Monday Morning Wrap...Clemens (Kellen), Belichick, Evil Empire and More
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by Editoratlegendofcecilioguante
This was originally posted on my blog, The Legend of Cecilio Guante, here.
Top of the week to ya. For those of you who know my sports affinities, this weekend was pretty brutal. But the show must go on. In a minute, we'll get to the headlines and leave the ranting to the die-hards. But before that, quickly on my Jets... I've said this before...the Chad Pennington era in New York needs to close . I'm sorry. I sincerely appreciate all he's done for the Jets, and I think he can still win games in the NFL. This is the thing, though. For any who watched the Jets-Ravens game yesterday, you probably made a few observations. Initially, Clemens looked like most first-time NFL starters for three quarters. He was fidgety. Lacked pocket presence. Made poor decisions. Throw in the fact that he was playing an away game against one of the nastiest defenses in the league and his performance was pretty much par for the course. However, something happened in the fourth quarter that Jets fans are unaccustomed to seeing. And, unless you've watched this team consistently over the course of the last few years, you're going to think this next statement is me trying to be cute. It's not. THE JETS THREW THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD. Deep outs. Long crossing routes. Post patterns. Our quarterback stretched the field. The Jets had a very good chance to take this game to overtime and, quite frankly, should have if not for this...this...this... person who needs to be jettisoned to a far-away island. I hope he flips his bike over and knocks his two front teeth out but that's besides the point right now. What is the point? Is it that Clemens has a stronger arm than Pennington, so he should automatically play? No, not exactly. We all know that already. The point is that the plays Clemens made to get the Jets back into the game yesterday were plays that Chad simply cannot make. This is not a vicious attack on Pennington or a cry for a public hanging. It's a simple statement of fact. Clemens brings an element to this offense that Chad doesn't. Does Chad bring poise? Veteran leadership? Better decision making ability, perhaps? The answer to all of those questions is probably "yes." The more important question is whether those advantages outweigh the benefits Clemens brings to the party. Personally, I think the answer is "no." Offensive success in the National Football League has a lot to do with execution. However, execution can only take you so far. At the end of the day, the word so often thrown around by coaches, commentators, scouts and fans is "playmaker." It's about putting athletes on the field who have the ability to make plays and then putting them in a position for those plays to be successful. I know Chad will start against the Dolphins this Sunday, and, in many ways, I understand why. As a fan, you appreciate loyalty, competitiveness, a willingness to play through pain and lead teams to perform above and beyond their talent. It's also why we like Mangini. Because he too is loyal. He is also calculated. He weighs the risks and rewards and doesn't make snap judgments. He gets more out of his players. He gets his teams to outwork and out-execute opponents. All that said...I think it's time. Stepping back from the quarterback discussion, the Jets are 0-2. That does not bode well. They've lost to two of the best teams in the conference, one of whom is making a strong case for the title of best team in football and the other who is historically difficult to beat at home. The next three games are winnable: Miami, Buffalo, and the Giants. In a month, discussions around this team could be completely different. It's why we don't totally flip-out and quit on teams after two weeks. It's why I'll be anxiously tuning in next week. Have mercy should they lose to the 'Phins at home. And, now to the rest of the sports world...
- Notre Dame is putrid. Let's see how long it takes for the Weis-Willingham dismissal/race/money story takes to really intensify.
- The Yankees refuse to go away and, what's worse, Roger Clemens looked solid. Early-season dreams of a Yankee-less postseason are a distant memory.
- Across town, the Mets continue to assume their role as the Philadelphia Phillies' bee-otch.
- Matt Schaub is making the Texans look legitimate. Amobi Okoye is for real. [[Mario Willaims] is starting to play OK. Will be very interesting to see what they can do against the Colts next week at home. On a side note, do you think it might be time for the rest of the country to start giving a little more attention to Andre Johnson? C'mon people.
- Speaking of which...does anyone remember a day like this for receivers? I mean, ever? I got off the crack pipe that is fantasy football a few years back, but this is the kind of stuff that makes you start having flashbacks of 50-point receiver barrages. Check out these stat lines.
- And, finally, the Patriots are the best team in the NFL. How's that for a crazy, "out there" statement, huh? I also like to call myself out when I falsely prognosticate. Last week, I compared the Brady-Welker dynamic to that of Manning-Stokely and claimed that it was not entirely unreasoable that Welker could have a career year and approach 90 receptions. I was wrong and I admit when I'm wrong. Welker WILL have a career year and considering he's on pace for a gaudy 112 catches, I'm going to say he WILL approach and exceed 90 grabs. Ok, pardon me while I go throw up.
Until later...
