I can't bear to hear another gripe about Chad Pennington, or another argument in favor of letting another QB start for the Jets this season, let alone the pleas by some to go out and grab a semi-retired, 38-year-old guy to replace him ... and, no: that's not a slam against Brett Favre, of whom I think the world.  I just don't understand why anyone would think Favre, who is not known for his speed or scrambling ability, would fare any better in an offense now known for its collapsing front line.  The recent failure of the Jets' offense is due to the combination of this line and the lack of a running game, not due to the quarterback position.

If you want to talk about success as a team: look at the Jets' record with Pennington at quarterback, and look at it before he was the starter, as well as during the disastrous experiment that was last year's 2007 season, for which I did a painstakingly thorough analysis in an earlier post.  And if you don't want to take my word for it, have a glance at the QBs' main stats side-by-side on ESPN's site.

The bottom line is that the Jets have had success with Pennington at quarterback.  He is among the league's smartest players on the field, knows how to make plays, and has proven this with gritty play, grinding out playoff wins, fighting through injuries and multiple shoulder surgeries, and amassing one of the best completion percentages in the history of the NFL.

If the Jets can scrounge up an offensive line that can protect the quarterback (for longer than 1.5 seconds per play), shore up their running game, and come up with a legitimate #1, go-to wide receiver to complement Laveranues Coles, Jericcho Cotchery, and the rest of the receiving crew, their starting quarterback will no longer be a legitimate issue for debate.

If the Jets want to keep playing dismal football, or to launch into another Ken O'Brien-ish era of mediocrity, they should keep the QB turmoil just as it is.  Otherwise, they should either start Pennington and focus on improving the team in other, much needed areas, or trade him and move on.  He may even end up with a team that appreciates and benefits from his skill and leadership.

It's worth mentioning that Pennington has the highest passing completion percentage of all time: not just in a single year, or among active players.  Penington's 65.6% success rate is the best of any quarterback, ever.  And who are numbers 2, 3, and 4?  You may have heard of them: Kurt Warner, Steve Young, and Peyton Manning.  And they all have something in common that the Jets haven't seen since 1969: Super Bowl victories.  Coincidence?  Why not give Pennington a real chance, on a real team, with legitimate front lines and a legitimate deep threat (like the other three have had) and find out?

"Pennington said publicly for the first time that he played with two torn ligaments in his right ankle, suffered when he was injured in the opening game last season against the Patriots, and he said it hampered him the rest of the season."

This week we're going to start talking about the specifics of each position.

Let's begin with the field generals of football -- the quarterbacks. Now I know that the standard thinking in approaching a fantasy football draft is to draft running backs first, running backs second, and take whichever best QB is left- but I just don't buy into that conformist style.

Fantasy football scoring systems in head to head leagues are predicated on scoring touchdowns.

Who else on any team has the likelihood of consistently putting up 20+ TD's in a season outside of the QB? I realize that not all fantasy league scoring formats are the same --- a lot of leagues award less points for QB TDs than the other positions --- but that still places the quarterback as one of your steadiest producers.

It seems strange to say this but QBs are a slightly undervalued commodity come draft day in most leagues. That's why I'm going to stress the importance of acquiring a true #1 QB.

Believe me; you don't want to have two marginal fantasy quarterbacks that you'll have to shuffle between each week. There have been a couple of seasons when I didn't go out of my way to draft that sure-fire producer, and not coincidentally one of those seasons was my only year at .500 or less.

You need to draft a quarterback you feel absolutely comfortable with every week regardless of the matchup. Attempting to play the "who has a better matchup this week" game, trying to determine who will have the better scoring week due to their upcoming opponent is the most sure fire way of insuring a mediocre outcome.

If your dilemma post draft day is "Do I start Clemens or Garcia?!" I really don't need to tell you that you're entering a world of pain.

Hopefully by reading this column we're preventing that potential disaster from occurring.

Before I list the Gridiron Goddess Fantasy-Reality Check quarterback rankings I need to make something clear -- It is imperative to have one of the QBs listed in the top 8 at best and top 10 at worst in order to alleviate any concerns about what to expect from this vital position. Make no bones about it --- they WILL require a top draft choice.

I'm addressing this position first so the idea of spending one of your top 3 picks (and in many cases top 2 picks), has sufficient time to settle in before any ‘08 drafts ensue.

QBs you'll relish owning:

From Fantasy royalty to a steady hand
1) Tom Brady

2) Peyton Manning

3) Tony Romo

4) Drew Brees

5) Carson Palmer

6) Ben Roethlisberger

7) Derek Anderson

8 ) Matt Hasselbeck

9) Donovan McNabb

10) Brett Favre- only if he is starting for the Pack though!
QB's you'll have to live with:

One week on- one week off- some upsides
11) Jay Cutler

12) Marc Bulger

13) Eli Manning

14) David Garrard

15) Jake Delhomme

16) Matt Schaub

17) Jason Campbell

18) Philip Rivers

19) Aaron Rodgers

20) Jon Kitna

Good luck! The rest of the field doesn't require ratings as far as I'm concerned.

Your starter and backup are hopefully both amongst the first twenty named here. If one is in the top ten and the other in the 11-20 range- you're gold!

However, if both your QBs are listed in the second tier you could have that week to week match up problem I mentioned earlier. With so much parity in the NFL schedule you're better served by taking my advice and drafting the unquestionable #1 QB who you start EVERY week.

That's it this week everybody, visit Gridiron Goddess for the Running Backs preview next Thursday.
-Stephen Lamare

This post sponsored by NFL Odds and Betting.

Starter: Chad Pennington Backups: Kellen Clemens, Brett Ratliff

The skinny: Can the Jets be really comfortable with either Pennington or Clemens? Neither played well last season. Pennington's arm gets him in trouble and Clemens' inexperience gets him there. The Jets need to draft a quarterback.

Grade: C-

He's saying that inexperience gets Clemens' in trouble, so the team needs to draft a quarterback.  I'm not too impressed with his analysis.  Why?  Because a drafted QB would have less experience than Clemens, defeating his purpose of drafting a QB.

I do hope the Jets draft a project QB (Josh Johnson, Dennis Dixon, or Colt Brennan) in the sixth or seventh round, but I would hate to see them spend a high draft pick on one.  If one of the top QBs drop to them in the first or second round, I'd rather they trade down for more picks than take one that high.

My dream draft scenario is for the Jets to trade the sixth pick to Dallas for the 22nd, 28th, and a late round pick.  With that trade, we could take a receiver and cornerback.

The facts are these:

• Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens both started the same number of games at quarterback for the New York Jets this year: 8. Clemens played in one more game (10) than Pennington (9).
• By Week 2 of the season, fans were calling for Pennington to be pulled from the starting quarterback position in favor of Clemens (Pennington was injured in the game, and Jets' fans cheered as he tried to get up and fell back down). In contrast, the New York Giants also started the season at 0-2. Giants fans readily acknowledged the poor play of QB Eli Manning, who finished the season with the poorest passer rating (73.9) of any team to make it through the Wild Card round of this year's playoffs. Instead of calling for Manning to sit, as Jets' fans did for Pennington (who finished with a rating of 86.1), Giants' fans and media urged the team to find ways to win with Manning at QB.
• One of the ploys for endorsing Clemens at starter was the theory that he had a much stronger arm and would throw longer passes than Pennington. He averaged 6.1 yards per completion, juxtaposed against an average gain of 6.8 yards per completion by Pennington. Clemens's longest completion went for 56 yards, comparable to a season-high 57-yard pass by Pennington that went for a touchdown.
• Another endorsement for Clemens was that the Jets would run far less "dink and dunk" and "check-down" plays for short gains with Clemens at QB. This season, Clemens completed 18 passes for gains over 20 yards; Pennington completed 19 such throws. In his eight starts, Pennington threw for 10 touchdowns, double the 5 TDs thrown by Clemens, while throwing less interceptions (9) than Clemens (10).
  Note: It should be mentioned that the New England Patriots seem en route to another Super Bowl, and nobody in the NFL "dinks and dunks" more than Tom Brady; the difference is that the Patriots have the most talented receivers in the league, from wide-outs to tight ends to running backs, and that they have the ability to make defenders miss and to gain yards after the catch. It also helps that the Patriots' receivers don't drop the ball, an affliction that seems to plague the Jets' receiving core.
• Yet another complaint against Pennington was that he was responsible for taking too many sacks, which Clemens' mobility would help him to avoid. In the end, Clemens was sacked one more time (27) than Pennington (26) this season. He also lost a fumble, while Pennington lost none.
• In Week 17, the final game of the season, the Jets earned a win against the Kansas City Chiefs, though Clemens was outplayed by first-year starter Brodie Coyle. Clemens completed 13 passes for 115 yards (96 yards total in regulation, 31 yards in the 1st half, and 69 yards going into the 4th quarter) and was sacked 3 times. The QB's poor play was bailed out in OT by a Mike Nugent field goal. During the game, announcers called the Jets' passing game "anemic" and described Clemens as looking like "a chicken without a head" behind the line of scrimmage during pass rushes.
• In contrast, two weeks before (Week 15), Pennington came off the bench and into the game during the opening drive, when starting QB Clemens took a hit that bruised his ribs, throwing an interception in the process that resulted in a 5-yard touchdown return for the Patriots. Pennington was lauded for his gritty play in trying circumstances (both weather- and personnel-related) and ended up outplaying New England quarterback Tom Brady, albeit in a losing effort.And finally:
• Clemens finished the season with a passer rating of 60.9, the worst rating of any starting quarterback in the NFL.

So: is Pennington the problem with the Jets' offense? Does it seem apparent that Clemens will be the answer for years to come?

What was the real reason that the offense was so bad this season? Here are some important offensive statistics that may help tell the story:

• Sacks allowed: 53 (29th in the league; K.C. and S.F tied for last with 55)
• Rushing yards: 1701 (19th)
• Rushing yards per game: 106.3 (19th)
• Rushing TDs: 6 (30th in the league; Minnesota had 22)
• Longest rushing gain: 49 (17th)
• Rushes for 20 yards or more: 4. Dead last in the NFL. They also had just one rush for 40+ yards.

The suspicions of many fans and critics are verified here: the offensive line has been awful, providing poor protection for the quarterback and few holes for running backs to pop through. And without a dynamic back that can both create his own holes and make defenders miss (Thomas Jones is a solid player, but he is not that kind of playmaker), the rushing game is non-existent, exemplified by the poor rushing stats above.

And what about the Jets' defense: how did they stack up against the rest of the league? Here are some key defensive stats:

• Sacks: 29 (25th in the NFL)
• Interceptions: 15 (20th)
• Passes defended: 82 (25th)
• Fumbles forced: 10 (tied for last in the NFL)
• Fumbles recovered: 6 (tied for last in the NFL)
• Percentage of 1st downs allowed on 3th down: 42% (tied for 22nd in NFL)
• Percentage of 1st downs allowed on 4th down: 80% (last in NFL)

The last two stats are especially telling: how can a defense be successful when the opposing offense keeps getting first downs and never has to punt the ball? This keeps the defense on the field, and the offense off the field. And with a defensive core that lacks pressure on the line and take-away ability, all of this translates into consistent points for the opponent.

Of course, these are the same "fans" that call quarterback stats, including TDs, INTs, fumbles, and sacks, "mindless statistics," and say that completion percentages are unimportant. Sure: if you want to ignore game stats and offensive results, Clemens played a great game last week. But instead, if you are concerned with the overall picture, and that he threw for as many touchdowns (one) as interceptions (one) and fumbles (one) against Miami's league-worst defense, you might find yourself somewhat concerned with the state of the offense, for now and the years to come.

Clemens's numbers weren't even all that good this week against Miami: he only got over 200 yards because of a 50-yard "bomb" to McCareins, which was under-thrown: McCareins was wide open and had to come back and wait for it; otherwise he would have been gone for a score. Shouldn't a guy with such a big arm be able to chuck up a prayer like that to a wide-open receiver, without under-throwing it? Further, he threw for just one TD, which was a dump pass at the line of scrimmage that Brad Smith's speed turned into a score. He also threw one interception, coughed up another "fumble" that was returned for Miami's only touchdown, and got sacked by Miami's last-ranked defense six times.

To further the paradoxical comparison made of the two quarterbacks, one "fan" came up with what he called the "Chad scale," which he described as "the non-objective excuse making machine of the Chad fanboys." Putting aside the irony of calling anyone else "non-objective" in what may be one of the most subjective, biased statements I've seen yet, I am further puzzled by the paradox that is this Chad Scale: does this well-crafted, comprehensive measurement define the expectation that a QB has to complete at least 60% of his passes, and average over 20 yards per pass, or he gets booed off the field in order that some more fresh meat can be brought in and sacrificed at QB? Or are we to grade Clemens's performance in one game against the worst team in the league, compared to another QB with a much more comprehensive body of work and relative success. Either way, I'm not feeling the ol' Jet fan love, or getting anything out of it that makes any sense at all.

As for an actual read and evaluation of Clemens at this point, and the sentiment that he shouldn't be judged on "a few starts" (as if five or six games at QB is only "a few"): see other 1st and 2nd-year QBs and compare their numbers and relative success: I won't go through the list, but there are a lot of them, including Derek Anderson (1st year as full-time starter), and don't forget this is Tony Romo's 2nd year at starting QB.

It's unfortunate that constant, nonsensical spouting of the mouth like this doesn't seem to flow from fans of many other teams about their own players, NFL or otherwise, but it takes just a few Jets' fans to poison the lot (not that all Jets' fans are this way, but the more that things like this come out, the more it becomes the common perception of others). It's a shame to be a Jets' fan and feel this way about what other people who call themselves "fans" say about their own team and players.

"If I'm the Jets, I make sure Kellen Clemens is a special quarterback. If he's just pretty good, they have to look hard at Matt Ryan. That guy is a franchise quarterback and you can't pass up franchise quarterbacks."

Not sure I agree with him. Sometimes you need to display confidence in your guys.

• UAB safety Will Dunbar's entering his name to the draft advisory board. He'll probably return to school.

Nothing has yet to be seen.  You are seeing what this offense truly is: pathetic.  Sorry folks, but some of you wanted Chad Pennington's head on a platter, just to give Clemens some starts for the sake of experience, because he's supposed to be the "future" of this team.  The truth is a sad one: that Pennington had this offense over-achieving and hanging around in games against teams that they shouldn't even have been in.  It's becoming more and more clear that almost every other team, even "bad" teams, are at another talent level in terms of offense.  Clemens isn't bad, but he just doesn't appear to have anywhere near the same level of intelligence, composure, and experience to keep a bad offense in games against quality teams.  Please don't tell me that he is still young and learning, and that things will get better: that has been the theme so far this year, and the results have not been good.  Just look around the NFL right now to see the output of other "young" players that are making solid contributions to teams that played poorly last year.

Sure, Clemens is supposed to have a strong arm, but I really don't see that making a difference in this team when the accuracy isn't there, and when the plays being called are not designed to take advantage of it.  A QB sneak on 2nd and 12?  A draw play on 3rd and long?  Who is that meant to fool, when everyone in the arena knows they're not going to even try and go deep more than twice a game?

It's time to look at the big picture and see this entire offense (including players and coaches) for what it really is.   Start looking at the stats instead of ignoring them; start looking at the enduring play trends and their results.

And now that Pennington has been run out of town, fans may actually come to miss the intangibles he brought to the offense and the things he was able to do here that maybe another quarterback won't.

I am done blaming the defense for these games as well.  There is only so long you can play hard and keep your team in the game when the other side of the ball does absolutely nothing.

I hate to keep drawing parallels, but we shouldn't forget that Pennington stepped into a very similar situation with Vinnie a few years ago, and the results were a bit different.  Had Pennington had a single game like this in 2002, I think there would have been another change at QB in that off-season.

At the level of the  NFL, it is not "unfair" to judge the QB on just a few games.  Look at the other 1st-time starters on other teams this year, and the success some of them have had and brought to their teams.  And don't forget that our previous QB was being judged as soon as the first snap of the season took place.  Hard to say that anything's "fair" when last year's playoff QB gets jeered off the field with an injury in the middle of Game 2.

All in all, I can't even begin to express my frustration: not only with the way the starting QB was thrown to the wolves when things went bad for the team, but for the absolute ineptitude that we now call an "offense" as as result.  This was a playoff team last year. And now I'm seeing one of the worst teams I've seen playing in green, and just about anywhere else, in a long, long time.

Who knew that the Jets would put up decent (please note: not great, not even good, just decent) offensive numbers in the first half and jump out to grab a marginal lead, only to peter out in the second half and do absolutely zero scoring until a field goal to tie the game with 23 seconds to go? And does it shock anyone that the Jets' defense played very well in the first half and then watched as the Steelers coasted by and snatched the lead, or that Pittsburgh's defense clamped down and caught onto the Jets' predictable up-the-middle running game and short passing game to limit them to three second-half points? What a surprise.

What does surprise me, however, is the number of Jets' "fans" that called me "blind" for saying that Kellen Clemens wouldn't make a difference in this offense, and who thought it was "funny" for me to say that Chad Pennington wasn't the problem.

Sorry, but when a quarterback, who's "powerful arm" is his only selling point and reason for getting a starting job over one of the highest-rated passers in the history of the NFL, throws for just over a hundred yards in a regulation game, including a single, one-yard touchdown and one interception, I can't help but sense something isn't quite as was billed. Clemens had one pass for more than 12 yards in the game, and that came early on a gem of a trick play to Lavernaeus Coles that blew up for 56 yards, about half the total output of the entire regulation passing game on a single play. In fact, in the last two games, Clemens has mustered exactly two touchdowns, both for just one yard each, and his completion percentage was well under 50% in this game. When you have an offensive coordinator that lets you throw only 20 times through the first 58 minutes of regulation, you can't afford a poor completion percentage and still expect to win on a regular basis.

Don't forget that the "fans" were frustrated at Pennington's lack of scrambling ability (a conclusion that still puzzles me). Clemens was sacked three times in this game against Pittsburgh, and he had zero rushing attempts for zero yards until 1:25 left in the 4th quarter. Does that mean he's also a poor scrambler? Or perhaps there was another reason that the offense breaks down late in games, even when there was another QB playing?

The "fans" were also frustrated because whenever the Jets were down and pushing for a late scoring drive (which happened in every single game this year but one), Pennington was "checking off" the big play at the line of scrimmage and "dumping" short passes for completion. At the end of this game, in a two-minute drill and down by three, Clemens did not attempt (nor complete, obviously) a mid-to-long range pass, and he didn't complete a pass longer than 14 yards. Due to missed opportunities and a few bad decisions (including a delay of game on 3rd and goal at the Steelers' 5 yard line), the scoring drive stalled out and culminated in a game-tying field goal: instead of ending the game with a touchdown, instead of putting an opponent away at home and giving their fans something to get excited about, the Jets settled for a field goal, a tie, and overtime.

On their first offensive play in OT, the Jets got seven yards on a run by Thomas Jones, who had his second big day as a Jet and ran for a total of 117 yards (the Jets' running game ended up with more net yards [151] than the passing game [146]). On second and three, Clemens blew a touch pass to Chris Baker: Baker was wide open and standing, waiting for the ball, but their timing wasn't right and Clemens delivered a floater to Baker's knees, which Baker dropped. On a critical third and three, Clemens passed up an open route at the first-down marker to try and drill a pass into a well-covered Brad Smith, who watched as Ike Taylor easily batted the pass away and almost came up with an interception.

Luckily, the defense came up huge to stop the Steelers and force a three-and-out, which resulted in a poor punt and another great run-back by Leon Washington back to the Steelers' 26. Of course, once again, the ultra-conservative, no-confidence Jets' offense didn't want to take a chance, so they ran the ball up the middle three times for a total of six yards (if you're not even going to take a shot at the end zone, why not just kick it on 1st down?) before giving Mike Nugent a chance at his first overtime field goal, which he nailed for three points and the win.

In the end, a less-than mediocre offense was bailed out by a solid defense and exceptional special teams. In most games, that just hasn't been enough for the Jets, but seven defensive sacks and great punt returns by Leon Washington and the special teams got them over the hump. But how do you suppose this offense will fare on Thursday, matched up with an up-and-coming offensive power in the Dallas Cowboys that is second only to the Patriots in yards, third overall in passing, and second overall in scoring? Do you think that one offensive touchdown and 100-150 passing yards will keep the Jets in the game?

Am I happy that the Jets got the win? Of course I am. I mean ... well, I have to admit: with a win-loss record like this, you have to start wondering about next year and positioning for the draft. Wins at this stage don't help much there. But they do help boost confidence, and I hope that's the case for Clemens and the rest of the team on both sides of the ball.

It's just a shame that whatever becomes of this season, next season, and every season afterward, will come at the expense of knowing that Pennington won't be taking snaps under center with the Jets. I truly believe that he gave them, and would have continued to give them, the best chance to win every game, every week. And, unfortunately for Jets' "fans," the numbers each week seem to be proving that to be the case. Yes: Clemens is just starting out and is sure to improve, as will his teammates' confidence in his ability. But that confidence is something that Pennington had already earned from his teammates, and that they maintained in him, even when everyone else was clambering for his head and pinning the team's misfortune on him. When I bring any of this up, including the reality of statistics, I'm told that I'm "hating on Clemens" and that I should forget about all that Pennington has done for this team and just let it all go.

At some point, the "fans" are going to come to the conclusion that a mistake was made, and it wasn't a small one. I just hope the results are worthwhile.

Originally Aired: November 7th 2007 at 8:00p.m.

___
Topics Discussed:

- Patriots/Colts game recap

- NFL Midseason Report

Surprise Team

Disappointment Team

"Sleeper" Team of the 2nd Half

Stumbling Team of the 2nd Half

- The Start of College Basketball

- Obligatory Hockey Segment

- Adrian Peterson's recent rushing

- NFL Week 10 Picks

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Fun Facts:

• Adam wore the French Fry costume after losing a bet to Jonathan the week before. They bet on the winner of the Philadelphia Eagles (Adam) Dallas Cowboys (John) game.
• Jonathan wore the French Fry costume the week before after forgetting to bring a costume to the Halloween episode.
• Debut of the Obligatory Hockey Segment, a part of the show where Adam and Ariel talk anything hockey related while Johnathan and Jordan try to stop them.

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Weekly Credits Clip:

A 'tribute' to Notre Dame's fan base:

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Back to Season Two

The Jets showed some fire in the first half of the game, Clemens's first non-replacement start (he started in Week 2 against Baltimore after Pennington was injured in the previous game) from the very first play: Leon Washington returned the opening kick-off 86 yards for a touchdown, his third return touchdown of the season, and the Jets scored a field goal and another touchdown on their first two offensive drives. Unfortunately, that was pretty much the end of the offense: the Jets got the ball only three times in the first half, and the last drive fizzled out at the end of the half and resulted in a missed field goal.

Also unfortunate, the story this week was not the new quarterback, who fared very much the same as his predecessor, but the general ineptitude of almost every position on the field to do their part, specifically in the second half, which didn't exactly shock even the casual Jets fan. Sparing the special teams unit, who did a great job, the offense and defense both had complete melt-downs in the second half: the offense mustered a single field goal at the end of the third quarter, and that was the end of the Jets' scoring. Clemens's "big arm" produced a single, one-yard touchdown throw, and the offense line allowed three sacks. But even worse was the futility of the defense, which allowed the Redskins to amass a stunning 296 yards rushing, 196 of those to Clinton Portis. The Redskins' only chance to win was on the ground, and they ran absolutely wild; the Jets couldn't stop them.

If you're one of the "true Jets fans" who insisted that Kellen Clemen's arm would turn this team around, perhaps you're not familiar with the defense. Allow me to introduce you to the basics: they are ranked 27th in the league in points allowed, 30th in yards allowed, 23rd in passing defense, 29th against the run, and 30th out of 32 teams in total defense (source: NFL.com). It's really not difficult to analyze the reasons behind their lame offensive output: despite any skill problems (which can't be denied either), they're simply not getting enough chances to score against their opposition because they don't have the ball enough; other teams are running (and throwing) up and down the field on their lame defense with long, time-eating drives that produce points more often than not. In football, it's hard to score when you don't have the ball. It's also hard to scare an opposing defense into respecting your passing game when your offense averages less than 95 yards rushing per game and breaks off only one 20+ yard run all season long.

As mentioned earlier, the special teams have been outstanding: Leon Washington's 3 TD returns lead all other teams. But when your rushing game and your entire defense are this bad, you put a great deal of pressure on your passing game to bail you out with quick scoring drives. In previous games this year, for whatever reason you prefer to cite (Pennington's "weak" arm, poor coaching and bad play selection, etc.), the Jets couldn't get down the field fast enough to make up for lost time, and this week, Clemens's inaccuracy on key drives was insurmountable: bad throws in that last drive of regulation time turned a possible winning touchdown drive into a field goal and overtime, and with the exception of one beautiful pass for 39 yards, the overtime play of the entire offense, including Clemens, was poor. In any case, the result was quite predictable: consistent special teams play and a decent first half overall were trumped by a disastrous second half on both sides of the ball.

The criticism against Pennington this season has been unfair, and this game went a long way in exposing the other weaknesses on this team that the Chad-haters just didn't want to see. This also dispelled the putrid myth that Pennington's "hanging" passes were endangering his receivers by exposing them to big, open hits: Clemens's throws did the same thing in this game, at least twice that I can recall (once each to Chris Baker and Jericho Cotchery). Their predictable, unproductive play-calling showed poor adjustment by the coaching staff and adaptation to what the opponent does during the course of a game.

More importantly, this game should have proved beyond any doubt that the quarterback, or any other position, can't carry the rest of a bad (or a badly under-performing) team. It's a team sport: for every pass, there's a thrower and a receiver, and if both players don't do their job, the result is failure.

Cowboys -3 @ Eagles: The Cowboys roll into Philly looking to avenge two straight beatdwons at the hands of the Eagles. The Eagles head back home after a solid win in Minnesota amidst the turmoil of Andy Reid and his family crisis (Andy, take a leave of absence. Focus on your kids and family. Life is too short to worry about a team where the fans chant "Bill Cower" in the stands of your home games all the while your kids are falling apart. It is not a sign of weakness to resign. Refusing to step down is a sign of arrogance and stupidity. That is just our two cents..). The Boys are coming off the bye. They are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 November games. The Eagles are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games in Week 9. The Boys will win easily. Look for TO to have a big game. Take the Cowboys -3.

Redskins -3.5 @ Jets: The Jets finally pulled the trigger on Pennigton and will start Kellen Clemens this week. We agree with this move. The Jets aren't going to the playoffs this year. They should look to their future. Clemens has a gun and it is worth the look. That said, they are still pretty bad. Their team has been decimated by injuries. The Skins are fresh off the mother of all beatdowns last week from New England. They will rebound. They have a solid D that is good enough to hold down the Jets O. The Jets are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 against a team with a winning record. Take the Skins -3.5.

49ers +3.5 @ Falcons: Both these teams are a mess. This game cracks us up!!! The 49ers roll into town probably with Alex Smith back. He is no Joe Montana, but he is probably as good as Joey Harrington. The 49ers have a better D. Here are some other tidbits: 49ers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 head-to-head meetings; the underdog is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 meetings. Take the points in this one (we think the 49ers win outright anway). Take the 49ers +3.5.

Chargers -7 @ Vikings: Chargers are rollin' now. The Vikings have the NFL's best back in Adrian Peterson. However, manning the Vikings helm is Brad Childress. He is a terrible play caller (single-handedly cost them the Cowboys game). The Chargers D will be all over Jackson/Holcomb. They can stop Peterson. This is  alot of points to give a home team, but they can cover. Take the Chargers -7.

Ravens +9 @ Steelers: The Ravens have not played well, but they are coming off the bye. They will be getting players back from the injury report. The Steelers have been up and down all season. One week they look like the Patriots. The next they get destroyed. Most of those bad games have come on the road. This week they are at home. The AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers are unbeaten at Heinz Field this season and have not lost a Monday night game at home in more than 16 years. They will be looking to avenge two beatdwons last season at the hands of the Ravens. They will win this game, but 9 points is too many to give to a division rival coming off the bye. Especially when that rival is a veteran team. Take the points. Take the Ravens +9.

Jags @ Saints -3: The Saints have won 3 straight and look to finally get to .500 on the season. They are at home this week where they have not been good ATS (7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 home games). They also have not covered (2-8 ATS in their last 10 overall).  The Jags held off a late surge by the Bucks last weekend and will throw Quinn Gray out there for his 2nd start. The Jags have a jacked D and will try to pound the Saints with the run. The Saints will counter with stacking the line and make Gray beat them. He won't. The Saints will cover. Take the Saints -3.

Packers +2.5 @ Chiefs: The Chiefs surprised us this year, but we are not convinced they are as good as their record says. Favre is hot and he has never beat the Chiefs. It will change this week. Pack wins outright. Take the Packers +2.5.

Patriots @ Colts +5.5: Here we go!! Everyone has been asking us our take on this game. Definately the biggest game of the year to date and is probably a preview of the AFC Championship. The Pats have looked unstoppable all season. The Colts have been very impressive, too. Harrison is listed as questionable, but we think he will play. It is tough to find and edge in this game. Both teams have outstanding QB's. Both D's are not great, but not bad either. Here is the thing about this though-the Patriots have played a MUCH easier schedule. Their only challenge came against the Cowboys. The Cowboys ultimately lost that game, but did have a lead in the 2nd half. No other team has done that. The rest of their schedule has been a cake walk. On the other hand, the Colts have played some tough teams and still have been damn impressive. They avenged a embarassing loss last year to the Jags.  We like the Colts strength of schedule. We like them at home. We like that the media is giving them little chances of winning. We think the Pats will ultimately win, but it will be close. The Colts will cover. Take the Colts +5.5.

There you go. 8 locks!!!!! Good luck with you picks.

Runny & Flash

Here are some guys who might be worth a look, if available:

• Ryan Grant, RB, Packers: It now appears as if Grant is going to be the starting runningback for the Green Bay Packers, at least for one week. Grant totaled 100+ yards rushing last night against the Broncos and was named the starter for week 9 following the game by head coach Mike McCarthy.
• Selvin Young, RB, Broncos: Last chance. If, for any reason, this guy is on your waiver wire, GO GET HIM NOW. He looked good last night against a pretty good Packers' defense, and his numbers could have been even better if a 45+ yard scamper had not been nullified by a holding penalty.
• David Patten, WR, Saints: Patten is carving out a niche in the Saints' offense that is hard to ignore. He is becoming the No. 2 wide receiver behind Marques Colston, and has posted favorable numbers the last few weeks.
• Kellen Clemens, QB, Jets: Clemens officially was named the starting quarterback for the Jets for the remainder of the season, according to the New York Post. If you are in a deep league, he may be worth a look.
• Adimchinobe (Joe) Echemandu, RB, Texans: The latest in the carousel at runningback in Houston, Echemandu played well in Ahman Green's absence and could be worth a look for owners in a pinch.
• Chris Henry, WR, Bengals: Henry is due back from suspension in week 10 and he should help the Bengals' passing game. Yes, that is a scary thought. Too bad the Bengals are terrible on defense.
• Brian Leonard, RB, Rams: If you are a Steven Jackson owner and Leonard is available, you might want to grab this guy. SJax looked good early in his return to action against the Browns, but left late in the 1st quarter with back spasms. He does have two weeks to prepare for the next game, but Leonard is a good insurance policy for SJax owners.

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I'm sure you'll get your wish: can't wait to see how Clemens does next week. He didn't exactly shine in any of his performances so far. Pennington got 20 chances to throw the ball in this game, and he completed 13 of those for over 100 yards. In 3+ minutes, Clemens threw 12 times, completed 5, and got picked twice. You do the math.

How about 1st and 5 in Bills territory in the last minutes of the 1st half, and 3 straight runs that don't produce a 1st down, but do result in a fumble? Or running out the clock with almost a minute left to close out the half? Or pulling Pennington in the 4th quarter with 3 minutes left, after running 3 plays that resulted in 2 runs from the shotgun (which didn't get a 1st down) because the same exact two plays worked in the 1st quarter? Is that good playcalling by Mangini and Schottenheimer that the QB should have executed better?

How many times in this game could you get a 3- or 4-count in when the QB dropped back before he got hit? Should he just unload the ball and chuck it as far as he can just before he gets thrown down?

This seems like a typical response from someone who's willing to blindly pin the blame of the whole team's ineptness on one guy. When that guy leaves, and the team still sucks, who will you blame then?

And by the way, look out, Mets fans: I've already heard that Jeff Wilpon is pining to talk with A-Rod and his manager once the paperwork is filed officially. The Mets thought moving Reyes from SS to 2B for Kaz Matsui was a good idea; why wouldn't they do it for A-Rod? Good luck!

As always, some help can be found on the waiver wires for injury-stricken fantasy teams:

• Jesse Chatman, RB, Dolphins: Hopefully, you already snagged the guy. Chances are he is no longer available after the news on Ronnie Brown's season-ending injury broke yesterday. If he still is available, though, he is worth a spot as the 'Phins best ball-carrier.
• Kenton Keith, RB, Colts: Probably already owned as well, but he clearly is a must-have for Joseph Addai owners. It now appears as if Keith and Addai will split time the rest of the year, as Keith played extensively on Monday Night Football against Jacksonville and even vultured a touchdown from Addai.
• DJ Hackett, WR, Seahawks: Hackett should return from a high-ankle sprain he suffered early in the season this weekend. He was slated as the No. 2 wide receiver on the Seahawks in preseason and has the tools to succeed in that role going forward ... if he can stay on the field.
• Brandon Stokley, WR, Broncos: With Javon Walker out for several weeks, Stokely should carve out a more prominent niche in the Broncos' passing game. He looked great against the Steelers on Sunday night.
• Kellen Clemens, QB, Jets: If you are in a deep league and need some help at QB, Clemens is worth a consideration. He could take over for much-maligned Jets' quarterback Chad Pennington as early as this weekend. There is enough talent on the Jets' offense to help Clemens succeed.

Originally Aired: October 17th 2007 at 8:00p.m.

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Topics Discussed:

- College Football Upsets

- MLB AL Championship Series Matchups and Predictions

- NFL Quarterback Carousel

- NFL Week 7 Picks

- Kobe's trade demands

- MLB NL Championship Series Recap

- Jesse Boulerice's hit on Ryan Kessler (NHL)

- Possible NFL European Expansion

- George Steinbrenner steps down as Yankee "dictator"

- 'Graveyard'

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Fun Facts:

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Back to Season Two

I miss you. Aside from what you meant to your family and friends, aside from our friendship, the selfish good friend in me sometimes wishes your leaving hadn't left me without anyone to talk with on Sundays. Nobody seems to understand what I go through, week in and week out, all culminating and releasing on Sunday afternoon. Nobody is interested in my worship, nor the anguish it brings me, each and every week. Nobody understands the teasing, the name-calling, the civil strife between common components, the pain. And it's all your fault.

I used to be a life-long Redskins fan, and I was happy with that. Until you needed to suck someone into your abyss of misery, someone to share in your weekly heartbreaks. And then you played the "Hope" card: you looked to the future, and it became the present. You said, " You wait and see. This kid is going to be special." And he was. He rushed into the scene of a 1-4 season, only because Vinny got hurt. He was smart, and accurate, and he drove his team from a hopeless season into a playoff berth. He was a savior. And it wasn't just a one-time deal: he's led his team to three playoff berths in the past six years.

But people think he's a wimp, Paul. They say he's not tough, that he's made of glass, that he cracks under pressure. But I don't know that that's the truth. Two years ago, he came back early from rehabbing his throwing shoulder from surgery, because his team needed him. They were floundering, and he wanted to step in and help. So he came in, and he promptly re-injured the same shoulder: too much pressure in the backfield, and he got hit. You could tell that it really hurt. So he sat out a few plays, but his replacement wasn't doing well, and they still had a chance to win the game. So he talked his way back into the game. And then he got hurt again. Maybe he was just trying too hard, or was too stubborn or too proud to know when to quit. But he ended up needing surgery on that same shoulder, again, twice in the same year. That's not good for a quarterback. He got hurt again this year: he was sacked early in the year, and someone fell on his foot and sprained his ankle. Do you think he'd learned his lesson? He had a supportive boot put on that foot, and he came back out and played in the same game. He even ran a quarterback sneak when it was called, without complaining, even though he couldn't run. And that was after his home crowd cheered when he got hurt.

They say he has a weak throwing arm, too. You might think that perception comes form the two shoulder surgeries, but they've been saying that for years now. They just don't think he has the arm strength to strike fear in an opposing secondary's hearts, or to stretch the field with that deep threat. This never came up in the beginning, when he took bad teams much farther into the New Year then they had any right to go. It doesn't come up when they're doing well. But it's coming up now. His accuracy, his smart throwing, those perfect spirals are never even mentioned. The fact that he remains in the top 10 of all-time rated passers isn't either, and that's something that Dan Marino, Bret Favre, and John Elway can't claim. On a team with no great wide receivers, no offensive line, no defensive line, a running back who got his first 100-yard game of the season in Week Six, no stars anywhere on the field, accuracy just isn't enough to excite anyone.

So, Paul, now they want him gone. They've had their fill of the guy who's done things for them that I don't think a lot of professional athletes would do: when he came back from those surgeries, and the coach told him he'd have to fight with the three other quarterbacks on the roster for the starting spot, he didn't cry or complain to the media or bash the coach. He had no problem with it; he said it was the right decision, and he would do his best to win that job. In fact, he agreed to have his salary restructured so that the team had more room under the cap to sign some talent (which is interesting, since their team salary is so low that it's hard to imagine the cap ever being a problem). He fought for his job and he won it, fair and square. He had a good year, and nobody complained that he wasn't the best quarterback on the team, because he was.

And he did the same thing this year, only this time, he had the backing of his coach. Maybe that was the mistake: maybe the coach should have let everyone battle it out again, or at least let everyone believe the job was wide open, even if it weren't. But that wouldn't be the only mistake this coach has made this year. In fact, some might argue that this team wouldn't have a 1-5 record this season if their coaching staff hadn't made at least one questionable, critical call each game, like calling a quarterback sneak on third-and-one inside the opponent's 10 yard line, with just minutes to go, down by seven, and a running back who had already rushed for over 100 yards standing in the backfield. Or calling a pass play on the ensuing fourth-and-one. Or many, many other, similar play calls week in, week out, every single game.

But someone has to take the blame, Paul. Someone has to be the goat when the team is losing. See, people think that a quarterback change will turn this season around. It's not the poor play by the offensive line, or the defensive line, or the terrible coaching job; it's the quarterback. He has to go.

I remember when we talked about this as if it were yesterday: "I'll be a Jets' fan the day they start him at quarterback." But you didn't say anything: you didn't agree or show enthusiasm; it was almost as if you were glad to have someone to share it all with, but saddened at the same time. As if you realized that you had passed a life-long curse onto your good friend. And now, as you suffered, so I do suffer too.

But maybe there's a way: you promised me you'd buy me a #10 jersey, and you never did. Maybe the deal was never sealed. Maybe that grants me immunity?

Or maybe, when the head-hunters come and demand a new quarterback, since he won't be starting anymore ... is that a way out?

No: I think this is a life-long commitment, much like a friendship ... only without the sharing, the good times, the joy. Just a lifetime of suffering, with a little hope, each and every Sunday.

Keep watching over us, Paul: keep an eye out for your family, your friends, the people who miss you. But don't watch the Jets, Paul; no good can come from this. Unless you can convince someone up there to pull out some sort of "Angels in the Outfield"-esque ending: then, by all means, do watch! But until then, save yourself the agony.

Originally Aired: October 10th 2007 at 8:00p.m.

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Topics Discussed:

- Yankees Loss to the Indians in the ALDS

- Joe Torre and A-rod's future with the Yanks

- MLB Divisional Series Recap

- NFL's Undefeated Teams (Cowboys, Patriots, and Colts)

- NFL Week 6 Predictions

- MLB Conference Finals Preview

- Marion Jones apologizes for using steroids

- NHL Week 1 Quick Hits

- 'Graveyard'

--------------

Fun Facts:

• Debut of Kerry Rhodes bobble head and Carlos Delgado figurine
• Also debut of Weekly Credits Clip, a segment at the end of the episode that highlight a memorable video of the week while displaying the show credits.

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Weekly Credits Clip:

Mark Cuban on Dancing with the Stars

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Back to Season Two

Manning led the Colts to an easy win over the Saints

Indianapolis 41 - New Orleans 10

To kick off the season we had the Indianapolis Colts playing last years surprise package New Orleans. After a sluggish start to the first half the Colts blitzed the Saints in the 2nd with 31 unanswered points. Manning certainly had a gameplan and that seemed to be to attack former Colts CB, Jason David as often as possible. Scores to Marvin Harrison and two from Reggie Wayne were both in matchups against David. The evening wasn't without incident for the Colts as on the first play from scrimmage Joseph Addai had to be helped from the field after a tackle. With Dominic Rhodes having been traded to the Raiders in the off season there was no proven backup. Luckily for the Colts it appeared that Addai only had the wind knocked out of him and returned to the game to rack up 118 yards on the ground. Offensively the Colts found their feet in the second half and Manning dissected the Saints secondary, with 288 yards and 3 TD's.

One area of concern could be the play of Tony Ugoh at LT. Unexpectedly thrust into the starting lineup after the retirement of Tarik Glenn, Ugoh struggled in pass protection and will need some time to bed into the Colts offensive line. As for most starting rookie linemen his running game was more solid but teams will look to attack Manning thru his left tackle.

Drew Brees and the Saints offence just couldn't seem to get themselves going. A stuttering performance on the ground from Deuce McCallister and Reggie Bush and with the Colts pass rush getting pressure to Brees the Saints just couldn't execute. The Saints line appeared to struggle against the front four of the Colts and rookie Ed Johnson performed well in place of the injured Booger McFarland. The standout player on the Colts defence seemed to be Freddie Keiaho, who as well as making key tackles intercepted Brees in the 3rd quarter to set up an Adam Vinatieri field goal.

The Colts looked sharp in the 2nd half and certainly sent a message to other AFC teams that they are going to be a team to beat.

New England 38 - New York Jets 14

Randy Moss announced his arrival in a Patriots uniform in style with 183 yards and a touchdown against the Jets. He capped a great performance with a 51 yard TD catch, catching the ball and left 3 Jets defenders trailing in his wake. Brady seems to have generated excellent chemistry with his new WR core and Wes Welker also impressed with 61 yards and the games opening touchdown. Brady and the Patriots looked impressive on both sides of the ball. The offensive line gave Brady all the time he needed to pick his passes, the receivers looked sharp and Maroney and Morris provided a nice 1-2 punch from the backfield. Ellis Hobbs also set a new NFL record for a kick off return, with a 108 yard return.

The Jets were fairly anonymous throughout this game although one concern could be an ankle injury sustained by Chad Pennington. Kellen Clemens came into replace Pennington but couldn't inspire an already beaten team.

However the fallout after the game has had far more interest than activities on the field. It is alleged that a Patriots employee was filming the Jets defensive coaches and this information was being passed on to the Patriots coordinators.

In a statement from league spokesman,Greg Aiello ''The rule is that no video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game, Clubs have specifically been reminded in the past that the videotaping of an opponent's offensive or defensive signals on the sidelines is prohibited. We are looking into whether the Patriots violated this rule.''

Today Bill Belichick made the following statement, "At this point, we have not been notified of the league's ruling, although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league's decision, I will have further comment."

Commissioner Goodell is considering what sanctions to impose on the Patriots who have been accused of a similar act before although nothing was proven. The sanctions could be the loss of multiple draft picks as this action is in violation of a previous warning issued to all teams.

A decision is expected on Friday from the commissioner and it will be interesting to see what punishment the Patriots will receive.

San Diego 14 - Chicago 3

A defensive humdinger of a game with both sets of defensive players knocking seven bells out of each other. It took a moment of trickery from LaDanian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates to break the Chicago defence. From the snap the ball was handed from Philip Rivers to LT, who rolled out to his right and found Gates who was able to sneak into the corner of the endzone for a 17 yard completion. LT was held to his 2nd lowest rushing total ever but was able to find the endzone in the 4th quarter to effectively finish the game. The Chargers will take confidence from this result but have another tough game as they face the Patriots at Foxboro.

The Bears have a lot of questions to answer. The biggest one could be why they traded Thomas Jones to the Jets. Neither Adrian Peterson or Cedric Benson ran with the authority that Jones showed and a fumble from each player also stopped promising drives. Admittedly it's not an easy thing to run against one of the best front sevens in football but Benson will need to step up to help Rex Grossman, who apart from an interception had a solid game under centre. Sadly there is also some bad injury news for the Bears. Both Mike Brown and Dusty Dvoracek have been lost for the season after tearing their ACL's. It't tough on Brown who has only played 28 games in the last 3 seasons thanks to injury.

Seattle 20 - Tampa Bay 6

The Bucs travelled to the Pacific Northwest to face the Seahawks and unsurprising didn't come away with a win. This game wasn't on UK coverage and it will be about 10 days until my contact in the US can provide me with a DVD of the game. I'll provide some thoughts on this once I have seen the game.