Yardbarker: Chad Pennington

DO NOT WANT...Brett Favre on the Jets

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:58:01 -0500

The magical, mythical, overrated, ESPN created monster known as Brett Favre has been involved in trade rumors for basically every team that doesn't have a solid starting quarterback.....Including 5 Reasons Why Favre Should Not Be On the Jets

More Favre to Jets Talk...Literally

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:54:25 -0500

Mike Francesa of WFAN's Mike and the Mad Dog show in NY confirmed that there has been discussions within the organization about the Jets acquiring Brett Favre. Trade rumors around NY are anywhere from a second round pick straight up to Pennington and a sixth round pick. With Video

Hello Training Camp, Goodbye Jason Taylor

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:17:44 -0500

Two great things that go great together. The start of training camp for the New York Jets coinciding with long time Jets hater and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Jason Taylor getting sent packing from the AFC East. JT was a royal pain in the rear but even his presence didn't prevent the Jets from owning the Fish of late, but it's nice to see him gone. If you forget what JT looks like just pick up a copy of the ESPN Classic Miracle at the Meadowlands Jets-Dolphins game on Monday Night Football. Taylor is the noodnik giving Jets fans a choke sign before the Dolphins proceeded to lose a 30-7 second half lead. As Jets training camp kicks off the player whose progress I'm most excited about is…Justin Miller. If he can step up to the plate and give us a second good young cornerback our defense may be top 5. He had an entire year to mature and study his position. He has always had the physical talent but he never applied himself to the classroom and game film so hopefully he comes back a new player at a position most fans thought Jets were desperate at. It looks like Favre won't be joing the quarterback controversy so it should be a fun battle to watch between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens. Don't forget the Pope did bestow the divine touch on Clemens in the offseason. Don't underrate that. You can't coach divine intervention and I'll take anything I can get before ruling Clemens a bust. And last but not least the Jets signed one of their two first round draft picks over the weekend — Dustin Keller. The man who may be our MVP in my opinion. Get your Keller jerseys now as he will be a force to be reckoned with.

2008 NFL Quarterbacks Report

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:36:30 -0500

The Football Consigliere's takes and in depth look of the 2008 NFL Quarterback Class! Click on this link to go directly to The All American Touchdown Derby for a chance to win over $5,000 in Cash & Material Prizes all season long! www.passitdeep.com

Vols Ainge Signs With Jets

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:47:46 -0500

Quarterback Erik Ainge signed a contract with the NFL's Jets Thursday, after being picked by them in the fifth round of April's draft. Ainge is expected to compete to be the Jets third quarterback behind Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens. The 6-5 Ainge started 35 games for the Tennessee Vols during his college career in Knoxville, passing for more than 6300 yards and 51 touchdowns. Ainge is the nephew of Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge.

NFL Season Preview: New York Jets

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:49:52 -0500

The Jets have been spending the past few months trying to fit a three-year rebuilding mode into just one offseason. Last season, they were one of the laughing-stocks of the NFL, but they made plenty of moves to improve their team. They bolstered their offensive line in free agency and helped their defense in the draft. So what is all the help going to bring them for next season? www.rawsportsblog.com

Where’s He Going to Go?

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:55:06 -0500

Presumably, the Packers don't really want Favre back after all that's happened. Essentially, their message is they aren't going to free him to sign with any of the league's other 31 teams — especially not NFC North division rivals Minnesota, Chicago or Detroit — and he won't be given his starting job back if he returns to Green Bay. The most likely scenario would have Favre petitioning the league for reinstatement and the Packers trading him to an AFC team, or at least an NFC team outside the division. Among the teams that fit that profile are the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Redskins. The Packers' best-case scenario, in which Favre would've simply stayed retired, almost certainly won't happen. The Packers went so far as to send an intermediary down to Mississippi last week to try to talk Favre into staying retired, but their attempt failed. The Wisconsin State Journal's article puts serious contenders for Favre out there for the first time in a while. But would these really help Brett Favre? He obviously wants to go to a contender and the Minnesota Vikings are rumored to be his top choice (which means he's looking to follow Darren Sharper and Ryan Longwell), but Minnesota most likely isn't going to happen. Do these really give Favre a chance to be a winner though? The Miami Dolphins were 1-15 last year and are starting from the ground up. They have a new coach in Tony Sparano and a new head man in Bill Parcells. If Favre wants to win, Miami would probably not be the best option. Parcells and Sparano are getting reputations as strictly business, given their run-in with superstar-turned-wanna-be-actor Jason Taylor. A Taylor-for-Favre swap is pretty intriguing, but I don't think that's what Taylor wants and Favre wants a winner, but I don't see the Dolphins turning into playoff contenders right away. Right now, John Beck, Chad Henne, and Josh McCown are the quarterbacks on the roster for the Dolphins. Beck started last year and had a lot of trouble adjusting to the pro-game. He could have been Cam Cameron's quarterback of the future, but with Parcells coming in, his future is up in the air. Parcells used a high draft pick on Henne, who could be Parcells' "guy" while McCown is the veteran in the mix. McCown also happens to be a friend of the Packers family, along with Nathan Poole, for knocking the Vikings out and Packers into the playoffs in (I think) 2003. God, I love opening old wounds. So the Dolphins do not look that likely if Favre wants to win. If he wants to play and end up on MediCare, he can go for it. The Baltimore Ravens would be the worst situation for me besides an NFC North team. I may be in the Baltimore area, but I do not like the Ravens. Besides the personal anguish this would cost me, the Ravens cannot quite afford Favre. Right now the Packers have 2008 first round pick Joe Flacco, 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, and bust Kyle Boller. The Ravens are also reeling from the Steve McNair-era where they were at the mercy of an aging quarterback on the downside of his career. I have read many columnists in the Baltimore-area newspapers, and it's clear they do not want Favre. They know that on the heels of a 5-11 season that they need to rebuild and devote time and confidence to either Flacco or Smith, something they did not do with Boller. The only way to get their quarterbacks better and to put themselves in a position to win in the future would be to let Flacco and Smith play and become experienced. I pretty much covered the Chiefs, one of the most inept franchises in history. But they can still have fantasies. Like this one. And this one. And finally this one. The Jets are intriguing. Favre is older than head coach Eric Mangini. Kellen Clemens looks like he could be a good quarterback if he is given time to play, which wouldn't happen if Favre joined the team. Chad Pennington is still on the team and he has had some pretty good moments in his time in the Big Apple. I'm no Jets expert, but this scenario is pretty mysterious. Who knows here. I just don't know whether Favre would want to play for a team coming off a losing season. It seems like every year Sports Illustrated picks the Panthers to win the Super Bowl. But it doesn't happen. They are mired in the .500-ball heave that is the NFC South. The team does not have many offensive weapons outside of Steve Smith and at times last year, it seemed like they could not do anything right. Sure, they played in Super Bowl XXXVIII. But that feels like ancient history. Also, the Panthers seems set with Jake Delhomme as their signal caller. Tampa Bay is quarterback heaven. Jon Gruden is apparently tight with Favre because of the days of the Holmgren regime. But seriously, how many quarterbacks on the roster? Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, Luke McCown, Chris Simms, and rookie Josh Johnson. They've got about every type in there. Let's add aging-gunslinger to that category. The Bucs won the division in 2007, but the fact that they won it at 9-7 leaves no guarantee for them to be a winner in 2008. Not seeing Favre here. The Redskins are another interesting possibility. They've got plenty of money (aka Dan Snyder) and a young quarterback in Jason Campbell. The Redskins know what they are doing with Campbell by letting him play last year. The only reason a player can get better is by playing. And he got better as the season went on before he got hurt and Todd Collins led the team to the playoffs. The Skins have been down this road before with Mark Brunell. I don't think that worked too well. So there we have it. I'd say Favre doesn't have any really good options out there. Anywhere he went (Minnesota included) he would get in the way of the development of a team.

I Want Fav-Re

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:22:41 -0500

All the talk of rebuilding and youth movement for the New York Jets is mularkey. This team spent a ton of money to get back on the competive side of teh street. Win now? Let's not get carried away. Could they if the QB plays well or better than expected? Hell, yeah. Look, Chad is a great soldier and is the QB of the past. Kellen could be the guy of the future but what about right now? Who should the quarterback of the present be for the Jets? Brett Favre. Why not? What is holding this up? A second round pick? I'd do it even if it meant watching Brett Favre lead my team for just one season. He is a special once in a lifetime player who should never have gotten this close to being free. The Jets need this type of player more than they needed Bill Parcells. This is a guy with a swagger who everybody loves to root for. He's Joe Willie without the fur coats or Sopranos links. So why won't the suits at the former Weeb Ewbank Hall pull the trigger? Money, Favre's age and possibly the biggest reason: Eric Mangini. Favre is older than Mangini and is a supernova peronsality to Mangini's tiny satellite moon. Mangini is cut from the stoic charisma-less Bill Belichick mold. Mangini isn't quite as somnambulistic as Belicheat but he's more tortoise than hare. The bottom line is winning and who among the trio of Pennington, Clemens, and Favre gives the Jets the best chance of getting back to the playoffs and dethroing the Patsies? Hint: He played himself in There's Something About Mary.

Agonizing Defeats in Jaguars History (#16 - #13)

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:11:36 -0500

Today continues our five-part series where we identify the 20 most-agonizing defeats in Jaguars history. Check back every day this week as we revisit 4 heartbreaking losses per day. Be sure to leave us comments about what you remember about those games. Don't worry: we promise to cheer you up next week during the series "Amazing Victories In Jaguars History." #16 | 11/23/03 vs. New York Jets / 13-10: It was dubbed "The Battle of Marshall Quarterbacks" as former Thundering Herd quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Chad Pennington squared off against each other. The game was a huge snoozer through three quarters as each team managed only three points. The 4th quarter was a different story. After the Jets took a 6-3 lead from K Doug Brien's 35-yard field goal with 12:49 left in the game, Leftwich and the Jaguars orchestrated a drive that lasted almost eight minutes. RB Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala rumbled into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown score to give the Jaguars a 10-6 lead. After two drives died quickly for both teams, the Jets took over on their own 6-yard line with 3:00 left in the game. Pennington threw on twelve straight pass plays as he moved the Jets down the field, eventually finding WR Santana Moss for a 3-yard touchdown score with :33 left in the game. The Jaguars' ensuing drive stalled inside their own territory, and the Jets won an ugly game 13-10. #15 | 12/1/02 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 25-23: The Jaguars were trailing 22-10 with about 12 minutes left in the game, but they clawed their way back to within 5 points when QB Mark Brunell found TE Kyle Brady on a 42-yard touchdown pass. Pittsburgh would tack on another field goal with about 4:30 left in the game to go up 25-17. Brunell marched the Jaguars down the field, eventually hooking up with WR Jimmy Smith for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 1:19 left in the game. But the ensuing two-point conversion failed, and Pittsburgh held on to edge Jacksonville 25-23. #14 | 10/1/06 vs. Washington Redskins / 36-30: The Jaguars were coming off a tough road loss the week before to Indianapolis, and they were off to Washington to face their former field general: QB Mark Brunell. The thrilling game went back and forth as each team traded barbs well into the 4th quarter. With :06 left in the game, K Josh Scobee booted a 41-yard field goal to tie the game 30-30 and send it into overtime. The Jacksonville joy would be short-lived just 1:49 into the overtime period, as Brunell hit WR Santana Moss for a 68-yard touchdown pass. Washington outlasted Jacksonville 36-30, and it gave Brunell some minor satisfaction against the team that gave up on him just three years before. #13 | 12/17/95 vs. Detroit Lions / 44-0: The Jaguars' inaugural season was not a successful one in terms of wins. By the time Week 16 rolled around, the Jaguars were long since eliminated from the playoff hunt. However, nobody saw the thrashing that was coming courtesy of the Detroit Lions. Led by QB Scott Mitchell and RB Barry Sanders, they contributed four of the five Lions' touchdowns in the lopsided 44-0 win over Jacksonville. It was the first time the Jaguars were shut out, and it remains the biggest margin of defeat in Jacksonville history.

Amazing Victories in Jaguars History (#20 - #17)

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:11:35 -0500

Today begins a five-part series where we identify the 20 most thrilling wins in Jaguars history. Check back every day this week as we revisit 4 amazing victories per day. Be sure to leave us comments about what you remember about those games. Enjoy! #20 | 10/1/95 vs. Houston Oilers / 17-16: Win #1 out of 113 franchise wins so far. The Jaguars had lost their inaugural regular season home game in Jacksonville to the Oilers back in Week 1, and were 0-4 heading into the rematch in Houston. The Jaguars took a 10-6 lead into halftime, but found themselves down 16-10 in the 4th quarter. The tides would turn in the Jaguars' favor as QB Mark Brunell hit WR Desmond Howard for a 15-yard TD strike that won the game 17-16. #19 | 9/19/04 vs. Denver Broncos / 7-6: From the beginning of the 2004 preseason, the Jaguars' offense was a sputtering disaster. This game was no different as the Jaguars only managed 8 first downs, 176 passing yards, and 67 rushing yards. The Jaguars held a slim 7-6 lead at halftime, and the majority of the second half was nothing more than a punter's paradise. Toward the end of the 3rd quarter, Denver K Jason Elam missed a 51-yard field goal that would've given the Broncos the lead. But Denver got another chance. With 2:20 in the game, QB Jake Plummer led the Broncos down the field from their 11-yard line to Jaguars 23-yard line. Facing a 3rd and 9 with :37 left, the Broncos could have tried an easy field goal. But Coach Mike Shanahan elected to run one more play. It would backfire as RB Quentin Griffin fumbled the ball, and the Jaguars recovered to seal the ugly yet improbable victory 7-6. #18 | 12/16/07 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers / 29-22: The first of five classic Jaguars-Steelers games in this countdown. The Jaguars traveled to chilly Pittsburgh to face the Steelers with playoff fever in the wintry air. Jacksonville mauled Pittsburgh in the trenches, and took a commanding 22-7 lead heading into the 4th quarter. But a short pass from QB David Garrard intended for RB Greg Jones was tipped and intercepted by the Steelers. It sparked a 15-point turnaround by Pittsburgh, and the game was tied 22-22. Jacksonville used their double-shot RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to pound the Steelers run defense, running time off the clock in the process. With 2:02 left in the game, Taylor burst through the Steelers defense for a 12-yard touchdown score to give the Jaguars a 29-22 lead. Pittsburgh attempted one more comeback, but the drive stalled at the Jaguars' 45-yard line, giving Jacksonville a big AFC road win and inching them closer to a Wild Card rematch with the Steelers only weeks later. RB Fred Taylor also set a Heinz Field rushing record with 147 yards on this day. #17 | 9/25/05 vs. New York Jets / 26-20: The Jaguars were smarting from a tough loss the week before in Indianapolis, and they were looking to rebound against the New York Jets in Week 3. The Jaguars took a 10-7 lead at halftime thanks in part to RB Fred Taylor's franchise-record 37 rushing attempts for the game. But Jacksonville started off the 3rd quarter miserably as QB Byron Leftwich's fumble was returned 33 yards for a Jets touchdown score. The Jaguars would retake the lead 20-17 into the 4th quarter, and seemed to be heading for a victory with 3:17 in the game. But a costly fumble by WR Reggie Williams gave New York new life. With 1:24 left to play, Pennington threw what appeared to be a game-clinching touchdown pass. But the play was overturned, and the Jets had to settle for a field goal to tie the game at 20-20. The two teams took the brawl into overtime, and the football gods chose Jacksonville on this day. On 3rd and 12, Leftwich called an audible and threw a beautiful ball to a streaking WR Jimmy Smith for a 36-yard touchdown score. The Jaguars won the overtime thriller 26-20.

Let Jets Get Brett

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:02:50 -0500

As training camp looms on the horizon and the battle for the New York Jets starting quarterback job stands as the top prize here is one interesting twist: What if Brett Favre were a free agent? I am a fan of both both let's face it, Chad Pennington versus Kellen Clemens ain't exactly Ali-Frazier. If Brett Favre is available he should finish his career where he came thisclose to starting it…as a New York Jet. I make that move in a heartbeat because that has to make this team incredibly dangerous overnight at the cost of just a free agent contract. As always, the underwhelming and overrated Pete Prisco offers his scientific analysis on postion battles and this time focuses on the AFC East heading into training camp. check out this in-depth scouting report. You'll be sorry you did.

NY Jets Fantasy Depth Chart

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:07:34 -0500

Thomas Jones has the potential to be a top sleeper pick in this year's drafts now that the Jets have made some significant upgrades to their offensive line. Check out this fantasy depth chart article to see which Jets will be worth drafting and when.

2008 Fantasy Football Projections- New York Jets

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 03:27:24 -0500

After coming off an impressive 10-6 campaign in 2006, everyone thought the New York Jets would compete with the New England Patriots for the AFC East title, but inconsistency on both sides of the football led to a disappointing 2007 season. The Jets finished with a 4--12 record, lost eight of their first 9 games and failed to win consecutive games. A big issues that led to the Jets downfall was the play at quarterback. Chad Pennington started the season under center, but battled injury as well as rocky play which eventually led to the Kellen Clemens era in New York. However, Clemens failed to find his groove and could manage just five touchdown passes in 10 games. Newly acquired running back Thomas Jones surpassed the 1,000 rushing yard mark, but it took him twelve games until he scored his first touchdown in a Jets uniform. To read the rest more about what Bruno Boys Co-Owner Marc Caviglia has to say about the New York Jets and their fantasy football projections for the 2008 season, click below...

MANUFACTURED JOY - NEW YORK JETS

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:30:15 -0500

by Zac, Throwing Into Traffic

Manufactured Joy is a series in which we'll be going through the NFL team by team, from the bottom to the top, and giving fans five good reasons why they should be excited to watch their team in action this season. Today, the New York Jets.

1. Gh-Gh-Gh-GHOLSTON!

Crappy old cartoon references aside, DE Vernon Gholston, who will likely be converted to an OLB in the Jets 3-4 scheme, is the most high risk/high reward player of the draft. At various points, scouts had him being considered with the number one overall pick. As it turns out, he went as low as he could have gone (given who was on the board), and the Jets may have gotten the draft's best player at the sixth pick. Then again, they could have also gotten its biggest bust. Gholston's physical gifts are well known; pound for pound, there was not a single athlete in this draft more naturally gifted. Equally obvious is his potential for taking games over, as when he wanted to, he was unstoppable (the game against Michigan was a thing of beauty). The trouble is that both his natural gifts and his drive to overpower opponents seemed to disappear inexplicably at times. The optimistic outlook is that it's hard to stay motivated to compete when you can beat the competition without trying that hard, and that a move to the pros with the right coaching will only allow Gholston to find new ways to use his physical gifts. The pessimistic side of that coin is that if he wasn't that motivated to consistently perform in order to get to the league, why should we assume he'll suddenly turn it on now that money has started falling from the sky. Still, he's entering the right system, with a coach who once showed an amazing ability to get the most out of his personnel (Mangini's first year was remarkable for what he did with that defense). Whether he can get it together or not, he chance that he might makes him worth watching this season.

2. The Jets didn't get McFadden!

And yes, I do mean that as a positive. I really like McFadden, but this defense needed the kind of kick in the ass that Gholston has the potential to give it. Don't get me wrong, I think every team should have the kind of fast, sneaky back who can turn short receptions into home runs and confuse defenses…and the Jets already have that in "Neon" Leon Washington. For those of you who have missed out on the steal of the 2006 draft, Washington is basically Reggie Bush except several million dollars cheaper. He can run, he can catch passes, he returns kicks, and the Jets even lined him up and ran the option every once in a while last year (further raising the question: WHY DO THEY STILL HAVE BRAD SMITH?!?). It was bad enough last year when it looked like Mangini and the gang were trying to find ways to ignore their offense's most potent threat, and getting McFadden would have made it worse. The NFL isn't about saving special talents for every sixth play; it's about wringing them dry and bathing in the glory. Year three is where Washington gets some recognition for the speed he shows at his position, not just kick returns.

3. Cautious optimism regarding Thomas Jones!

Dear Thomas Jones,

I know in the past I've said some negative things about you. Ok, I've said some very negative things about you. Ok, there may or may not be a tag on my blog labeled "Zac's Hatred" in which you get top billing. That's neither here nor there. What's important is that I am tentatively, cautiously, anxiously optimistic about your upcoming season. I mean, when you had a very good offensive line to run behind in Chicago, you were a thoroughly above-average back. Hell, you averaged over four yards a carry. I can't even imagine that. Literally, I can't picture you taking a ball and moving forward with it more than four yards without my ears starting to bleed. Still, it happened. And it can happen again. The Jets brought in OG Alan Faneca (who is also an offensive guard), and with both C Nick Mangold and LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson entering their third year, the line, or at least the left side of the line, could be very, very good. So how about this: I'll stop saying mean things about you, and you stop being…well…being like you. Deal.

4. Handsome Chad for QB!

It is such bullshit that Tom Brady gets all the "dreamboat" talk, because everyone who watches AFC East football knows that the real catch of the division is Chad Pennington. Sure, Brady is a good looking guy, and he's easy to fall in love with; then he knocks you up and disappears into the vapors leaving a trail of smoke and a press release saying "we're thrilled to work together on this." Meanwhile, Chad Pennington is the kind of gee shucks guy you can bring home to mom. Also, he's not a bad QB. Say what you will about his arm strength, but they didn't lose last year because of his shoulder surgeries (they lost because it's not fair to ask ANY quarterback, no matter how strong, to consistently put up 30 or more). Hell, with the same arm he was the Comeback Player of the Year in 2006. Furthermore, he's also the smartest QB on the roster, and is likely to have more time to work through his reads, which is always a good thing for an intelligent QB. Chad is still an incredibly accurate QB who has no problems working a mid range pass, and really, who on this team is catching the deep stuff anyway? I like Laveranues Coles, but he's still the best number two receiver trapped in a number one spot, and nothing more. The fact that the Jets didn't really make any moves to improve the pass game (outside of the obvious move of dropping Justin McCareins) means that the mid range pass is king once more in NY, and the best man for that job is Handsome Chad.

5. But if not him, then The American Dream Kellen Clemens for QB!

Let me tell you all the story of a young man named Kellen Clemens, who grew up in a small town in Oregon and got on a bus with nothing but a lunchbox, a big arm, and a dream, and left in search of stardom in the bright lights of New York City. Coming back to reality, year one of the Kellen Clemens experiment, perhaps its only year, was a rough one. Like, worst QB rating in the league rough. Like, throw one TD pass to ten interceptions rough. Still, it's not entirely fair to judge Clemens on one half-season in which an already out of the playoffs team was thrown on his back, the defense was miserable, the offensive line was in shambles, Thomas Jones was his running back (crap…forget I said that, Thomas), Justin McCareins was special olympicizing his way through his number two receiver role, and, well, he really didn't seem ready to start. The truth is, Clemens showed, in spurts, the kind of athleticism that can buy time in the pocket, and there's no question about his arm strength (seriously, Kellen, not everything has to come out hot…we know you've got the strongest arm on the team). Personally, I'm a Chad fan, but I wouldn't be surprised if Clemens is able to turn a revamped line and a year under center into smarter decisions and a productive use of his many athletic gifts. Besides, QB BATTLE IN THE PARKING LOT!!!

Whatifsports AFC East Preview

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:15:35 -0500

In the first of a series, Whatifsports previews the AFC East by simulating the upcoming 2008 season, complete team analysis, projected scores, and fantasy notables. Can the Patriots bounce back from their Super Bowl loss? Can the Bills make the playoffs? Will Bill Parcells work his magic and make the Dolphins a winner? The supercomputer knows...