is about. He dismisses the notion that tonight's preseason clash with the Giants is crucial to his future.

Second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens has made up ground in a hurry this summer, but Pennington brushes aside talk of a quarterback controversy and scoffs at the suggestion that he's looking over his shoulder.

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Regardless of what happens against the Giants, Pennington will undoubtedly start the season opener against the Patriots on Sept. 9 at Giants Stadium, but coach Eric Mangini could turn to Clemens sooner rather than later if Pennington doesn't get the offense going.

Pennington will start tonight and likely play at least two quarters, if not more. Clemens is also expected to get work. It's unclear how much time multipurpose player Brad Smith or ex-Raider Marques Tuiasosopo will get behind center.

"I feel good," Pennington said following the Jets' final practice this week. "We've had some good practices getting to the end of training camp. Now you start to focus on resting and taking care of your body and try to get geared up for the regular season and use these next few opportunities to hone some things.

"But it's not the end of the world. The game of football is going to create some adversity and challenges and you've got to be able to attack those challenges and face those challenges head-on. You have to realize that in the preseason you do everything you can to be successful and if something doesn't work out, you move on and learn from it."

Against the Vikings, both of Pennington's interceptions came on short passes and were simply bad decisions. Coming off his first rehab-free off-season in three years, Pennington says his arm feels show-room new.

On his first interception, Pennington didn't see Vikings safety Darren Sharper on an attempt to Jerricho Cotchery over the middle and threw the ball directly to Sharper, who returned it 40 yards for the score. On the second, Pennington was under pressure and going down and tried to hit running back Leon Washington in the flat instead of throwing the ball away. Linebacker Chad Greenway stepped in front of the pass and raced 16 yards for the score.

Pennington completed 7 of 10 passes for 40 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions against the Vikings. He has led the Jets to just two field goals in six series this preseason.

Conversely, Clemens has completed 22 of 31 passes for 230 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He has led the Jets to five touchdowns and a field goal in 10 series. To be fair, some of Clemens' success has come against second-string defenses.

During training camp, Pennington, who didn't throw a pass in the first preseason game against the Falcons, had good days and bad but he's clearly the best quarterback on the roster -- at this moment. The fact he doesn't have a powerful arm, however, is highlighted when Clemens takes his reps and unleashes missiles.

Pennington, though, uses his brain over brawn and has led the Jets to the playoffs in three of the past five seasons, including 2004, when he played with a torn rotator cuff that required post-season surgery.

Mangini said repeatedly this week that his confidence in Pennington hasn't been shaken and he doesn't regret not having an open competition for the starting job while naming Pennington the starter last February. Last season, Mangini had a four-way competition at quarterback with Pennington, Clemens, Patrick Ramsey and Brooks Bollinger.

"I'm really happy with Chad's off-season, and I'm really happy with what he's been doing in camp and OTAs," Mangini insists. "Chad to me is such a consistent guy, which is really what you're looking for, his approach stays the same and his work ethic stays the same. He's just very focused at having everything as precise as possible.

Note: RB Thomas Jones (calf), CB Justin Miller (hamstring) and S Eric Smith (hamstring) will not play.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at

dhutchinson@starledger.com

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Media Just Doesn't Get It

Posted by Bob Bullock August 24, 2007 10:04PM

Categories: Player news

Reading some of today's stories about the Kendall trade today just backs up my theory that some of the beat writers just don't get it. These guys get to close to some of the players and don't really know anything about running a sports franchise. I certainly don't either, but I'm smart enough to know that the guys running the Jets front office do. I also know that once a player opens his mouth and rips the organization in order to get more money, he is gone!

It is no surprise that Kendall is out of here. It didn't matter what kind of talent everyone in the media thinks he has. The bottom line is Kendall is a 34-year old left guard who was becoming a cancer and spreading his negative attitude all over the press. The beat writers loved every moment of it; they actually had something to write about each day. GM Mike Tannenbaum had no other choice but to rid himself and the organization of this malcontent. It is amazing to me that writers like Mark Cannizzaro of The Post can back up Kendall with his unprofessional attitude, yet rip the Jets for their treatment of the guard. Cannizzaro went as far as writing the Jets, "went well over the line, becoming personal and vindictive," in the Kendall situation. He believes the team should have kept Kendall and his "cry baby" ways because he was the best left guard on the team.

Sorry, there is no way that would have been in the best interest of team. You think it was an ugly situation now, just imagine how it would have been in the middle of the season. The team was forced into making this move; there was no other choice. The big baby left Tannenbaum with one move and dumping him for what could turn into a fourth-round pick was masterful.

"I know we acted in good faith," Tannenbaum said. "Obviously there was a miscommunication, a misunderstanding. That's apparent. ... This was the right decision for the franchise, short-term and long-term."

So now a rookie, Jacob Bender gets his shot at the starting spot. At least he does for this week's preseason game against the Giants. Just don't believe for one moment the team will stand pat with Adrien Clarke and Bender as its only options either. The team will be scanning the waiver wire for guard talent and we all know someone will be there who can solidify the position if Bender or Clarke can't.

The Jets have solved a problem with a classic case of addition by subtraction. They may have taken a small hit on the talent side for now, but clearing out the negativity and unprofessional attitude of Kendall was the right thing to do.

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A Childhood Relived, but This Time as a Jet

By NATHANIEL VINTON

Published: August 23, 2007

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Aug. 22 — At the autograph session after the Jets’ practice Wednesday afternoon, one of the last members of the team to relinquish the felt-tip pen was also one of the most anonymous: the backup center Joe Villani.

Forgive Villani, a 23-year-old free agent, if he got a little sentimental spending time with the team’s fans. Villani grew up in Wantagh, N.Y., a Long Island town less than 10 miles away.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Villani said of being at the Jets’ training facility as a player.

“Over here, and you see these little kids with their peewee football teams, and I used to come here every summer with my peewee football team, the Long Island Broncos.”

That team was based in Seaford, seven miles away. Most of his friends at the time, Villani said, were Jets fans, as were his parents, Philip and Clara, who took their sons to the Jets’ training camp.

When training camp opened late last month, Villani moved into the Hofstra University dormitories with teammates from as far away as Finland and Australia.

“It was weird at first, knowing that I was back on Long Island and that my family was only five minutes away,” said Villani, who went to St. Anthony’s High School, a sports powerhouse in South Huntington.

Villani was able to spend some time at home Tuesday night, when Coach Eric Mangini relaxed the team’s curfew (a privilege that linebacker Eric Barton secured for the squad by making a 20-yard field goal at the end of practice).

Villani said it was nice to go home and talk to his parents. In a telephone interview Wednesday night, Philip Villani recalled the day earlier this summer when he and his wife cried for the better part of an hour after receiving the news that the Jets had invited their son to sign.

A free agent out of the University of Pittsburgh, Villani comes to the Jets with less drama and fanfare than Darrell Revis, a teammate of his in college whom the Jets drafted in the first round. Revis missed 20 days of training camp as he held out for a contract in which he reportedly could earn $30 million over six years.

Since signing last week, Revis has been cramming to catch up, and hopes to contribute at cornerback when the Jets play their third preseason game, Saturday against the Giants.

Villani will probably not be as lucky. On Wednesday, he was listed as the third-string center on the team’s unofficial depth chart. His father says he hopes his son stays with the team into the regular season.

“If that’s the case, we’ll travel with him,” Philip Villani said. “We will continue to support him in achieving his dreams.”

The No. 1 center is Nick Mangold, the Jet’s first-round pick in 2006.

Mangold smiled when asked about Villani, whom he described as smart and hardworking.

“It’s neat to see someone come into a team that’s located in his home area and be able to get on the team and make something happen,” Mangold said. “He’s taken every advantage that’s been given to him.”

Mangold came to the Jets as a celebrated prospect out of Ohio State, but he can still seem to relate to Villani.

“A lot of times as a rookie you’re awfully scared of everything that’s going on,” Mangold said. “You’re nervous and tentative. There isn’t a lot of talking going on other than the football stuff. So it’s been neat for me to sit back and see what it was a like a year ago and be able to help out. Hopefully, I’m able to do a good job.”

Extra Points

The Jets yesterday announced that they would wear throwback New York Titans uniforms at their Oct. 14 home game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Titans were a charter member of the eight-team American Football League, becoming the Jets in 1963. Eric Mangini joked that the Jets would send the Eagles vintage game film of the Titans. “We’ll send them some of that tape,” Mangini said with the slightest of grins. “I’d be happy to send them some of Don Maynard running. Curly Johnson played a couple different spots, so he’d be hard to prepare for.” ... Pete Kendall and Thomas Jones, who has an injured calf, were among the players who stayed on the sideline during Wednesday’s practice.

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Pennington looking for momentum in Jets-Giants game

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

8:35 PM EDT, August 24, 2007

Chad Pennington won't be playing for his starting job when the Jets face the Giants Saturday night. He'll be playing for something that might even be more important: Momentum.

After playing without throwing a pass in the first preseason game, and unlikely to play in next week's preseason finale, Pennington will have only this game to put the memories of last week's two-interception performance to rest. After this, his next live play will probably come on Sept. 9 against the Patriots.

"It's not the end of the world," Pennington said of his struggles against the Vikings. "The game of football is going to create some adversity and challenges and you've got to be able to attack those challenges and face those challenges head on. You have to realize that in the preseason you do everything you can to be successful and if something doesn't work out, you move on and learn from it."

Pennington has shown a well-documented knack for shaking off shaky games. Although he threw a career-high 16 interceptions last year, he never had back-to-back games with more interceptions than touchdowns. While it won't be necessary for him to turn his fortunes in this game, it would certainly make just about everybody on the Jets more at ease if the 2006 comeback player of the year makes a bit of a 2007 preseason comeback.

Coach Eric Mangini said earlier in the week that he was comfortable with his decision to name Pennington the starter during the offseason, even though projected backup Kellen Clemens has looked sharp and thrown four preseason touchdowns. When asked if there was anything Pennington could do -- or more appropriately not do well -- against the Giants that could sway his confidence, Mangini didn't answer directly but expressed pleasure in what he's seen so far.

"I'm really happy with Chad's offseason, and I'm really happy with what he's been doing in camp and OTAs," Mangini said. "I really like his consistency and his approach."

After a two-interception game last week, the last thing the Jets need from Pennington is consistency.

Notes"es: Rookies CB Darrelle Revis and G Jacob Bender will likely start ... CB Justin Miller (hamstring) could be available for the game after missing two weeks ... Mangini wouldn't disclose his quarterback rotation, but he did say he'd like to see more of third-stringer Marques Tuiasosopo in game situations. Of course, he said almost the same thing of Brooks Bollinger last year and then traded him before he had a chance to play ... The Jets lead the preseason series against the Giants 19-18 with one tie ... Recently traded G Pete Kendall's contract with the Redskins is for $2.7 million this season and $2.3 million in 2008.

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NFL Preseason Preview - N.Y. Jets (1-1) at N.Y. Giants (1-1)

Posted on Fri, Aug. 24, 2007Digg del.icio.us AIM print email

By Tony Moss, Sports Network

The Sports Network

The annual preseason battle for New York football bragging rights is on tap at Giants Stadium Saturday night, when the Giants "host" the Jets in the third August warm-up for each club.

The two occupants of the Meadowlands facility traditionally meet each summer, with the Jets leading the all-time preseason series with the Giants by a narrow margin of 19-18-1. The Giants hold a 6-4 edge in the regular season series, however, and will look to extend that advantage when the teams meet in meaningful play Oct. 7th.

The Giants will be eager to get back to the business of football after a distracting week that was highlighted by a verbal feud between quarterback Eli Manning and former running back Tiki Barber. Barber, now a studio analyst for NBC, questioned Manning's leadership abilities, while Manning responded by questioning Barber's timing in announcing his retirement as well as his heart.

The controversy comes on the heels of the Giants' first win of the preseason, a 13-12 triumph over Baltimore last Sunday night.

Manning was a sharp 10-of-13 for 113 yards and a touchdown pass in the win, but that encouraging win was mitigated by numerous injuries the G-Men incurred.

Wideout Michael Jennings (Achilles) was lost for the year in the victory, safety Will Demps (dislocated elbow) is down for a minimum of three weeks, and cornerback Sam Madison (hamstring) will also miss the remainder of the preseason. Also absent once again this week will be perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan, who has yet to report to training camp and is contemplating retirement.

The Jets have less controversy as they are set to play preseason game number three, but Eric Mangini's club does have several concerns.

First and foremost is the play of quarterback Chad Pennington, who carries a preseason passer rating of 37.5 into Saturday's contest. Pennington was picked off twice in last Friday's 37-20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, with both interceptions going the other way for touchdowns.

Also of some concern is the left guard slot, which lost its starter when disgruntled veteran Pete Kendall was traded to the Washington Redskins earlier this week. Inexperienced players such as Jacob Bender, Adrien Clarke, and Wade Smith are among those vying for the starting job at that position.

On the injury front for the Jets, running back Thomas Jones (calf) is among the notables who won't be in uniform on Saturday.

The Jets will be seeking to avenge last year's 13-7 loss to the Giants in the preseason.

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