Five Players Who Can Make or Break the Jets Season
Whenever somebody asks me if I think the Jets are going to be a playoff team this season, I say that if they get consistent quarterback play they have a chance. Yet, there is more than one player who potentially holds that much weight on the Jets fortunes. These five guys will determine whether the Jets will be 6-10 or 10-6:
Kellen Clemens - In order for the Jets to make the playoffs they need Kellen Clemens to win the starting job and mature into a competent NFL starter. If the guy can play they way he did against Washington and Baltimore last year, the Jets are going to be in the mix for a wild-card spot. The Jets will be no better than an 8-8 team if Chad Pennington wins the starting job, although I am sure I will regret saying that if he beats out Clemens this summer.
Damien Woody - The Jets paid him alot of money to be their starting right tackle. If he turns into the second coming of Anthony Clement, it won’t matter who the Jets quarterback is because they will be spending all of their time on their back. Beyond that, if Woody isn’t durable enough to make it through a whole season, the Jets have no depth behind him.
Vernon Gholston/Bryan Thomas - Yes, I am putting that much pressure on a rookie. Calvin Pace is not a pure pass rusher, he is more of a complete linebacker. The Jets shouldn’t expect more than 6 or 7 sacks from him. If the pass rush isn’t coming from Pace, it has to come from somewhere else, and with Shaun Ellis and Kenyon Coleman at defensive end, it better be the other outside linebacker position. Thomas will likely begin the season as the starter, while Gholston works his way into the defense. Yet, even after Gholston takes over the starting role, Thomas should see some reps. The Jets need a combined 16-18 sacks from these two guys.
Laveranues Coles - Coles need to bounce back from his injury in a big way. I love Jerricho Cotchery but he needs another guy to share to number one receiver spot with. He simply isn’t good enough to be a pure #1 receiver, with guys like Brad Smith or the unproven Chansi Stuckey opposite him. If Coles can stay healthy and play to his 2006 level, the Jets passing game should be in good shape.
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12 Responses to “Five Players Who Can Make or Break the Jets Season”
June 24th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
[…] In order for the Jets to make the playoffs they need Kellen Clemens to win the starting job and mature into a competent NFL starter.http://mvn.com/nfl-jets/2008/06/24/five-pl… […]
June 25th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Joe, I agree with most of your comments but, predictably, I take exception with your first assessment.
Of course we would be a playoff team with Chad at the helm this year. It would be a virtual duplicate season of 2006. He would be judicious with the football, the team would make few mistakes, and we would be managed to a winning season and perhaps a couple of playoff wins. Chad Pennington is the proven commodity. Last year he had an injured ankle which made him unable to step into his throws, making his weak arm downright LAME. Add in a crappy O-line, crappy Defense, an injured Thomas Jones [no running game], and injured receivers, and its a miracle he kept us in any games and eeked out a decent QB rating. His performance should have looked more like Kellen’s - atrocious.
I agree with your points about Kellen. Kellen is the question mark and if he gets the starting nod and he isn’t ready or consistently competent, then we are in for a very long season. I think he’s a good egg and needs time to develop, like Brett Favre. Brett was wild and threw a ton of interceptions because he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. After years of playing, he developed an instinct for the game and didn’t ‘need’ to think as much. Kellen’s not a brilliant guy and he’ll need time and experience to learn the game. His experience will make up for his slow learning curve. I wouldn’t give up on him yet, even if he did blow it this season. In the meantime - I’d rather win now with Chad.
June 25th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Angel, you are a prize, WHAT HAS HE DONE? you keep this nonsense up with “CHAD IS A PROVEN QB” and so on. Proven what!!! You ridiculous statements on the other Cockpit and this are crazy. He has a winning pct, A high passer pct throwing 10yrd passes and he won most games after taking over for Vinny who had a Superbowl team or at least a contender. Since he has taken the team where? are you blind or stupid Playoffs and superbowl are what this game is about no anything else. He has gotten worse every year would you by a “Commodity” like that with your money or buy a cheaper one that has room to grow. You are another blind football fan.
June 25th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Erik, are you mistaking this for the CBS chat room?
June 25th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I mean I like Chad Pennington, but I feel he has got progressively worse since his pro-bowl caliber 2002 season. He was great in 2002, good in 2003-2004. Hurt in 2005, Pretty good in 2006 and then not very good in 2007.
June 25th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Joe, You are so right. Chad is a great guy and would hate to trade him and find out Kellen is a flop. With that said you have to start Kellen or you inject poison in to a team that is being told we will do whatever to win, having Chad back again sends a really bad message that they don’t believe in KC and that Chad is the best we have, maybe this clown Angel thinks so but I for one watch all jet games and have yet to see in last 4 years what the heck he is talking about.
June 26th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Erik,
After reading and re-reading your comments and weeding through the misspellings and complete disregard for anything even resembling a coherent thought, I think I’ve deciphered what it is you’re talking about [lol, who’s stupid?].
WHAT HAS CHAD DONE?!?!?
In the three seasons he has started at least 12 games (2002, ‘04, ‘06), has led Jets to playoffs. Has five playoff starts (2-3) and ranks first in completions (107), attempts (178), yards (1,166) and TDs (seven) in Jets postseason history. Chad has WON and brought us Playoff victories including blowing out the Colts in 2003 - which is supposedly the only thing that matters to you.
Just in case you need more:
Selected AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2006 as he started 16 games for first time in career following season-ending shoulder injury in ‘05.
Enters 2008 having attempted 1,919 passes and completed 1,259 passes for 13,738 yards with 82 TDs and 55 INTs for Jets franchise-record 88.9 passer rating.
Surpassed Kurt Warner in 2007 to become most accurate passer among QBs with at least 1,500 attempts in NFL history (65.6 percent) ahead of Warner’s 65.1 percent.
Your turn Erik … what has Kellen done?
By the way, if Kellen flops and you give up on him, you’re a bigger idiot than I give you credit for.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Chad has certainly accomplished more than Clemens. It will really come down to who plays better this summer, and I think if Clemens played better than Pennington last pre-season, he will do it again. I also think Clemens can be a good enough QB to get the Jets to the playoffs this year, while gaining valuable experience en route to becoming the long term QB, the Jets drafted him to be. If you start Pennington this season, you are essentially giving up on Clemens
June 26th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Angel, Two things hit me while reading your reply. One, you have WAY to much time on your hands, and if you wrote all that without researching first, you deserve your own radio show. Two, you are a perfect example of why to much knowledge and stat’s can make you blind, Also, pardon the misspelled word’s, I have a job and must rush to get these written conversation’s out. Sorry, I assume that we will talk Jets and not knock each other on our spelling like girls. Your writing ability doesn’t make you a JET authority, you still sound like a clown.
All those stats you give are (I Guess) right, and looking at them you would think we have already had a Superbowl parade, not true. Those stats are misleading, and if you watch a game once in a while you would realize such. Regarding Kellen, I am not saying he is the next Payton. I really think at this point in Chads career, Kellen can out perform him in a 16 game season. I think where we split is you think Chad has done enough and deserves a shot. I think with the folk’s we brought in it is dangerous to have Chad start. I don’t think the team really believes he can win……The superbowl. With all the money spent you don’t want these guy’s saying, “Here we go again” after 5 games. That, would kill this team. Better to have Your future start and go to Chad if it goes to hell then the other way around.
Regarding me being a bigger idiot then you give me credit for…… other then my opinion on Chad and Kellen, and yours on the same, I use this to have some fun, bait an opinion or two and get pumped for the next season, take it easy Einstein, Being book smart and having common sense are two different worlds and by your response you have one but lack the other. When you hear 60 thousand fan’s booing on a Sunday because Chad has thrown away another game, Look around I will hold up your response here and show everyone your “stats” so not just me but all 60 thousand can call you a jackass at once.
June 30th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
seems to me that until clemens can direct an offence, go with chad. Angel makes some valid points, erik not so much.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Geoff, Check with your grandparent’s, you may be related to that jackass Angel. Your statement ” Until Clemens can direct an offense” ?????? And when do suppose he gets that experience? at family BBQ,s? Do you clowns think that anyone starting in the NFL is going to be Brady out of the gate? Geoff that could be the most stupid comment yet. Also your spelling of “Offense” with a C I’am sure has Angel all excited and stand by for your correction if the Stat Coward comes out again.
July 5th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Angel…………..come out come out wherever you are……..)
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