Clemens accuracy was absolutely attrocious last year. If that does not improve dramatically, then he will never be a NFL starter.
During OTA's, he managed to thread the ball over Coles' shoulder with Revis in tight pursuit. So perhaps his accuracy is improving...
I'll agree with that as long as I know that its happening on a continued basis - which I'm hoping for. I'd like to see this kid do well. I was watching the PIT game on NFL Replay... Lots of flashes of starting capability, he needs more time.
I understand the argument that the contest comes at some cost, that being usually couched in terms of references to the need to gear the playbook to Clemens, and to give him as much reps and preparation as possible. In that connection we also have to asknowledge that the OL will take some time getting comfortable with each other with two new starters, although I doubt Faneca will require much time to get comfortable. Having said all that, just how much value can we assign to the foregoing notion? How much in practical terms will it really hurt Clemens to feel he must show he is entitled to be the starter, spending reps on the sidelines while Chadwick lobs floaters? In other words, while I understand the argument, I am not sure how much value to assign it. For example, I do expect the playbook to have much more in it tailored to Clemens than was the case last year, whether or not there is a competition.
I'm not laying it all on Clemmens- some of his receivers did the best to avoid the ball even when it hit them squarely between the numbers. Perhaps the corps wasn't used to a ball with so much "zip."
Why do you believe they are holding a QB competition? Does Chad Pennington need the work or the competition? I think everyone knows what he brings to the table by now.
That is true, but it is also the basis for saying that the competition is really Clemens's to lose. It may be kind of lame on his part, but I also think there's something to Mangini not wanting to repeat last year's mistake of saying Chad was the starter well before camp opened. Of course the problem there arguably was not that he chose the starter when he did, but that he chose Pennington. This line of thinking says that if Clemens deserves to be the starter, he will win the job in camp and pre-season, but I do concede at least conceptually that something will be lost in preparing Clemens by having the contest. I just don't know how much it will be.
The Jets will only lose something in the contest if they're foolish enough not to have all their resources focused on Clemens while it is going on. If Chad is just competing, without a lot of input from the CS as he does it, then the loss will be minimal or none. If the Jets choose to focus a lot of resources on Chad in prepping for the season that's their idiocy and they'll lose something in the process. Last season the Jets should have spent all of camp prepping Clemens to take the job and modifying the playbook to suit his stengths and weaknesses. That's what you do when you spend a 2nd round pick on a QB and he's headed into his 2nd season.
Mangini has basically said that the Playbook is diffrerent this year and more "vertical" (not sure if he used that exact word, but implied more deep passes) which is a solid indication that Clemens is solidly the frontrunner and that they are tailoring the offense to his strengths.
Chad supporters will argue that he is also a downfield threat, based upon the 2 passes of 20 yards or more which he attempts each season... "See, we told you that he could go deep!!!"
Agreed on both points, and you are correct that the focus should perhaps as much be on the way the competition proceeds as that there is one. And of course Johnny's point supports that view as well. It all sounds so good and reasonable, I am not sure why I still have this sinking feeling that Mangini desperately wants to give the job to Chadwick.
I think he just wants to better guy to play so the team can win, period. Just giving the job to anyone is what makes no sense, it's the NFL. Only 32 guys can be starting QBs, that has to be earned, not given to one guy just because some whiny fans don't like the other guy.
They will always have the Legendary bomb to Santana Moss in the playoff game against the Chargers to reference.
Chad "fellaters" will have you believe that the throw to Moss bears greater significance than Manning to Tyree during the little game in February.
I agree. Brad Smith and McCrappins dropped passes that would sealed the deal or put them up further. Clemens did what he was supposed too. While he is inaccurate at times I feel that is correctable. Plus I feel this coming year he will be dealing a lot with 2nd or 3rd and shorts. I just handed him the starting position didn't I? :grin:
First time head coaches tend to either love or hate their QB and act accordingly. This is not surprising given that the QB will be the single largest factor in their success or failure in that first, so important, job. Herm stuck with Vinny until he had no choice but to bench him. Mangini stuck with Chad until he had no choice but to bench him. The difference between the two of them, of course, is that Herm started with the cupboards full and a ton of talent on the team and Mangini started basically with bupkus. I would not be surprised if Mangini does everything he can to hand the job to Chad this summer. He's really got to be feeling kind of desperate at this point because if the Jets have another real off-season he's likely going to get fired. Improving the Jets talent this offseason won't mean much if the QB position is misfiring again. Let's take two possible scenarios and look at what they might mean for the Jets and for Mangini. Scenario 1: Clemens is not really ready to go at the start of the season and so Mangini goes with Chad producing the following results over the next two seasons. 2008 9-7, 2009 6-10 as Chad inevitably gets hurt again or declines due to further degradation in his arm strength. Result? Mangini keeps his job but the Jets are no closer to a super bowl than they were in 2006 when he took the job. Scenario 2: Clemens takes the job and spends the season learning how to QB in the NFL with a decent talent base around him. He makes some inevitable mistakes, which almost all young QB's do when they're thrown into a pressure cooker with a moderately competitive team (look at Tony Romo or Ben Roethlisberger's offgames with the great talent bases around them to understand what the NFL does to young QB's) and the Jets go 6-10. Mangini quite possibly gets fired after Woody spent $140 million on free agents for this offseason and is not around for the Jet's 10-6 2009 and trip back to the playoffs with Clemens finally maturing into a good NFL QB. There are other scenarios around of course, both better and worse, for the next two seasons. If Mangini had to pick between the two scenarios above which one do you think he would take?
There is absolutely no reason for Clemens not to be ready or to have to spend a whole season learning the job. Absolutely none. He's in his third year of the same offense with the same coaching staff, he has game experience now along with plenty of time watching from the sideline. If he's ever going to be any good at all he's going to show it now. A lot of QBs have stepped in and done very well with a lot less under their belts than Clemens has.
For once I completely agree with you. The FO has done a lot to prepare him for the starting job in terms of personnel, if they do actually tailor some gameplanning to his strengths, this is his time. He has had his trial by fire and now he has protection. 2008 is bang or bust for Kellen Clemens.
