While reading this article something popped out and made me a little nervous. Can someone who has been at these practices shed some light on our offense. Thanks Chad's a Mudder of Invention for Offense Published: 08-08-07 By Jeff Weinstein Reporter The air was heavy, the temperatures were hot and a wet field was soaking players? socks in a morning practice that was setting up to be most uncomfortable. All of this did not matter to Chad Pennington. A short time after the Jets finished stretching, the quarterback did a bellyflop into the mud of the grass field in the Hofstra soccer stadium. Crazy? Maybe. But with Chad there is always a purpose. ?Well, if you don?t watch, training camp can get pretty negative with your attitude and body language, just your whole thought process,? he said. ?I tried to give us a spark. I don?t know if it worked or not, but it sure made me wet and muddy and miserable, I know that.? As Pennington prepares the offense mentally and physically two days before the team?s first preseason game, he does so with a newfound confidence in his second year learning the scheme. ?Chad's approach is consistent,? said head coach Eric Mangini. ?He does the same thing each day. He has an impressive approach to it all, and with a year under his belt and not having to learn the basic part of the system, he?s able to draw on that knowledge, build on that knowledge and expand it. He?s done some really good things in camp.? The quarterback has been particularly sharp the past few days. Inspired by a simulation of the famous 92-yard drive led by Joe Montana and the 49ers to win Super Bowl XXIII at the end of practice yesterday, Pennington led the first offense on a long march to the end zone in which the quarterback was 15-of-17 passing, delivering precise short throws down the field. He capped the drive with a spiral off his back foot that traveled 25 yards in the air over three defenders into the hands of Laveranues Coles, who tapped his two left feet in bounds before falling out of the side of the end zone. ?I feel good physically,? said Pennington. ?I feel like I?ve been able to come in here, make progress, try to create chemistry and a feel for our receivers, tight ends and running backs. That?s always the number one goal: to try to increase mentally and get better mentally within the offense and make sure I start to become an expert in this offense? While Pennington has looked strong for the balance of training camp, the offense as a unit has been inconsistent. Pennington?s attempt to lead a 90-yard drive last night ended at midfield, and today, the entire second offense took a lap together because of sloppy play. CP hopes the preseason will iron out any of the kinks the unit still has. ?With preseason games, you?ve got to make sure you take them seriously and make sure you?re getting better week in and week out, preparing yourself for game-like situations and game opportunities,? he said. ?We?ve got a lot of work to do in trying to make sure everyone?s on the same page, communicating and thinking the same way and being able to make adjustments on the run. That?s always most important.? One of the things Pennington has worked on, in conjunction with Mangini and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, is his play-calling, when left to his own devices, in the huddle. ?Coaches want to see how I think as a quarterback, how we react as a team under certain situations when we don?t have the help of the coaches,? said Pennington. ?The biggest thing in the NFL, a lot of the times defenses have your plays covered. How you adjust on the run as players throughout the play within those four or five seconds, that makes all the difference in the world in keeping the chains moving or having to punt and not having success.? According to Mangini, Pennington is often sent out on the field with two or three plays and it is up to the quarterback to pick which is best according to his read on the defense. Occasionally, he is all on his own to call the play. ?What I hope is that it creates confidence in our coaching staff to know that if something goes wrong or something messes up that they have confidence in me to get us in the right play and confidence in our offense, to execute even when we?re not told exactly what to do, that we can get it done anyhow,? said Pennington. ?Players play the game. You got to make sure you understand that.? Not many understand that better than Pennington.
It will be interesting to see what someone who has seen the practices says, but I wouldn't be worried about the offense sputtering at times in training camp. An attempted 90-yard drive that bogs down at midfield still gained 40 yards or so, which isn't bad, and it sounds like Chad is in fine form if he can hit 15 of 17 on a single drive (that must have been some drive!). It was the second string offense that had to take a lap for sloppy play, so really I don't see anything here to worry about.
It's a cliche` but it is true that the defense will always be ahead of the offense at this time of the year. the offense relies more on precision and timing, and needs a little more time to get the rust off. There are some potent weapons on the Jets' offense, including some top flight receivers and what looks to be a revamped running game. Out of TJ, Leon, Banks, Ware, Tutt, and Barnes, only one FB and one HB are here from last year. The success of the offense this season will depend on how the OL fares. It needs to open holes for the runners and protect the QB and give him time to throw. The game is won and lost in the trenches, imo.
wow. you can tell he is enjoying himself out there. Thats awesome to see considering what hes been through. Hes gonna kick ass this year...
Yep, spot on Jetcane.... I think it's all about the O line and if they can block well enough to make the running game potent enough to cause the opposing D to stay honest. If this line can open even one or two gaping holes per game, it would make a huge difference. I unfortunately have my doubts about that.
Don't really see the big deal here. Not every drive is going to go 90 yards, and the second team offense is bound to be a bit sloppy during training camp. And no, I didn't read the whole article
Haha nice one, dude. I really don't have much else to say other than the fact that the O Line will undoubtedly have to step it up this year. After a stellaer start at anchor for Mangold, and D Brick only gaining experience, I think the curtain will hold strong for the backfield. Not that it really matters; Thomas Jones runs sprints with a bungy cord attached to an 18 wheeler instead of a parachute.
I don't worry about much of anything until the season starts, other than injuries. Pre season practices and games are meaningless. I have been through too many seasons of false hopes and needless worrying based on some Tuesday afternoon practice in August or the outcome of a preseason game played between players who don't make either team's roster. It was complete sarcasm.
Very niiiice! That's what I was assuming; but for a second I was thinking, "Is he for real? Because I think we look all right." I hear what you're screaming when it comes to hopes and expectations. There were times when people were gauging our undefeated pre-season record as a sign for the post-season. There really is no true test until the first snap of Game 1. And like you said, other than injuries (let's hope Miller gets better soon), it's all a toss up.
I wouldn't read to much into early training camp practices. Now say around early Sept. and you are hearing the same things, then I would be a little concerned.
It IS important to know if our offense is gelling at all..or if the inconsistency was being caused by the defense. If it is being caused by the defense then that is a good sign, however if the offense is not clicking - while it is still early - is a bit concerning.
Considering the fact that half our secondary is injured, I'm gonna go with the offense isn't gelling. edit: I'm not overly concerned about it at this point. Remember how awful our offense was in preseason last year?
Exactly. Browning Nagle and the Jets' offense looked sharp in the 92 preseason. We went undefeated that preseason, IIRC. TBTF
