Ny Jets News Articles 10/11

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS DEFENSE KNOWS THE DRILL

By MARK CANNIZZARO

October 11, 2007 -- When Jets players arrive at Weeb Ewbank Hall each Wednesday to start preparation for the next opponent, they check a schedule to see what's on the agenda.

When they arrived yesterday, there was something that stood out and was sure to set a tone for the week: tackling drills.

[Kentucky Jet]

CHAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS

PENNINGTON SAYS HE STILL HAS CONFIDENCE

By MARK CANNIZZARO

Chad PenningtonOctober 11, 2007 -- When last we saw Chad Pennington, the Jets quarterback was standing at the podium in the postgame interview room following a 35-24 loss to the Giants. He looked absolutely shattered, beaten, defeated and deflated.

He'd thrown three killer interceptions, making it five in the past five quarters, and Pennington seemed to have the confidence he usually carries with him sucked completely from his being.

Yesterday, poised for Sunday's game against the Eagles at Giants Stadium and well aware of the calls for his job, Pennington looked as if he had some life pumped back into him. His color was back. He spoke with more authority. He even smiled a few times.

Maybe it was a decent night's sleep or two. Maybe it was some home cooking from his wife, Robin. Maybe it was Eric Mangini's public support of him in the starting role. Whatever it was, Pennington looked as if he was ready to get back on the field and win a game.

One vibe Pennington didn't exude was one of a player looking over his shoulder concerned about keeping his starting job, worried that many fans' wishes will be granted and Kellen Clemens will replace him.

[Kentucky Jet]

JETS

Jets' Pennington not feeling pressure

Thursday, October 11, 2007

By J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Chad Pennington stood tall in the pocket, err, on the podium, and made one thing perfectly clear.

He doesn't feel any pressure coming from his blind side.

"Not at all," Pennington said Wednesday when asked if he was looking over his shoulder. "It's a business. I don't take it personal. It's strictly business. I totally understand the situation and I take full responsibility for how I've played in the four games.

"I'm accountable for that," he continued. "I don't shy away from it, I'm not scared of it and I feel really good about where I am as a quarterback. The things I need to fix are correctable. If I can correct them, I think good things can happen."

Well, those good things had better happen soon, or the Jets might make a quarterback change. If the Jets don't reverse their slide, the organization could decide it needs to get a closer look at second-year pro Kellen Clemens to see if he is, indeed, the Jets' quarterback of the future.

GREEN MACHINE

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Football writer J.P. Pelzman tackles all the behind-the-scenes stories about your New York Jets.

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Coach Eric Mangini again gave his support to Pennington on Wednesday, saying, "He's the starting quarterback. ... He's done an excellent job in a lot of areas. It's difficult when you're the quarterback because as you make those decisions and the throw comes out of your hand that you wish you had back, they have a substantial impact."

Mangini, of course, is referring to the five interceptions Pennington has thrown in the past two games.

"I think when I look at my play individually," Pennington said, "I feel really good about how I'm playing the game of football, if you extract about five plays out of all four games. ... I feel like I've gotten better as a quarterback, gotten better within the system and [i'm] really doing some good things. ... It's the four or five plays that overshadow, along with the losing, the good plays."

The ultra-competitive Pennington intimated that he may be pressing.

"When you get into a losing streak," he said, "you feel like you have to do a little bit more to help your team get over the hump. ... But at the same time I have to understand that I've got 10 other guys on the field helping me, I've got a defense trying to help me, special teams trying to help me. It's all of us involved and I can't try to be a superhero."

"The confidence level in Chad hasn't changed one bit for myself," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said, "and everyone else on this team feels the same way."

But Cotchery has noticed something different about the 1-4 Jets.

"Everyone's pretty much quiet," he said. "You hear guys joking here or there, but it's not like it used to be. Everyone's just anxious to get back to work."

And Laveranues Coles said that work will be a little more strenuous this week.

"Maybe [Mangini] feels that us working harder" in practice, Coles said, "will get us to finish a game and complete a game. I'm sure things will get a little bit physical around here in practice. ... He'll push and he'll push until he gets the results he wants."

The same is true for Pennington, who still is driving himself hard.

"No, I'm playing to win," the quarterback said when asked if he feels he's playing for his job. "One thing I really have to guard against is sometimes you can want to win so badly and it just consumes your every thought that it works in a negative way. ... I understand the situation and I totally understand what I have to do to give us a better chance to win."

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

* * *

Throw 'em back?

After losing four of their first five games, the Jets are making wholesale changes.

Well, to their uniforms anyway.

When the Jets host Philadelphia on Sunday, they will be wearing navy blue and gold replica uniforms of the New York Titans, which is what the franchise was known as for its first three years of existence, from 1960-62. The throwback day was planned before the season began.

Although players wore their normal green and white practice jerseys Wednesday, they also wore plain navy blue helmets.

The Eagles won't be wearing the 1933 throwback uniforms, a garish mixture of gold and light blue they wore in their lone victory over Detroit.

"I actually liked theirs," wide receiver Laveranues Coles said. "I don't know why people thought their uniforms were ugly. I thought they were nice, personally. ... I'm from Florida, so I like colors. So to see the bright colors, it was cool with me.

"Ours are kind of boring," he added. "They don't really have much going on. It's just blue and gold. I would like some fluorescent colors, too."

Collins released

Cornerback Manny Collins, a rookie from Rutgers, was released from the practice squad Wednesday to make room for cornerback E.J. Underwood, who was released from the Giants' practice squad Monday. The 6-foot-1 Underwood is three inches taller than Collins.

Briefs

FS Erik Coleman (concussion) returned to practice on a limited basis after sitting out the loss to the Giants, and Coles (knee) also was limited. The banged-up Eagles appear to be getting healthier. CB Lito Sheppard (knee), RB Brian Westbrook (abdomen) and TE L.J. Smith (sports hernia) all practiced full. S Brian Dawkins (neck stinger) and LT William Thomas (knee) did not practice. ... Embattled Philadelphia coach Andy Reid denied reports that he is considering resigning. "I don't know where that came from," he said. "It wasn't from me and that's not how I feel. I'm a Philadelphia Eagle."

-- J.P. Pelzman

[Kentucky Jet]

Pennington says his mistakes are a pressing matter

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BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, October 11th 2007, 4:00 AM

After three days of self-analysis, Chad Pennington admitted yesterday that he might be pressing, leading to poor decision-making and interceptions.

"I can't try to be a superhero," said Pennington, acknowledging he must guard against that mentality because he wants to win "so badly it consumes your every thought."

On Sunday, Pennington will try to snap a two-game losing streak as the Jets face the Eagles at the Meadowlands. He has never lost three straight games in five-plus seasons as the starter. One more stinker and he could be replaced by Kellen Clemens. Pennington, despondent after his three-interception debacle against the Giants, was back to his usual upbeat self.

"I feel really good about how I'm playing the game of football - if you extract about five plays out of all four games," he said. "Ninety-five percent of the plays, I really feel good about."

Pennington is the 13th-rated passer in the NFL (89.3), but he has directed the offense to only 62 points in four games.

Eric Mangini reiterated that Pennington is his starter, adding, "He's done an excellent job in a lot of areas." But the coach's patience must be wearing thin. In 20 starts under Mangini, Pennington has 21 interceptions.

Pennington said he didn't spend too much time analyzing his three interceptions against the Giants, saying, "The memories are so vivid in your mind, it only takes once or twice to look at it."

He shrugged off Sam Madison's postgame comment about jumping Pennington's routes because he throws a "light ball." Pennington said Madison jumped only one route, which became an interception.

"That's what everybody is going to say about me, that I throw a light ball," he said. "Whatever that means, I really don't know."

NUMBERS GAME: The Jets will be trying to overcome two trends on Sunday: they are 0-7 lifetime against the Eagles, and the Eagles are 8-0 in the post-bye week under Andy Reid. "They must be doing a good job of resting," LB Jonathan Vilma said.

THAT HURTS: The Jets suffered a few injuries last Sunday: RT Anthony Clement (thigh), WR Laveranues Coles (knee), DE Shaun Ellis (foot) and WR Justin McCareins (ankle) were limited in practice. None of the injuries is believed to be serious. ...FS Erik Coleman, who sat out last week with a concussion, returned to practice on a limited basis. ... Meanwhile, the banged-up Eagles are getting healthy. RB Brian Westbrook (abdomen), who didn't play their last game, practiced in full. Ditto for CB Lito Sheppard (knee). LT William Thomas (knee) and S Brian Dawkins (neck) didn't practice.

IN WITH THE OLD: The Jets will wear New York Titans throwback uniforms for the game, blue jerseys with gold trim. Yesterday, they practiced with blue helmets.

[Kentucky Jet]

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From: Gary Meyers

Nobody is calling him Mangenius these days as the Jets have become one-year wonders after making the playoffs in Eric Mangini's rookie year.

He is facing the first crisis of his administration with a potential quarterback controversy ready to explode in a few days.

The Jets are off to a dreadful 1-4 start, putting them on the edge of playoff extinction. If they lose to the Eagles on Sunday and drop to 1-5 with their third straight loss, it will be time for Mangini to bench Chad Pennington, who is struggling, and start Kellen Clemens to see what he's got.

Pennington has thrown five interceptions in the last two weeks, losses to the Bills and Giants, and although Mangini has given no hint he's considering a switch, another poor performance by Pennington against Philly could cost him his job.

One general manager stated emphatically yesterday that Clemens should already be No.1. "Without question," he said. "The Jets are anemic. They should have won that game against the Giants. They just couldn't put them away. The thing with Pennington is he can't put you away. He can set you up, but can't put you away."

This simple fact can't be ignored: Mangini inherited Pennington, but he drafted Clemens. Mangini had an up-close view of similar circumstances in New England. Bill Belichick inherited Drew Bledsoe, but drafted Tom Brady. Although Brady's ascension to starter in his second year in 2001 was accelerated by Bledsoe's injury in the second game, it was inevitable - and imminent - that Belichick was going to make the move anyway.

Yesterday, Pennington admitted that he's been trying to do too much to try to help the Jets win, which means he's pressing. "Sometimes you want to win so badly, it consumes every thought and works in a negative way," he said.

That might explain his two out-of-character interceptions against the Giants, both by rookie cornerback Aaron Ross, which cost the Jets the game. Pennington doesn't have a big arm, but has always made up for it with his brain. But when he tries to win games with his arm rather than his head, and the corners are jumping the routes because they are not worried about getting beat deep, it hurts the Jets. It's happened the last two weeks.

Pennington denied he's worried about losing his job.

"No," he said. "Not at all."

Asked if he's playing for his job, he said, "I'm playing to win."

Pennington has been more than a "hold the fort" veteran for Mangini. Bill Parcells says he needed those players in the transition period in a new job to get his program in place. Pennington won 10 games last year. Whenever he's healthy, the Jets have made the playoffs. But after passing on Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler to take D'Brickashaw Ferguson in the first round of the 2006 draft, Mangini drafted Clemens in the second round. He has a lot invested in him.

Mangini could lose the locker room if he rationalized a switch to Clemens as a means to find out about him. That would be a tough sell in a win-now league. Sticking with Brady when Bledsoe was healthy was the best move of Belichick's career. When Parcells benched Bledsoe last year and put in Tony Romo, it sparked the Cowboys. And Joe Gibbs' decision to bench Mark Brunell and go with Jason Campbell is working.

"Clemens gives them hope," the GM said. "It's not Chad's fault. The team is not good enough to play with his shortcomings. I like this young kid they got. It's time to go with him. I like his athleticism, he can make plays with his feet, he has a strong arm and is a great leader. There are a lot of things to like about the kid. He has big-play ability."

Pennington says if you eliminate four or five plays from the four games he's started, then he's very happy with the way he's played. But the Jets have such a small margin for error, those plays have been impossible to overcome.

If the Jets lose to the Eagles, making the switch to Clemens could accomplish a couple of things. It would not only allow Mangini to find out if Clemens is the real deal, but it could energize his team. Nothing shakes a team up more than a quarterback change. It's the most sensitive decision a coach makes.

Pennington has a strong hold in the locker room, and many of the players are loyal to him. The reality, however, is players are really only loyal to themselves and preserving their own jobs. If Mangini makes the switch, it will be franchise-altering because the former starter rarely wins his job back.

If the Jets were winning, this would not be an issue. But you could sense Pennington's grip on his job, which he has held since 2002, was slipping as Ross ran back his second interception for the clinching touchdown.

Mangini has been unable to build off the momentum the Jets established last year with their surprising run to the playoffs. Good coaches make the playoffs every now and then. The great coaches find a way to sustain success. If Mangini is just a one-year wonder, then the Jets are in trouble.

So far, the coach and the quarterback have taken a step back this season. The coach isn't about to lose his job. The quarterback may be one bad game away.

gmyers

[Kentucky Jet]

Mangini drills Jets, training-camp style

RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Thursday, October 11th 2007, 4:00 AM

Eric Mangini puts the Jets through an intense workout on Wednesday.

Laveranues Coles walked into the locker room yesterday morning, glanced at the practice schedule on the bulletin board and did a double-take. Suddenly, it felt like August - a case of deja no!

"We just went back (to training camp)," Coles said later.

When the going gets tough, Eric Mangini gets tougher.

Mangini, trying to shake the Jets out of their two-game funk, put the team through an intense, physical practice, sending a clear message that resonated throughout the locker room.

Fighting to save their season, the Jets - in full pads - crashed into blocking sleds and each other, with the first live tackling drill of the regular season. It wasn't quite like two-a-days, but it also wasn't a typical October practice. This should tell you something: Anticipating the tenor, they made safety Erik Coleman, returning from a concussion, wear a red, no-contact jersey, usually reserved for quarterbacks.

"As a group, we need to get back to basics," Jerricho Cotchery said. "Get back to basics, take a deep breath and start from square one - and let's get this thing going. (A training-camp mentality) is what we need right now."

The circumstances are dire for the Jets (1-4), who are facing the Eagles (1-3) Sunday at the Meadowlands. Of course, they've been here before. In 2002, they staged one of the greatest turnarounds in recent history, going from 1-4 to AFC East champions at 9-7.

They have five holdovers from that team - Coles, Chad Pennington, Shaun Ellis, Chris Baker and James Dearth. Coles recalled Herm Edwards' fiery pep talks, his stream-of-consciousness rants that made some players laugh. Hey, it worked, didn't it?

The poker-faced Mangini has a different approach.

"Here, we're going to work harder," Coles said. "We're back to the grind. Different strokes for different folks. We'll see how it plays out."

Asked if it's possible to work harder than before, Coles gave an incredulous look.

"Do you know who our head coach is?" he asked. "He'll get it out of you, one way or another. He'll push and he'll push until he gets the results he wants. So we're going to line it up and bang it around."

The potential risk, of course, is fatigue. Many coaches, trying to save their players' legs, tone it down during the season. If the Jets are sluggish, it could be pronounced against the well-rested Eagles, who are coming off their bye week.

After the Jets were outrushed by the Giants, 188-55, last week, Mangini apparently wants to set a physical tone by cranking up the intensity in practice. Perhaps, too, this is an indication the Jets will re-commit to the running game.

Except for the Week 3 win over the Dolphins, when they unleashed Thomas Jones in the second half, the Jets have been a pass-happy team. It never was more evident than last Sunday. In a tight game, they passed on 12 of the first 15plays in the fourth quarter. Mangini, explaining the lopsided run-pass ratio through five games (42% to 58%), said they've faced more eight-man fronts than last season.

Clearly, the offensive linemen want to get back to a smashmouth approach, defensive strategy be damned.

"A lot of teams get extra guys in the box," guard Brandon Moore said. "You find a way to squeeze it through there and you keep sticking with it and keep calling the plays.... It's definitely frustrating, not being able to set a tone in the game, to take over games and be a dominant offensive unit."

It's not going to be easy against the Eagles, the league's eighth-ranked run defense (74.5 yards per game). Nevertheless, Jones and his blockers would be thrilled if the coaches re-enacted the first preseason game, when they opened with 10 straight running plays.

Hey, you never know. After all, Mangini is back in August mode.

[Kentucky Jet]

Posted on Thu, Oct. 11, 2007

Brian: Let's run . . . Andy: Let's catch

By LES BOWEN

bowenl@phillynews.com

THE EAGLES came back from their bye week talking about the need to find some offensive rhythm and consistency.

Balancing the run-pass ratio would seem to be a great way to do that, especially with Brian Westbrook returning to practice yesterday, and with this weekend's opponents, the New York Jets, coming off a loss in which they surrendered 188 rushing yards to the Giants. In fact, the Jets' defense has achieved the sort of balance nobody wants, being ranked 25th against the run and 25th against the pass.

"We haven't had any flow," said Westbrook, whose abdominal strain kept him out of the 16-3 loss to the Giants that sent the Eagles into their bye at 1-3. "We've been very, I would say, random in the things that we've been doing. We need to get back to where we have some precision passing, quick routes, and some big runs down the field, as well.

"We had a very good running game last year at the end of the year, and we still have the ability to do that - when we played the Giants, Correll [buckhalter, subbing for Westbrook] still had over 100 yards, which is considered a pretty good game."

Buckhalter gained 103 yards on just 17 carries against the Giants, eight of those carries coming in the second half, in which the Birds managed all of nine designed runs.

"We have to continue to be able to run the ball, and we have to stick with it. That's one of the things that, as a team, we have to be willing to do - stick with what's working," Westbrook concluded.

Buckhalter hinted at the one glitch in Westbrook's analysis: "I feel we can run the ball pretty well, I feel we can get it done, but it's not up to us whether we run the ball or not," he said. "Whatever play's been called, we have to go out and execute it."

Center Jamaal Jackson, whose job might be made easier if defensive linemen weren't able to pin their ears back and come after the passer so often, gave a "Charge of the Light Brigade"-type assessment of the situation. His is not to reason why, etc.

"We just have to execute everything that's called. If it's 70 pass plays, we've got to execute on 70 pass plays, to make it work," Jackson said.

Specifically, the problem with achieving better balance is the very large man who spent the bye week trying to figure out what a blog was and why people writing them thought he was about to resign. Andy Reid needs to believe that sticking with the run would help his out-of-sync offense and his less-than-mobile quarterback, who is still recovering from last season's ACL surgery.

Reid gave no indication yesterday that he might harbor such a belief.

A questioner noted that the Eagles like to run when they have a lead (which was one reason for last season's stretch-drive balance and success, the team tended to be ahead). The questioner asked if, looking back on the first quarter of this season, Reid thought he could have stuck with the run more, even when behind.

Reid misunderstood the question, citing stats about how often the Eagles run the ball in the first quarters of games. In any case, he didn't show a lot of interest in the subject of running.

"I think we're doing a good job of running the football enough," Reid said. "Efficiency needs to be better when we do throw the football. We need to make sure we put the players in the right position, that we catch the football when we have an opportunity to catch the football. We've got way too many drops - you start averaging four drops a game, that's way too many, and we need to fix that."

No question, dropped passes interrupt offensive flow, as do any sort of incompletions, especially when you string them together the way the Eagles have in their three losses. But maybe if you didn't throw more than two-thirds of the time, as the Eagles have in those three losses, you could build a little more momentum and continuity. The Giants beat the Jets Sunday, 35-24, even though Giants quarterback Eli Manning compiled a 0.0 passer rating in the first half, in which Manning didn't manage to connect with a wide receiver. Manning had much more success in the second half, but on the afternoon, the Giants ran 39 times and passed just 25.

Yesterday, Donovan McNabb made a couple of references to the way the Eagles' offense worked at the end of last season, when it had balance.

"When you have the weapons we have, we have to use them wisely," McNabb said.

When asked specifically about abandoning the run too early in games, he demurred.

"I don't know," McNabb said. "In the passing attempts that we've had, we've had opportunities sometimes. Whatever happened, happened. We didn't take full advantage of it, but I don't know if we abandoned it too much. I mean, if we ran the ball and [ignored opportunities] to throw, then we'd be upset. There will probably be more opportunities to run the ball. We'll do what we have to do to win."

Tight spot

Eagles tight end L.J. Smith, whose struggles to recover from a groin injury also have limited the offense, practiced yesterday but did not seem to be bursting with confidence about being able to make an impact against the Jets.

"I'm trying to do a little bit more every day," said Smith, who limped through the first two games, then underwent a surgical procedure to drain fluid and remove scar tissue. "I didn't do a complete practice, but I did some things today."

Smith said he might need another week or 2 to regain his conditioning.

"If I'm going out there, I'm not going to put myself in the situation where I was the first two games," Smith said. "I was just out there hobbling around, it didn't look good. If I go out there, I'm definitely going to be able to contribute, I feel like, in a major way. I'm not going to go out there 50 percent, 65 percent - I'm going to go out there and play at a high level."

Smith said he expects to know before Sunday's game whether he can contribute significantly. *

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' Pennington vows to let game come to him

BY TOM ROCK | tom.rock@newsday.com

October 11, 2007

The way Chad Pennington sees it, the key to turning things around this week is to try to do . . . less.

"I can't try to be a superhero," said the embattled quarterback whose job security has become a question that floats around the Jets but has not yet clouded the locker room. "Don't try too hard, let the game come to you, understand the situation and make it work. Don't feel like you have to take the game on your shoulders by yourself because it's a team game."

That's a different approach for Pennington, who usually finds the answers to his slumps and career obstacles in more of everything: more practice, more film study, more rehab. Those elements likely will remain at full-throttle. But when gametime rolls around on Sunday, Pennington will try not to press.

"You hear the saying 'More is better'," Pennington said. "Well, sometimes less is better."

He didn't specify whether that meant not trying to complete impossible passes like the one he chucked toward the end zone that was intercepted by the Giants' Aaron Ross in Sunday's loss, or if it meant not being so quick to check out of running plays late in games to rely too much on passes.

Jets fans are starting to think a whole lot less of Pennington would be better, as calls for his benching mount with growing frustration. Even Eagles coach Andy Reid said he is preparing for the possibility of facing backup Kellen Clemens at some point in this upcoming game. But Eric Mangini has said he will stick with Pennington, even after his five combined interceptions in the last two fourth quarters led to two losses in winnable games.

"You'd like to look at it as this is the one issue," Mangini said this week of his reluctance to make a change at quarterback. "If this issue was taken care of then everything else would click. But it's really not the case."

In fact, both Mangini and Pennington said they have been pleased with the play at quarterback.

"I feel really good about how I'm playing the game of football if you extract about five plays out of all four games," Pennington said. "It's the four or five plays that overshadows . . . the good plays, and that's just the reality of it."

Pennington threw a career-high 16 interceptions in 2006 and has thrown five in four games this season, all within the last five quarters of play. He said he went through a similar stretch in 2003 when he returned from a preseason wrist injury, throwing an interception in his return against the Eagles and two more the following week against the Giants. The only time Pennington has thrown five interceptions in a two-game span during his career was when he had five in one game against the Patriots in late 2003; he had no interceptions on either side of that performance.

His first year as a starter, he had six interceptions total. That was in 2002, when he came off the bench to replace Vinny Testaverde and provide a spark to a team that was 1-4, leading it to the playoffs.

"That year you're looking at a first-year quarterback with no expectations, just with a clean slate, and you're just rolling," he said of his breakout campaign. "You're doing exactly what you are coached to do. You're not asked to do a lot in the first place, and then the old word momentum catches on and things start to roll."

That could happen again if Mangini replaces Pennington with Clemens. It's a risk the coach is unwilling to consider right now. "It's a good scenario when the backup quarterback doesn't play because it means the starter isn't injured and things are going good," Clemens said.

The starter isn't injured, but at 1-4, it's not only grammar that makes it hard to say things are going good.

Notes & quotes: The Jets went back to training camp at today's practice with exercises that included one-on-one tackling drills and plenty of time hitting sleds and blocking dummies. Players said they expected Mangini to work them hard this week . . . S Erik Coleman (concussion) was on the practice field wearing a red "don't-hit-me" jersey and was listed as limited on the injury report.

Sunday

Eagles at Jets

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 5

Radio: WABC (770), WEPN (1050), WRCN (103.9)

[Kentucky Jet]

Memo to Mangini: Glauber's plan to fix Jets

Bob Glauber

October 11, 2007

Been waiting by the phone all week thinking Eric Mangini might call looking for a few suggestions about how to turn his team around, but only the telemarketers are getting through. Evidently, the Jets coach is gonna tough it out as he tries to right the ship after a 1-4 start.

In the meantime, we'll offer an unsolicited five-point plan that Mangenius might want to consider:

1 Be ready to pull the plug on Chad Pennington.

Look, I've been a Pennington defender through some pretty miserable times around here, but it's gotten to the point where Eric Mangini must seriously consider a change if his quarterback continues to turn the ball over. Pennington's biggest strength over the years has been his accuracy, and it's made up for his lack of arm strength. But if he can't whip the ball in there and he's throwing interceptions, then something has to give.

Kellen Clemens is the heir apparent, he showed tremendous improvement during the preseason compared to his rookie year, and he has a live arm. When you lose football games, you need a spark, and right now, Clemens is that spark.

Pennington has poured his heart and soul into his team and his profession, and his can-do attitude is infectious. But there's been too much can't-do on Sundays for Mangini not to seriously consider making a change here.

One more thing on Pennington: Against Philly, he has to throw the ball down the field, just to keep the Eagles from sitting on the routes as the Giants did last weekend. Even if the passes are broken up or miss the mark, at least you stretch the field and keep the defense more honest.

2 Run Thomas Jones.

Then run him some more. And some more after that. In the Jets' only win (31-28 over Miami), Jones carried the ball 25 times. In the last two losses, Jones carried the ball a combined 25 times.

It's just not enough. Jones is a workhorse back, and that means you have to pound him over and over again, even if he's not producing immediate results. It's that way even with the great backs. How many times did you see Emmitt Smith stopped for no gain or a loss of 2 and then break one during his Hall of Fame career with the Cowboys. You just have to be patient, and the Jets haven't done that enough with a player who figured to make their offense a ton better.

3 Blitz. Blitz. Blitz.

And then blitz some more. The Jets' pass rush has been worse than pathetic, with three sacks all season. Three lousy sacks! It's almost laughable. But if they can't get sustained pressure with more conventional rushes, then defensive coordinator Bob Sutton has to come up with some unpredictable schemes that at least will be disruptive. Now, that does come with risk and requires the secondary to be more precise in its coverage because there are fewer players to watch receivers. Case in point: Plaxico Burress' touchdown catch Sunday came on a blitz, although if Andre Dyson had wrapped Burress up and made the tackle, it would not have turned into a big play.

One guy Sutton has to turn loose on blitzes is safety Kerry Rhodes. He regularly rushed the passer last season and came up with a career-high five sacks. But he has rushed very little this season and doesn't have a sack. Let the guy make some plays.

4 Get Leon Washington right.

The kid was a phenom last year and was a huge reason the Jets managed to make the playoffs despite losing Curtis Martin for the season. He ran from scrimmage. He turned swing and screen passes into big plays. For whatever reason, he just hasn't been the same this year. Maybe defensive coordinators have him figured out. But offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer needs to get Washington going from scrimmage.

5 Find some emotion.

Mangini keeps preaching consistency, but where has it gotten him? To 1-4, because the only consistency is inconsistency. But is there anything so wrong with getting your team so fired up to play that you see some emotion from it? This team looks flat as a pancake, especially on defense. And that's where you need your players to turn into psychos. Make a play. Get excited about it. Fire up your teammates. It's football. Where is the passion, people?

Some other ideas:

Tell Dewayne Robertson to make a play. Then tell Bryan Thomas.

Throw a pass once in a while to Justin McCareins, who has only one catch since his two infamous drops in Week 2. If you don't like the guy, then trade him.

Keep it simple. Gimmicks won't work. If anything, scale down the playbook and get back to the basics.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' Pennington opens up about his recent so-so play

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: October 11, 2007)

HEMPSTEAD - Chad Pennington, considerably more upbeat than the distraught and confused quarterback he was after this past Sunday's loss to the Giants, strode to the podium yesterday and pinpointed the reasons for his recent struggles.

"Trust your instincts, and when you're in a hole, you quit digging," Pennington said. "Sometimes you hear the saying more is better. Well, sometimes less is better."

That simple admission that he has been pressing might bode well for the Jets (1-4) as they host the Eagles (1-3) Sunday.

Pennington has thrown five interceptions in two straight defeats - three against the Giants and two in a 17-14 loss at Buffalo - and it became obvious he was forcing the ball when Aaron Ross picked him off at the Giants 2-yard line after he threw off his back foot into double coverage in the face of a blitz.

"When you get into a losing streak, you feel like you have to do a little bit more to help your team get over the hump," Pennington said. "I have to understand that I've got 10 other guys on the field helping me. It's all of us involved and I can't try to be a superhero."

Pennington's recent slump has fueled outside-the-locker-room discussion that it might be time to insert second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens, who would give the Jets more of a vertical dimension to their offense.

"I totally understand the situation," Pennington said, adding he didn't believe he was playing for his job. "No, I'm playing to win. That's one thing I really have to guard against - sometimes you want to win so badly and it just consumes your every thought. It works in a negative way."

Pennington said he could recall one similar stretch in his career during the 2003 season. Pennington missed the first six games with a hand injury, then in his first two games back averaged just 6.3 yards per completion while throwing four touchdowns and three interceptions in losses to the Eagles and Giants.

He said trusting his instincts helped him snap out of it, and he threw for 724 yards with six touchdowns and one interception as the Jets won two of the next three.

This season, Pennington has completed 84 of 118 passes for 811 yards with six touchdowns and those five interceptions. Jets coach Eric Mangini, asked again yesterday whether Pennington is still his starting quarterback - he is - and about Pennington's perceived lack of arm strength, said Pennington has done some "outstanding things" this season.

Pennington, while admitting to pressing, feels the same.

"I feel really good about how I'm playing the game of football, if you extract about five plays out of all four games," said Pennington, later addressing Giants cornerback Sam Madison's comment that Pennington threw a "light" ball. "That's what everybody is going to say about me, (that I) throw a light ball. Whatever that means, I really don't know, but I'm not worried about it."

Similarly, Pennington's teammates are not concerned about their leader's struggles.

"The way he works and the way he prepares, we know he's a playmaker and we know we can win with him, it's just that simple," receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "He's been quiet this week, but he's normally quiet because he has a lot of things to think about. That's been the emotion in this locker room. Everyone has been pretty much quiet. You hear guys joking here and there, but it's not like it usually is. Everyone is anxious to get back to work."

No one more so than Pennington.

Notes: The Jets signed ex-Giants cornerback E.J. Underwood to the practice squad and released cornerback Manny Collins. The Giants cut Underwood from their practice squad Monday after he missed a team meeting. ... Mangini ran a tougher practice than normal, starting out with a one-on-one tackling drill that hasn't been seen since the early days of training camp. ... Mangini said second-year pro Brad Smith, a converted quarterback, has developed into an every-down receiver. ... Safety Kerry Rhodes is hoping the blue-and-gold New York Titans throwback uniforms the Jets will wear Sunday will change the team's fortunes. "I'll be happy to get out of our traditional white and green for a minute," Rhodes said. "Maybe it'll give us a little boost. Maybe with a different uniform we'll be a different team. Maybe we'll play consistent."

Reach Andrew Gross at apgross@lohud.com and read his Jets blog at www.jets.lohudblogs.com.

[Kentucky Jet]

Mangini pushes hard as hitting picks up

Thursday, October 11, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Coach Eric Mangini didn't endear himself to his players yesterday by getting more physical in practice and reinstituting a one-on-one tackling drill, something the team hasn't done since training camp.

Several players have said the Jets are among the hardest-working teams in the NFL, which has made losing all the more frustrating.

"Maybe (Mangini) feels that us working harder will get us to finish a game," WR Laveranues Coles said before practice yesterday. "I'm sure things will get a little bit physical around here in practice. He (Mangini) will get it out of us one way or another. That's the way he is. He'll push and he'll push until he gets the results he wants."

Said S Kerry Rhodes: "If that's what it takes, that's what it'll be."

The mood has changed around the practice facility these days as the 1-4 Jets attempt to right their season.

"Everyone is pretty much quiet," WR Jerricho Cotchery said. "You hear guys joking here or there but it's not like it used to be."

Mangini said opponents putting eight players in the box is a primary reason the Jets' running game continues to stall, but RG Brandon Moore wasn't buying it. RB Thomas Jones has just 71 yards on 25 carries in the past two games.

"A lot of teams get an extra guy in the box," Moore said. "You just have to find a way to squeeze it through there and keep sticking with it and keep calling the plays."

QB Chad Pennington was asked about Giants CB Sam Madison saying he jumped routes on him because Pennington throws a "light ball."

"He jumped one route (an interception), and that was a route where I was focused on Jerricho and Sam did a great job of falling off of (FB) Stacy Tutt, who probably to Sam wasn't a threat to go deep. ... That's what everybody is going to say about me, (I) throw a light ball ... but I'm not worried about it."

The Jets are wearing the navy blue helmets in practice this week that will be part of the throwback uniforms they wear on Sunday against the Eagles. They'll wear navy blue jerseys with gold numbers and gold pants, the uniforms of the New York Titans (1960-62).

"It's an honor to be able to wear the uniform that the older players who created a pathway for us wore," said LB Victor Hobson. "It's a chance to honor them."

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook (abdomen), TE L.J. Smith (groin) and CB Lito Sheppard (knee) practiced full and are expected to play Sunday. S Brian Dawkins (neck), G/T Todd Herremens (knee) and T William Thomas (knee) didn't practice. ... Eagles coach Andy Reid has an 8-0 post bye-week record (the Eagles are coming off their bye) and Philadelphia is 8-0 against the Jets all-time.

Jets S Erik Coleman (concussion) returned to practice and was limited.... As expected, the Jets signed CB E.J. Underwood to the practice squad and released former Rutgers CB Manny Collins from the practice squad.

[Kentucky Jet]

Pennington absorbs the hits but is confident he can deliver

Jets QB: 'I take full responsibility for how I've played'

Thursday, October 11, 2007

BY DAVE HUTCHINSON

Star-Ledger Staff

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Jets quarterback Chad Pennington has seen the enemy -- and it is him.

"When you get into a losing streak, you feel like you have to do a little bit more to help your team get over the hump," Pennington said yesterday. "As a quarterback, I take great responsibility in helping lead this team and helping us find a way to win and giving us a spark.

"But at the same time, I have to understand that I've got 10 other guys on the field helping me. I've got a defense trying to help me, special teams trying to help me. It's all of us involved. I can't try to be a superhero."

Pennington, who has always been a stand-up guy, faced a barrage of questions yesterday during his weekly news conference about his recent poor play. The sharks might be circling, but he seems undaunted and more determined than ever to get back on track.

The Jets are 1-4, and Pennington is a major reason. He has thrown five interceptions in the past two games, both losses. Opponents are now jumping his routes because of his lack of arm strength, and the Jets' offense has become as predictable as the sunrise in its second season under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

What's more, the Jets have yet to harvest much from the off-season signing of running back Thomas Jones. Their inability to establish the run -- Jones is averaging less than 60 yards per game -- hasn't allowed Pennington to use much play-action, the strongest part of his game.

Nonetheless, Pennington, who will start against the Eagles (1-3) on Sunday at Giants Stadium, insists that if you take away a handful of plays, he has performed well.

"I think when I look at my play individually, I feel really good about how I'm playing the game of football, if you extract about five plays out of all four games," said Pennington. "It's the four or five plays that overshadows, along with the losing, the good plays, and that's just the reality of it.

"So I've had to look at that and say, 'Okay, what can I do myself to eliminate those couple of plays that have a direct effect on the game. My No. 1 reason is just not to try too hard, let the game come to you ... don't feel like you have to take the game on your shoulders by yourself."

Pennington's stats this season are solid -- at least on the surface. He has completed 71.2 percent of his passes (84 of 118) for 811 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. The Jets have converted 51.5 percent of their third-down chances, second-best in the NFL, and are 11 of 13 -- including nine touchdowns -- in the red zone, third-best in the league.

Quarterbacks, however, are measured by their record, and Pennington's isn't good right now. He was asked about his job security, with second-year pro Kellen Clemens looming.

"I don't take it personal; it's strictly business," Pennington said. "I take full responsibility for how I've played in the four games. I don't shy away from it. I'm not scared of it."

In the past two games, Pennington has thrown 75 passes, a high number for him. At the line of scrimmage, he's often given a running play and a passing play to chose from and more often than not he's opting for the passing play in an effort to make a big play.

As usual, the Jets are rallying around their quarterback.

"If he says he's pressing a lot, that's something he definitely has to try not to do," right guard Brandon Moore said. "He shouldn't feel like he has to put the whole game on his shoulders."

"He's doing everything in his power to help us win games," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said. "That's what we love the most about him."

Coach Eric Mangini, too, remains steadfastly behind Pennington.

"I think Chad has done some outstanding things," said Mangini. "He's made some great decisions."

Those decisions, however, have come under increasing scrutiny recently as Pennington has uncharacteristically thrown into coverage on several occasions, trying to force balls.

"Sometimes you can want to win so badly that it works in a negative way," Pennington said.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at

dhutchinson@starledger.com

[Kentucky Jet]

Pennington Is Caught in the Transition Game

By KAREN CROUSE

Published: October 11, 2007

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., Oct. 10