Who knows. The more I think about it the more I realize that Chad really is our Drew Bledsoe. We've had success with him in the past, but that success has been getting more and more limited as his physical capabilities have declined. The 2002 regular season was the best we've seen out of him, so was the playoff run that year. The 2004 regular season was probably the second best regular season we saw out of him, and the playoff run was second best also. The 2006 regular season, believe it or not, was the third best regular season we've seen out of him and the playoff game was ok for a half. Bledsoe got the Pats to the Super Bowl in 1996 and that was probably his best regular season. He followed up with similar work in 1997 but lost a game earlier in the playoffs, like Chad his second time around. Had another decent season in 1998, although the Pats missed the playoffs that year, and then he declined suddenly. The difference between Chad and Bledsoe is that Chad's seasons were broken up by injury and Bledsoe's went 1,2,3.
That's very simplistic, there are so many variables regarding each team, you say this like it's an individual sport such as golf or tennis. The biggest thing with Bledsoe was Tom Brady, maybe the best QB of this generation, took his place. Otherwise he wasn't going anywhere. Had Clemens came in and done anything similar he'd have the job, but he didn't so it is still up for grabs. You guys have to get over this Brady thing, Clemens isn't Brady, nobody is. There is no savior that we know of on this team. Either get a guy better than who we have or let the guys we have compete and play the better guy.
This thread is total BS.......keep em both....let them fight it out in camp, and may the best man win!
QFT. Chad isn't so much a bad QB as a mediocre QB on a terrible team. I think he'd be pretty decent with a more talented offense like the Ravens'.
Thanks for the insight, Section 227, Row 5 I've been wondering about this (as all Jets fans), but when you say that Clemens looked so great early on it confirms what I have been thinking all year long... I have to think that he's just one of those QBs we will have to watch go through a maturation process... We Jets fans should be patient! I actually have seen flashes of brilliance from him. Most improtant of all this year: His win/loss record was better than Pennington's. People keep defending Chad but in fact his games were very painful to watch. Most of his defenders are watchign the Chad Pennington from a few years ago--the guy who never threw interceptions (and never in the red zone) instead of the QB in 2007 who threw INTs all over the place. Chad was wonderful a few years ago but the injuries, i am afraid have ended his career. So many NFL QBs click when they're older. I always think it's a big mistake for a NYC team to draft one (Yes, I know how well Eli is doing but what if this is as far as he goes? Has he performed so well that Giant fans will embrace him? And what is with the 2007 home record anyway?) I truly hope the Jets sticks with Clemens for a while longer, and give him an OL and RB so he's not stuck in the same situation as Eli Manning was beofre this year: a good QB on a bad team...
I really like Chad, but I think it's his time to go. I think the main problem is that he can't put any speed on the ball, almost every throw has nothing on it. Every time he would throw it down the middle Coles would go up to get it and would just get hammered by the defense on the way down. Without that extra speed on the short passes that most qbs have the receivers are going to be massively punished by defenses, not to mention how much easier picks are when the ball is just floating in the air.
Eggs Zackley, Masivemunkey... Eggs Zackley what I have been trying to say. One thing though, Chad lost me forever with that "You are privileged to cover the New York Jets" thing he said to the media a few years ago. I doubt many people even remember it now. But if Chad pulls a deal to get traded out of NYC? That statement will make him a huge hypocrite... Well, I guess I am privileged to comment in this forum then, right? Gee whiz, we are all so privileged!
The problem is, Chad could be the best man in camp again, but not necessarily the best man for the regular season. "Why?" you ask. Because he always looks good in camp, where the dinks and dunks work perfectly and you're doing it mostly in drills, not drives. We're not stretching the field, but who cares, because we're practicing Red Zone plays today or we're doing 7 on 7's or some such other practice. Wow... look at all those completions Chad is making! Now the regular season starts and Chad has to actually drive the ball the whole field and repetetively move the chains. And this has to get accomplished the only way he knows how, with the limitations he's saddled with and of which everyone is aware, that of the dink and dunk with 8 or 9 guys jamming the box on every play. Fine, no problem if you can get that done over the course of 12-14 plays down the field without a single mishap. The problem for Chad is, and it's become increasingly more glaring with every passing quarter, that on any given play during one of those 12-14 plays to make up that drive, that one of those 8 guys jamming the box is going to come up with an INT. The odds increase with every play, and Chad takes an inordinate amount of plays to move the ball 60 yards from our 20 to their 20. So no, as I've stated before... if you're Mangini this August, you do the best with Clemens that you can and you let him be the starter no matter even if Chad looks better in camp than he does. You give Clemens the 1st team and you give him as many drills as he can handle, so he's as comfortable as possible with the 1st teamers. Completely embed him with the 1st team almost to the exclusion of Chad. Then you start Clemens on Day One. I love Chad for all the things he is... and one only needs to consult the Boy Scout Motto for all his attributes... Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent. But going back to the Land of The Dink and Dunk just because he looks a little better in camp is a mistake, IMO.
Chad has already stated that he wasn't going to "pull any deals", says he signed a contract and will go by it. So the statement you claim will make him "a huge hypocrite" is likely never going to happen. So you're probably have to build your case against him some other way.
Mangini may have his private preference, after all his regime drafted Clemens and he is "thier" guy. But coming off of a 4-12 season he's going to have to go with whichever guy can move the sticks and put up points. And just because it's one guy on opening day, don't think after a bad game or two that the other guy won't be considered. Mangini's a fool if he limits his options.
This is possible, but again would only exemplify how horrible our QB situation would be if he does this. Starting the QB you benched last year with the intention of re-benching him if he has "a bad game or two" hardly promotes confidence in either QB. What then? Start Clemens again, but pull him if he has a bad game or two and re-insert Chad? I know Mangini needs to play the BPA, but I also think he'll lean toward Clemens. He's already given Chad every benefit of doubt, my guess is he'll do the same for Clemens this time and let him play until he really stinks up the field or starts looking better, one of the two. My hope is, we somehow improve the O-line considerably and allows Clemens to settle down, get in a groove and start winning tough games against tough opponents. I just wish the draft were as deep at WR as it is at RB. We really need a quality WR in camp more than we need a quality RB in camp.
Ideally one guy takes the reigns and you win games with him, but it doesn't always work that way. There's only 16 games in a year, it goes week to week with what's happening. Mangini is all about accountability and competition, if a guy isn't getting it done and he has another guy, he's going to do what he has to for that week. He's done it at QB, safety, O line, etc.
Kellen outplayed Chad in camp so why did Chad start the season if Kellen was getting it done better than Chad? If it was a competition Kellen would have started.
I believe this is the second time I've seen you say this (if I'm wrong, it must have been someone else then), but I believe you are wrong about this. Chad looked better than Clemens in camp, IMO. Clemens had enough time with the 1st team to show off his arm and impress the coaches to some extent, but Chad was clearly on a roll from a total control standpoint right from the start. Chad looked really confident and demonstrated he could carry the offense better than Clemens, everything considered overall, IMO, which is why Mangini played him. The only thing none of us knew, including the coaches, was how abysmal our O-line would be when the hitting started.
Actually Your right. I should have said Kellen Outplayed Chad in the pre-season games. In the games Chad looked Horrible. Chad will outplay just about anyone in camp but the thing about it camp is a controlled situation. When game time came in pre-season and the regular season Chad looked like a rookie. The sad thing is Chad will outplay Kellen again in camp but that will not translate into wins or progress for the team on the field. I do stand corrected because you are right about Chad outplaying Kellen in Camp.
The only light at the end of the tunnel for me right now is the hope that Tannenbaum and Mangini make both lines Priority One. With a decent O-line, it'll give either QB more time to throw and TJ and Leon better holes to attack. Both of these fixes sometimes seem like such minor things... an extra half-second to throw... an extra shove or two on the line to make the hole 6" wider... but sometimes that's all you need to have the difference you need from 2.5 yards/carry to 4.5 yards/carry or to make the completion for the 1st down. Little things like that make huge differences. It goes the other way too... don't get that extra edge and you wind up 4-12 and wonder "WTF?"
If they are not 100% committed to starting Clemens on day 1, they need to draft a QB with the #6 pick. If they don't, and Chad starts, we lose another year, if not more, because we'll be in the exact same situation next offseason. Clemens has to start from day one. If anyone here ever wants to see the Jets win a superbowl in their lifetime, you just have to buy into that. There is simply no way on earth that Chad will lead the Jets to, and win, a superbowl. If Clemens isn't the one who can, we need to know before the 2009 draft.
