interesting article on the Chad,Kellen, Jets

[BReal32]

sorry. i don't know if this has been posted yet. i've been away for a while and haven't really been watching the boards.

here it is.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/sportsline/main10827499.shtml

[Irish Jet]

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- With all the changes the New York Jets made in the offseason, the presumption is they will be deeper, stronger and more competitive. OK, that's terrific, but here's something I still don't know: Who quarterbacks them?

Will Eric Mangini call on Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens to start? (Getty Images) When you have an answer, do me a favor: Dial Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens because they don't have a clue. Neither does their head coach, Eric Mangini, and I'm not sure that's a good sign.

You see, Clemens was supposed to be the starter by now. Mangini made him a second-round draft pick in 2006, wheeled him out for eight starts a year ago and all but designated him the team's "quarterback of the future."

Only the future is now, and now, in his third pro season, Clemens is in a dead heat with Pennington for the job.

The prevailing opinion outside the organization is that the coaching staff would like Clemens to succeed basically because he, not Pennington, was its draft choice and because he is younger, has a stronger arm and has more of a future than his predecessor.

But that's not what you get when you listen to Mangini, and, pardon me, isn't that a little ... um ... unusual?

It should be for Clemens because someone should have a conviction about him by now, and someone apparently does not. It should be for Pennington, too, because all the guy's done for the Jets is lead them to three playoffs, gain a reputation for accuracy and win a slew of games.

But neither has the edge, and if you don't believe me, stop by one of the team's OTAs. Pennington and Clemens split everything down the middle, with Mangini going so far as to have them flip a coin to determine who took snaps with the first team at its opening practice.

Pennington won.

"It will come down to the same sort of evaluation," Mangini said. "Who manages the game the best and who gives us the best choice to win."

Normally, you'd think that would be Pennington. He was the quarterback who in 2006 returned from two shoulder surgeries to lead the Jets to an unexpected playoff berth in Mangini's first season. But the success was short-lived, with Pennington 1-7 last season before he was benched.

Now let's stop here for one second: Does anyone really believe Pennington was the problem in 2007? The offensive line stunk, the Jets couldn't run the ball and Pennington and, later, Clemens were overwhelmed and overrun by opposing defenses.

Or as Clemens so carefully put it, "I think when you go 4-12, there are a lot of positions open for competition."

Fair enough. But the fact is that the Jets gave up on Pennington by midseason and gave Clemens a chance to nail down the starter's job for keeps. He failed. In fact, he had the distinction of producing the NFL's lowest passer rating, with twice as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (five).

Of course, he also won three of his eight starts -- or three of seven, if you throw out the New England game where he was sidelined on the second play -- and that's encouraging. Granted, two of those wins came against league doormats -- Miami and Kansas City -- but it doesn't matter.

A win is a win is a win, and Clemens finished the season with a win.

"The main thing I took away from it," he said of last season, "was the confidence that I can do it. I can make the plays. I can make the throws. Now, going into this year, you look for more consistency and productivity."

That sounds like most quarterbacks coming off a half-season of starting, so what's the big deal? Why not make him the early favorite?

I don't know, either, but the Jets won't, and that tells you how unstable the position might be. Look, the Jets could win with Pennington. They have won with Pennington. But for some reason they have him -- and Clemens -- in a position where neither is sure what will happen.

"It certainly isn't the first time I've competed for a spot," said Clemens, "or that Chad competed for a spot. It's something I embrace."

It's something Pennington embraces, too, but that doesn't mean either has to like it. And I suspect neither does. In fact, if you listen to Pennington it's clear where he stands on the subject, even though he was careful in his choice of words.

"I believe when I play quarterback, our team has an excellent chance to win," he said. "That's not me making it up. That's proven. That's on the record. And I believe in that strongly.

"I believe in how I approach the game and how I execute. My outlook and demeanor will never change in that regard."

Pennington makes sense for a team built for the short-haul, a club that absolutely, positively must win now. Let's face it, if the Jets are nothing more than a 6-10 or 7-9 club -- especially after the gazillions they spent on free agents and re-signings -- Mangini can start polishing his r

[NJ]

It tells me one thing. Clark Judge needs to report on water polo or something he might know something about.