The Bergen record- Lights, action, Clemens

[Kentucky Jet]

Lights, action, Clemens

Sunday, September 16, 2007

By J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

BALTIMORE -- When the cameras -- authorized ones, of course -- start rolling here at M&T Bank Stadium, both teams know the script almost certainly will have one of them falling to 0-2.

"You don't want to go 0-2," running back Thomas Jones said. "You don't want to start off like that. It just puts you further in a hole."

In trying to avoid that unhappy ending today, both teams may be forced to turn to new leading men.

Kellen Clemens is expected to start at quarterback for the Jets even though Chad Pennington's injured right ankle seemed to be mending quickly, while Ravens' quarterback Steve McNair (groin) said Friday that he will be a game-time decision.

But starting a still-gimpy Pennington against the blitz-happy Ravens, who had the No. 1 defense in the NFL in 2006, doesn't seem like a good idea, no matter how tough the veteran is.

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Clemens is more mobile and his director's cut could feature more downfield throws than would a typical Pennington tape, just because Clemens has a stronger arm.

However, the Jets have to hope that an offensive line that is still a work in progress can give Clemens a chance to throw long against a defense that limited the Jets to a mere field goal two years ago. And that field goal occurred after a turnover had given the Jets the ball at the Baltimore 1.

"Everything about how we operate as an offense needs to be turned up a little bit," wide receiver Justin McCareins said, "just to play against and match an intense defense like this."

"There's not enough great things you can say about their defense," wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. "You get scared by just looking at them on paper."

Obviously there are many other teams against which a quarterback would prefer to make his first NFL start. But the Jets have confidence in the second-year pro from Oregon, and he has it in himself.

Confidence is "huge, especially for our position," Clemens said. "If you don't have confidence in yourself, you're not going to have the confidence of your teammates and coaches. It's very important."

Clemens has "always approached the game in his mind as being the starter," offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. "I think that's the way you have to do it as a quarterback."

Yet he has had much more work with the reserve wide receivers than starters Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. The Jets hope the extra snaps Clemens got in practice this week may have sped along that process.

The feeling in the Jets' locker room was that the 24-point loss to New England on opening day wasn't a true reflection of where they are.

After looking at the, errr, tape of the game, defensive end Eric Hicks said the Jets need to make "small corrections" and that having a game under their belt will help.

"You get to see how people operate in the rhythm in the game," Hicks said, "especially if those players haven't been on your team [before]. You get to see strengths and weaknesses [and] how they react to different adversities and different successes. I think it is a big jump [in performance] from [the] first to second game."

"In that second game," McCareins said, "you can really figure some things out faster and not have the anxiety and the adrenaline that might take away from you a little bit. I think that second game is a little easier going into, [but] you do have to perform."

No matter who might be pointing a camera at you.

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

Jets (0-1) vs. Ravens (0-1)

M&T Bank Stadium, today, 4:15

TV: Ch. 2 Radio: ESPN-AM 1050, WABC-AM 770

Line: Ravens by 10

What's at stake?

Jets: The Jets want to avoid an 0-2 start as they play their only non-AFC East game in their first four. A win engineered by backup Kellen Clemens also would demonstrate that the second-year pro is a very viable option at the position should Chad Pennington struggle.

Ravens: The Ravens also want to avoid an 0-2 start and they have a quarterback injury of their own. Steve McNair (groin) is questionable and fifth-year pro Kyle Boller, who could start, still hasn't won over the Baltimore fans.

Key matchups

Jets WR Laveranues Coles vs. Ravens CB Chris McAlister

Expect the Jets to go mostly with three-step drops and quick timing routes against the aggressive Baltimore front seven. Coles had seven receptions and two touchdowns on opening day, and the veteran receiver figures to again be the No. 1 option when the Jets pass.

Jets LB Jonathan Vilma vs. Ravens RB Willis McGahee

Vilma's college teammate at Miami tormented the Jets as a Bill, averaging 5.1 yards per carry in six games and topping 100 yards the past five times. Vilma was very active last week in the Jets' 3-4 and could be on the verge of breaking through with some impact plays.

How they'll win

Jets: They play it fairly close to the vest as QB Clemens makes his first start. The offensive line jells and RB Thomas Jones shows why the Jets traded for him as he wears down the Baltimore front. On defense, the blitzes that didn't get to Tom Brady last week do find McNair and/or Boller, while the defense finally gets a handle on longtime Jets' nemesis McGahee.

Patriots: McGahee, who broke a 57-yard touchdown run against the Jets in December despite being sick to his stomach, gives the Jets indigestion this time with another 100-yard performance, setting up the passing game. LB Ray Lewis shakes off an arm injury and does his usual sideline-to-sideline thing and clamps down on the Jets' station-to-station offense.

[Kentucky Jet]

[

Leader of the New England Stealers

Sunday, September 16, 2007

By VINNY DiTRANI

STAFF WRITER

They have the same initials -- and now the same soiled reputations.

Barry Bonds and Bill Belichick. Remember when Bonds was that almost skinny five-tool player for the Pirates back in the 1990s? Maybe he wouldn't have broken Hank Aaron's home run record if he didn't do whatever he did to bulk himself up to linebacker proportions.

But he probably would have accumulated Hall of Fame numbers in his old body.

Belichick has won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, primarily on the strength of good players, good coaching and Tom Brady. How long he's been dabbling in the electronic surveillance tactics is uncertain, but it surely did not begin with last week's taping of the Jets' defensive signals.

Like Bonds, his greatness now will be questioned. Bonds could have built himself up naturally by lifting weights. And Belichick could have deciphered opponents' signals naturally by having someone watch them, and someone else write down what defense the team ran each time. Then it's just a matter of connecting the dots.

But throwing electronics into the mix is tantamount to pouring some illegal substances into your body. Taping another team's signals, or putting microphones on your defensive linemen (under the guise of an all-access TV show) to hear a quarterback's audibles is crossing the line of gamesmanship.

What's next? Hacking into another club's computer system to steal game plans?

The fact it even came to commissioner Roger Goodell's attention was a product of the animosity built up between Belichick and his former assistant Eric Mangini. The Belichick-Mangini chasm is certain to widen now that the New England coach has had about 1/8th of his salary garnished by the NFL as part of the penalty.

Even worse is losing any first-day draft pick, whether it be the No. 1 if the Pats make the playoffs or the Nos. 2 and 3 if they do not. Teams treat those first-day draft picks like gold.

The penalties hit harder than any suspension Goodell could have rendered. Just how would the league expect to keep Belichick out of the game-planning or even the game management? Stick him in a cell for a week without any means of outside communication?

The Patriots apparently are so electronically savvy they could hook up a way Belichick could coach from the moon, if need be. Hitting him in the pocketbook and in the draft was a far better means of punishment, and a sterner warning to others not to emulate the second of the tarnished B.B.s.

E-mail: ditrani@northjersey.com

[leonwash29]

Clemens will show who the real qb of ny is in 5 1/2 hours