Kellen Clemens finally takes over for Chad Pennington as Quarterback and tries to help the Jets end a 5 game losing streak when they host the Washington Redskins.
New York is off to a terrible 1-7 start and Chad Pennington's struggles are only part of the problem. While his numbers rank him in the middle of the pack among NFL quarterbacks, he hasn't been able to lead his club to many wins.
The Jets are 30th in the league in total offense with 284.3 yards per game and rank 26th in scoring with 17.4 points a contest. Pennington hasn't been helped by the Jets' rushing attack, which is averaging just 90.9 yards per game despite adding running back Thomas Jones in the offseason.
"I made this decision not based on singling out Chad for where we are, but based on the fact that I think Kellen has earned this opportunity," coach Eric Mangini said. "I want to give him this opportunity. It's in no way an indication that Chad is solely responsible. We all are."
Clemens has appeared in 5 games since being taken in the second round of the 2006 draft out of Oregon. He's completed 29 of 60 passes for 362 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. Clemens started in place of an injured Pennington on Sept. 16 in Baltimore, and went 19-for-37 for 260 yards with one TD and two picks in New York's 20-13 loss.
"Getting your first start out of the way I think is pretty big," Clemens said. "So now going into what will be my second start, I feel a lot better, a lot more confident."
The Jets' skid reached five last Sunday when they managed just 254 yards of offense - their second-lowest total of the season - in a 13-3 home defeat to Buffalo.
Pennington had 106 yards on 13 completions and was sacked three times. Clemens replaced him late in the game and was 5-of-12 for 67 yards and two interceptions.
"It's exciting to have the opportunity and I'm looking forward to the chance to play," Clemens said. "At the same time, there's a losing streak right now that this entire team needs to work hard to turn around."
This season, Chad has thrown for 1,317 yards and nine touchdowns in seven games, but has 7 interceptions, as defensive backs seem to be keying on a lack of arm strength.
"I'm disappointed and it's a frustrating time for me," Pennington said. "At the same time, it's not about me. It's about our team and our team moving forward and I understand that."
Thomas Jones has only 2 100-yard rushing games and has failed to score a TD after running for 1,210 yards and six scores to help Chicago reach the Super Bowl last season. With the inexperienced Clemens now running the team, Jones might get more carries.
"The coaches coach and I play," said Jones, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. "I'm a player and I go out and do what they ask me to do. I get paid to do what they ask me to do to the best of my ability. The coaches coach. I have confidence in them that they are going to make the right decisions and they have confidence in me that I'm going to go out there and perform what I have to."
The Washington Redskins bounce back against one of the worst teams after being abused 52-7 last week by New England partiots. The Redskins are 7-1 all-time against the Jets.
The Redskins got abused on many levels - total yards (486), passing yards (334) and rushing yards (154). They also committed a season-worst four turnovers and held the ball for just 22 minutes, 11 seconds.
It was Washington's worst loss since a 53-0 defeat to the New York Giants during its 1-12-1 season of 1961.
"If you get down in the dumps for losing against a team like that, you shouldn't be here," receiver Santana Moss said. "What's done is done. They showed us how they were, and we had nothing to answer for it. All we can do is look at it and feel awful about it, or look at it and say 'Hey, we experienced it, and let's try not to go that route again.'"
This will be Moss' first game against his former team since New York traded him to Washington for fellow receiver Laveranues Coles in March 2005. The Jets selected Moss with the 16th overall pick in the 2001 draft, and he caught 151 passes for 2,416 yards and 19 TDs in four seasons with New York.
Laveranues Coles hasn't missed a game since his rookie season in 2000 and has 104 consecutive regular-season starts. He's the only NFL wide receiver to start in every game since 2001.
"I always want to play," Coles said Friday. "I'm wholeheartedly into it and I always feel good. I feel like if I'm able to walk then I'm able to play. With something like this, I have to let the doctors and our coaching staff do their jobs in coming up with the right decision and trust that."
