Jets Fans: Don't Expect Miracles With the Clemens Era
| 4
|
by Alanschech
Well here we are. At 1-7, the Jets season has been reduced to the role of spoiler, and with that, the Kellen Clemens era has begun. Time to see what the young kid has and see if the Jets have a quarterback for the future. My firm belief is that Chad Pennington, barring a Clemens era, has called for his last snap as a Jet, so it will either be Clemens or to the draft for a quarterback. Clemens should prove to be the guy going forward, put don't expect immediate miracles.
First of all, there hasn't been any evidence in his regular season appearances so far to make us think that a miracle change is on the horizon. Yes, he did play to a 112.2 passer rating in the preseason, but remember it is the preseason. We cannot call playing against all second team defenses as an accurate barometer of ability. Even when he played against first team defenses, they aren't showing all they can do in the preseason. He did show signs in his first start against the Ravens, going 19-37 for 260 yards, nearly leading a comeback. However, most of that did occur in the fourth quarter, where he went 10-19, leaving the first 3 quarters just 9-18. Adequate, more exciting to watch with downfield throws, but not the statistics that would cause any belief that the Jets will make a fast turnaround.
Secondly, every team is going to rush Clemens like they have never rushed before. As a brand new starter, he will see more blitz packages than he can imagine. And, change at quarterback or not, the offensive line is still shaky, and whomever is at quarterback will continue to run for their life. This was evident last week when Clemens came in to relieve Chad Pennington during the final quarter. He was under fire every play, and although he made some nifty moves to avoid sacks, he was affected, going 5-12 for 67 yards and 2 INTs. This will continue until the offensive line proves it can protect the passer, and mobile or not, Clemens will be affected.
Finally, yes the playbook will be opened up for Clemens, but don't expect it to happen all at once. That is not the way of this Jets coaching staff. They want to set Clemens up for success, and that will not be to play an up and down the field horizontal game immediately. They will open it up gradually, allowing for chemistry to develop between Clemens and the receivers, which will take time.
The Jets will play a more exciting offense under Clemens, but don't expect immediate miracles.
