JETS NEWS ARTICLES 12/ 18

[Kentucky Jet]

QB SHUFFLE- NY POST

WHO'S JETS STARTER? DON'T ASK MANGINI

By MARK CANNIZZARO

KELLEN PAIN: After Kellen Clemens (11) leaves the Jets' 20-10 loss to the Patriots on Sunday with a rib injury, Chad Pennington nearly pulls off the upset win, sparking the question of who will quarterback the club this week.

December 18, 2007 -- Not once, but two, three, four, even five times Eric Mangini was presented with the opportunity yesterday to clarify what appears to have become a cloudy Jets quarterback picture - but his responses shed little light on the situation.

Kellen Clemens, who has started the last six games, was knocked out of Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Patriots on the Jets' second offensive play with a rib injury.

Chad Pennington, who had been benched in favor of Clemens, came in and finished the game, completing 25-of-38 passes for 186 yards and keeping the Jets close until the end.

After the game, it was learned that Clemens could have returned, but that Mangini opted to stick with Pennington.

The question now is this: Will Mangini go with Pennington regardless of how healthy Clemens is, or will he stay the course with Clemens?

"We've got to see where Kellen is in terms of the injury," Mangini said. "I think Kellen has done a lot of good things and there's a lot of things that he's still growing into and learning about with experience.

"On the other side, I thought Chad did a really nice job in the role that he has, to have limited reps and come in and execute all the different things we asked him to execute. That to me is classic Chad."

Fair enough . . . for the moment.

Mangini praised Clemens while throwing in some vague constructive criticism and then praised Pennington for being ready to jump in against New England.

However, the question - If Clemens is healthy enough to play, will he start? - was not answered.

So it was posed again: "If Kellen is healthy enough to play, will you continue the course you're on (and keep starting him)?"

"Right now we've just got to see where he is," Mangini said. "With any injury, you're probably not going to know until game time, so . . ." So . . . what?

"Obviously, you have some thought (about who'll start) in your head, right?" Mangini was asked.

"No, it's really just about evaluating where he is injury-wise, then we'll go throughout the whole week, we'll see where it is," Mangini said.

Will the decision to play Clemens or not be based on his medical condition?

"Yeah, that will definitely play a big part in it, to see where he is in terms of the injury and all those things," Mangini said. "We'll just see how the week plays out."

It was suggested to Mangini that his reticence to name a starter "muddies the water" and makes it sound as if Clemens is not necessarily still the starter even if healthy enough to play.

"No, he's got an injury," Mangini said. "I just have to see how the injury is going to affect his preparation throughout the course of the week, his ability to play, look at both quarterbacks and evaluate at the end of the week."

Clemens was careful with what he said after the game. The phrase "coaches' decision" was used when both he and Mangini were asked about whether he could have returned and why he never got back onto the field.

Fueling speculation that Mangini could go back to Pennington is the fact that Clemens' performance since becoming the starter has been spotty. He has completed 52 percent of his passes, with four touchdowns and 10 interceptions and has a rating of 59.0. Pennington has completed 67.1 percent of his passes, with nine TDs and seven picks and a rating of 85.8.

Mangini said he'd "like to have a good idea" of who'll be the starter by tomorrow, when the team reconvenes for practice.

Stayed tuned and expect a lot of the same uncertainty for a couple of days.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

[Kentucky Jet]

ALMOST AN UPSET

December 18, 2007 -- QUARTERBACKS D+

Kellen Clemens (0-1, INT) lasted two plays before being knocked out with a rib injury. Chad Pennington (25-38, 186 yards, 77.3 rating) kept the Jets close. Brad Smith (0-1 passing, 3-10 rushing) showed he's not ready to throw.

RUNNING BACKS D

Thomas Jones (9-19 rushing, 2-13 receiv ing) was a non-factor. Leon Washington (4-57, 3-9) provided some early punch.

WIDE RECEIVERS D

Justin McCareins bobbled a potential Pen nington TD pass out of bounds, failing to get both feet in and costing a chance to cut the Pats' lead to 20-17. Jerricho Cotchery (6-53) made a few plays. Laveranues Coles re-injured his ankle and couldn't play.

TIGHT ENDS C

Chris Baker (8-66) had a big day, but a costly fumble in the red zone.

OFFENSIVE LINE F

Another poor job run-blocking, giving Jones no place to go. RT Anthony Clement had two costly penalties. LG Adrien Clarke was schooled by DE Richard Seymour, who knocked Clemens out of the game.

DEFENSIVE LINE B-

DE Shaun Ellis (four tackles) had the Jets' only sack, more of a coverage sack. The front three provided little pressure. DT Sioni Pouha had five tackles.

LINEBACKERS B

David Harris had seven tackles, Victor Hobson and Eric Barton five each. Bryan Thomas (two) was non-existent in the pass rush. Pats RB Laurence Maroney had 104 yards.

SECONDARY B+

CB David Barrett (eight tackles) and sometimes CB Darrelle Revis (five tackles, one INT) did a good job on Randy Moss, who had one big catch late in the game. They, too, kept Wes Welker in check. Hank Poteat and Drew Coleman made some plays blitzing with disguised pressures. Tom Brady was held to his fewest yards passing of the season, and had no TD passes for the first time all year.

SPECIAL TEAMS B

LB David Bowens blocked a Chris Hanson punt and scored the only Jets TD. S Abram Elam negated that with a poor block on Pat riots' WR Kelley Washington, who beat him and blocked a Ben Graham punt, leading to a TD.

KICKING GAME C

Mike Nugent made a 33-yarder, but missed a 35-yarder late. Graham averaged 42.3 gross but 26.8 net thanks, in part, to McCareins failing to down one inside the 5.

COACHING C

Went to the Brad Smith well too often and ended up wasting some key plays with Pen nington on the sideline, particularly after the Revis INT gave great field position. Credit Eric Man gini, though, for having the team stoked and ready and for a good defensive plan.

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets evaluating quarterback situation

By DESSIS WASZAK JR.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

(Original publication: December 18, 2007)

HEMPSTEAD - Kellen Clemens or Chad Pennington? Well, Eric Mangini isn't quite sure just yet.

The Jets coach was noncommittal yesterday about who his starting quarterback will be Sunday at Tennessee, saying he'll have to see how Clemens' injured rib feels.

"What I'm going to do is just look at that throughout the course of the week," Mangini said. "With any injury, you're probably not going to know until game time."

Mangini added fuel to the speculation that perhaps Clemens isn't the Jets' long-term answer at quarterback when he declined to say the former second-round pick would start if he's healthy.

"What I'm saying is I'm just going to have to evaluate it throughout the course of the week in terms of his health," he said. "I'll look at it, reps, things like that."

Clemens was injured on his first pass against New England on Sunday, when he was hit hard by Richard Seymour and landed directly on his left shoulder. The pass was intercepted by Eugene Wilson and returned for a touchdown.

The team announced during the game that Clemens suffered a rib injury and his return was probable. Clemens never came back in as Mangini opted to go with Pennington the rest of the way - except for a handful of option plays with Brad Smith under center - in the 20-10 loss.

"At that point, I just made the decision that Chad, who isn't dealing with an injury situation, was better for us," Mangini said. "I thought he did a really nice job."

Pennington finished 25 of 38 for 186 yards, but couldn't get the Jets into the end zone.

"I thought Chad did a really nice job in the role that he has," Mangini said. "To have limited reps and come in and execute all the different things we asked him to execute, there were quite a few packages that we had, in order to try to get some things going offensively. That, to me, is classic Chad."

Mangini said Clemens was having tests done yesterday on the rib, and said the quarterback's non-throwing shoulder wasn't injured as far as he knew. When asked if Clemens has a broken rib, Mangini was typically evasive.

"He has a rib," Mangini said.

When asked if he has more than that, Mangini smiled and offered only: "I think he has multiple. I'm not sure how many. Didn't take that class in college."

Since taking over as the starter six weeks ago, Clemens has struggled mightily. He has completed only 52 percent of his throws and has four touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Even more alarming, Clemens' 59.0 quarterback rating is the second-worst in the league. Only San Francisco's Trent Dilfer is worse at 55.1.

"I think Kellen has done a lot of good things and there's a lot of things that he's still growing into and learning about with experience," Mangini said. "That's common with any young player. Didn't really get to see very much of him yesterday. Just a couple of plays."

With two games left in the season, the Jets don't have much time to see if Clemens can handle the role of being a starting quarterback. If Clemens is healthy enough to play, the Jets would have eight more quarters to evaluate him.

"It's always important for us to play the best players, look at the situation for the best players that week, and that doesn't change," Mangini said. "When you're dealing with a situation like this, every injury is different, so you have to see how that plays out. That's what we're doing, gathering information and let the week unfold."

Whoever starts at Tennessee might have to be without wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who has been struggling with a high left ankle sprain and reinjured it in a freak accident Saturday at the team hotel.

"I don't know all the specifics," Mangini said.

Coles told reporters after the game that as he sat on the trainer's table, it fell directly on the ankle. He was on the field for one play against the Patriots before shutting it down for the day.

"We'll see where he is and evaluate it," Mangini said. "L.C. wants to play and I appreciate that."

[Kentucky Jet]

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, December 18th 2007, 4:00 AM

With only two meaningless, post-Spy Bowl games remaining, it might make sense to shut down WR Laveranues Coles, who is dealing with a severe high-ankle sprain. But Eric Mangini wasn't ready Monday to go there.

"We'll see where he is and evaluate it," Mangini said. "L.C. wants to play, and I appreciate that."

Coles played only one snap against the Patriots after aggravating the injury in a freak accident Saturday at the team hotel. Part of a training table came loose and landed on his ankle.

Said Mangini: "I'm not sure what the odds of something like that happening, but sometimes it does."

HIS OPTION: Mangini defended the decision to use Brad Smith for eight plays as an option quarterback. On his only pass, an fourth-and-2 incompletion to TE Chris Baker, Smith wore his wide-receiver gloves. "I thought it was a good play at the time," Mangini said.

FORGIVE & FORGET: Mangini avoided any harsh criticism of WR Justin McCareins, who dropped a third-down pass and misplayed a potential TD reception. McCareins has hurt the team with several drops this season.

"He works to get open and he put himself in a position to get the ball," Mangini said. "I'm sure he'd like to make them. We'd like him to make them."

[Kentucky Jet]

December 17, 2007

Mangini mum on Clemens' status

Eric Mangini muddied the quarterback waters a bit Monday, declining to say that Kellen Clemens will start this week if healthy.

Chances are, Mangini was playing his give-no-information game, hoping to keep the Titans in the dark as long as possible. It

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets' QB up in air

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

By J.P. PELZMAN

STAFF WRITER

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Eric Mangini indicated Monday that he doesn't know who will be the Jets' starting quarterback against Tennessee on Sunday.

Maybe it's also fair to wonder who will be the starter next season.

Kellen Clemens suffered what the Jets termed a rib injury Sunday when he was drilled by New England defensive end Richard Seymour. Clemens left the Jets' 20-10 loss to the Patriots after only two plays, and didn't return. Chad Pennington played most of the rest of the game in his place.

Mangini, as usual, refused to provide much of an update Monday on Clemens' injury status, although he did indicate Clemens had an MRI exam. When asked about who would start at quarterback against the Titans (8-6), Mangini responded, "We've got to see where Kellen is at in terms of the injury."

When pressed as to whether Clemens would start Sunday if he is healthy, Mangini wouldn't go that far, answering, "I'm just going to have to evaluate it throughout the course of the week in terms of his health. ... I just have to see how the injury is going to affect his preparation throughout the course of the week. ... [i'll] look at both quarterbacks and evaluate at the end of the week."

Clemens, who has started seven games in his second year as a pro, is 2-5 in those games. Not counting his two relief appearances this season, he is 107-for-203 for 1,312 yards and four touchdowns with eight interceptions.

That doesn't seem like enough evidence to anoint Clemens as the starter going into 2008, but Mangini said he isn't thinking about the off-season and long-term decisions the Jets (3-11) will have to make about this position.

"I haven't really been looking at it like that," Mangini said. "I've been looking at it more in terms of each game and not in terms of what we're going to be doing after the season comes to a close."

Mangini said he chose to play Pennington after Clemens got hurt because "when you have an injury like [Clemens] had, you've got to look at how that injury can impact his performance. Although he may be able to go in and function, [but] function at what level? At that point I just made the decision that Chad, who isn't dealing with an injury situation, was better for us. I thought he did a nice job."

Pennington was 25-for-38 for 186 yards in the game. The eighth-year veteran, who still wants to be a starter in the NFL, could be traded in the off-season if the Jets believe Clemens is the guy. But Pennington also could be starting Sunday.

"I'm just going to be me," Pennington said Sunday when asked if he hopes to start against the Titans. "I don't have any control over the coaches' decisions. I prepare as hard as I can and do everything I'm supposed to do to be ready. And when I'm called on, I'll be ready."

COLES UPDATE: Mangini was asked if the Jets would shut down wide receiver Laveranues Coles (sprained left ankle), who was in for only one play against New England after a freak accident Saturday in which he fell off a wobbly trainer's table at the team hotel. "It will be the same" as before, Mangini said. "We'll see where he is and evaluate it. LC wants to play, and I appreciate that. You always evaluate it week to week."

Of the bizarre incident, Mangini said, "I don't know all the specifics," adding, "I'm not sure what the odds are of something like that happening, but sometimes it does."

E-mail: pelzman@northjersey.com

* * *

Chad vs. Kellen

Here's how the two Jets' quarterbacks, Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens, have fared this season:

Chad Kellen

Attempts 228 225

Completions 153 117

Comp. Pct. 67.1 52.0

TD passes 9 4

Interceptions 7 10

QB rating 85.8 59.0

my addition: WINS! Kellen 2 ; CHAD 1 That is the only stat that is important and if our receivers held onto a few accurately thrown passes, Kellen wins another two games! KJ

[Kentucky Jet]

Jets

[Kentucky Jet]

Another Wasted Opportunity

Posted by Bob Bullock December 17, 2007 8:27PM

The Jets had every chance to pull off one of the biggest upsets of all time. It was a chance to create a silver lining in this otherwise dreadful 2007 season. Four times the team had golden opportunities to put up points and make this a day Jets' fans would remember for a long time. give the fans some actual enjoyment. HA, not a chance, not this Jets team.

Instead it turned into a game just like all of the rest. The team plays good enough to hang in it, but when plays are there to be made, nobody makes them. Let me count the ways.

1) Brad Smith's horrible pass attempt on a fourth down play deep in Patriots territory -NO POINTS

2) Chris Baker's fumble trying to get extra yards deep in Patriots territory -NO POINTS

3) Justin McCareins bobbling a perfect Pennington pass in the back of the end zone. -NO TOUCHDOWN and NO POINTS (see play #4)

4) Mike Nugent misses a field goal that would have pulled the Jets within 7 points.

Those are just the top four plays. Throw in a blocked punt, another McCareins drop on third down (McCareins is one of the worst players in the history of pro football!) and of course the Clemens interception on the first pass of the game. There were just so many plays there to be made but all they turned into was more wasted opportunities for Gang Green.

Such is life as a Jets fan in 2007, waiting for a play to be made only to be disappointed over and over. I give a nod to the defense for playing well again, but it takes a team effort to win. This team needs to upgrade the talent level, obviously, trying to come up with some "difference makers" on both offense and defense.

Right now, the Patriots have quite a few of them, the Jets don't.

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[Kentucky Jet]

Ex-NFL( JETS) player in gambling bust

Burger allegedly part of Internet gambling operation

Posted: Monday December 17, 2007 3:01PM; Updated: Monday December 17, 2007 4:01PM

SOMERVILLE, N.J. (AP) -- A former NFL offensive lineman was one of five men arrested over the weekend in a bust of an alleged Internet gambling operation.

Todd Burger, 37, of Freehold, allegedly collected gambling debts for suspect Anthony "Cheese" Pecoraro, 34, of Colts Neck.

Burger started all 16 games and both postseason games for the New York Jets in 1998. He played for the Chicago Bears from 1993-97, starting a total of 24 games. He was signed by the Bears as a free agent after playing at Penn State.

According to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office and New Jersey State Police, who conducted a four-month joint investigation, the operation used the Web site www.beteastsports.com to process illegal wagers. Players used code names and Pecoraro set gambling limits, settled disputes and controlled the paying off and collecting of bets.

In addition to Burger and Pecoraro, authorities arrested Stephen Barone, 44, of Jackson; Daniel Alaimo, 51, of Metuchen; and Peter Carfaro, 26, of Brooklyn.

Authorities seized about $70,000 in cash from the suspects in addition to computers and a .357 Magnum handgun.

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[Kentucky Jet]

Tuesday, 12/18/07

Titans' playoff chances rated at 19.2%

Two wins pushes it to 76.6

By JIM WYATT

Staff Writer

With two weeks left in the regular season, the Titans need more than two wins to make the playoffs. They also need help.

One statistician rates their chances of getting there at 19.2 percent, though that number would increase significantly if they beat the Jets and Colts.

And that's all Coach Jeff Fisher is concerned with right now, starting with the Jets at LP Field on Sunday.

"If we're fortunate to win this game this week, regardless of what happens this week, we are still alive next week," Fisher said. "We have experienced this before

[JonEJet]

Fueling speculation that Mangini could go back to Pennington is the fact that Clemens' performance since becoming the starter has been spotty. He has completed 52 percent of his passes, with four touchdowns and 10 interceptions and has a rating of 59.0. Pennington has completed 67.1 percent of his passes, with nine TDs and seven picks and a rating of 85.8.

I guess KC really doesn't have "it" yet

Not that Penne does, but I think unfortunately QB is an area we MUST address