The last INT Eli threw in the Tennessee loss was a worse decision than any Chad has ever made. Running right, you can throw it out of bounds, run out of bounds, even take a knee and go to OT. I know that's one play, but the strongest arm in the world doesn't help you if that's the kind of decision you make with the game on the line.
This is where I take exception. Not the Eli part but Pennington can give any of these guys a run for their money when it comes to awful decisions this season on picks.
The thing about Pennington is he has to play almost perfectly to play well with the physical limitations he has. When he starts off a game bad against a decent opponent bringing pressure you pretty much know how the rest of the game can go. Eli can look like garbage most of the game but all of a sudden it will "click" and he can lead his team back. I think that ability is more valuable then looking like an all pro against the dregs of the league.
I'd put that pick that went back vs. the Bills up there. How about the one in the end zone vs the Bears?
Chad's arm is weak, I can't believe people are in denial about this. He does have good touch, but you can tell when that's the intention and when it isn't. You don't throw with "touch" on a 15 yard out....oops, Chad stopped even attempting those so I can't even really point to them. When he does try he just overthrows or underthrows them anyway. The best way to tell a QB's arm strength is to watch how he handles pressure and throwing on the move. In the NFL if you can't deal with pressure you're doomed. When Chad gets pressure, he usually doesn't have the awareness to even avoid and step up, but even when he does you get these horrible ducks, for instance, at the end of the Browns game where he throws this duck that takes so long to complete that Baker gets pushed out of bounds (bad call, but if the ball doesn't hang like that we win no question). Now look at Brees for instance from last week, gets pressured, avoids the rush, throws without setting, the ball strikes from 50 yards out for a completion in double coverage, to the perfect spot. That's the difference between a good NFL QB and an average one that can't perform against a good defense. You absolutely need to be able to beat the blitz without stepping into your throws against a good defense. Chad can not do this. That is why we suck against good defenses. Is Chad better than guys like Leaf? Sure. Better than George? I don't know, look at his 94, 95, 97 and 99 stats. Those are 4 great seasons that Chad hasn't even come close to matching. It's really difficult to claim Chad is better than mediocre, if he even gets to that much. Outside of that run in 2002, this guy has been pretty unimpressive. There are maybe 5 teams in the league aside from the Jets that would want this guy starting for them.
The pick returned by the Bills was not a bad read but a bad throw and it was tipped in the air, the bears INt was a bad read but in the 1st qtr of a game compared to late int he 4th qtr when ten had stormed back to tie and he allowed them to win in regulation.
Chad's arm is NOT weak, it's not strong but it's not weak. he can make all the throws and brining up plays under pressure means nothing, every QB is hampered when getting pressure- that's the key to stopping QBs by getting pressure on them and forcing them into mistakes. Let's also not forget that Chad has played this year coming of 2 shoulder surgerises and he has no running game to take the pressure off our passing game. Chad throws well on the run, we actually should have more designed rollouts b/c I think he's almost better when he's moving.
Taking two quarterbacks having sporadic problems and comparing them is a little unfair. How about Leinart, Carson, or Peyton?
I would say Pennington "clicked" in the Texans game. The Jets didn't do much in the first half. Then Pennington starting rolling.
They were winning the whole game and Pennington wasn't exactly bad in the first half either, although he could've been better. I'm talking about where the Jets are down say 10 in the 4th and Pennington leads the team back for a W. I'm curious the largest 4th quarter deficeit Pennington has overcome in his career. Maybe junc can answer that.
Fair enough, I looked up it up myself. The Jets have won 3 games in the Pennington era that they started the 4th quarter trailing in. The most recent was the 49ers in 04 they were losing 14-9 and went on to win 22-14. The biggest comeback was against the Raiders in 03 they were down 21-10 heading to the 4th and they won 27-24 in OT. The other game was 02 against the Broncos where they were down 13-9 and won 19-13.
In other words when we get behind to a good team it is has ended in a loss during the Pennington era!
If Chad has that running game of Jacobs and Barber he gets the strongest type of play loaded into his arsenal: the play action fake. A lot of people on this board don't realize this, but apart from Peyton Manning nobody in the league fools a defense better than Pennington. He hasn't done it that much and it hasn't worked when he has because nobody is afraid of our backfield and rightfully so. You give Chad a stable line, a good backfield, and any group of receivers and he will shred you piece by piece.
Just curious, how many games was Chad in that we were down big in the first place? I'm sure there are a few, but not many. All through the Herm era the games were close and low scoring, for the most part.
