By Brian Bohl
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.-Don’t blame the offensive line. Sure, the unit surrendered five sacks and prevented Thomas Jones from rushing for more than his .03 yards-per-carry average in the first half. Quarterback Chad Pennington received little protection and faced a relentless Patriots’ pass rush in the Jets’ season opening loss. The extra pressure ended up in Pennington injuring his right ankle on a third-quarter sack, making the reigning Comeback Player of the Year uncertain for the upcoming Baltimore contest. No big deal.
Please refrain from faulting the secondary, which Tom Brady torched for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns. Sure, Randy Moss abused Justin Miller and made David Barrett appear as if the defensive back was playing in slow motion. It didn’t matter.
Forgive the special teams. The kickoff coverage only surrendered a NFL-record 108-yard return to start the second half. That play just happened to take the air out of the Giants Stadium crowd after Ellis Hobbs seeming ran the entire length of the Meadowlands complex for the back-breaking score. Whatever.
Perhaps the real reason for the 38-14 Week 1 defeat came because the Pats forged solid connects with RadioShack and Sharper Image. A New England employee had his camera and its contents confiscated amid accusations of espionage. There were concerns that the camera was used to steal hand signals used by the Jets to call defensive plays, though the standard backyard “go deep” strategy was working just fine as Brady compiled a 146-point quarterback rating.
Even as the drubbing still was fresh and the conspiracy theories propagated, the Jets kept espousing the message instilled in them by their coach. Eric Mangini’s press conference can be transcribed by using the same 4-5 canned quotes that take on some variation of “we’re taking it one game at a time” and “work to get better.” Beating the Ravens and preventing a 0-2 start might take more than just changing hand gestures, though the players said they’ve started to put last Sunday’s pathetic effort behind them.
“You have to move on, but you have to realize the things that you did wrong during the game and the things that you have to get better,” receiver Jerricho Cotchery said a day later. “After watching the film today, we are just anxious to get back to work on Wednesday and continue the maturation process.”
Kerry Rhodes stood in front of his locker in the dimly-lit Jets’ dressing room. Outside of the individual interviews, little chatter was exchanged after Randy Moss beat up the secondary for nine receptions and 183 yards.
Rhodes, an All-Pro defensive back, was not one of three defenders Moss burned on a 51-yard touchdown strike that epitomized the secondary’s futility. But the third-year safety emerged as the defensive leader since his breakout rookie season, and said the Jets must improve the one-on-one coverage that is required for the 3-4 base defense to be successful.
“That’s the problem when you roll the coverage to one person-the other guys are capable,” Rhodes said. “We’ll see the film. Now, it’s [on to] Baltimore.
Darrelle Revis, the Jets first-round pick, made his NFL debut by starting at left cornerback. He struggled to contain Moss and Wes Welker; later echoed Rhodes’ comments about learning from mistakes.
“We have to get right back. We have to get this out of our mind right now and get focused on our next opponent,” Revis said.
Even if Pennington is fully healthy, the Jets must show that they can make adjustments in every facet of the game-even if the opponent hires Harry Caul or the NSA to pillage play-calls. Backup Kellen Clemens could possibly be making his first NFL start. If Pennington can’t go, the second-year will be entrusted with replicating Carson Palmer’s success, as Cincinnati’s quarterback minimized mistakes and completed the big plays to beat the Ravens in the Monday Night Football opener.
“It is my second year in the offense and I had a chance to get some live bullets this week, so I’m going to go in there and do the best that I can,” said Clemens, who received a standing ovation when he first entered in the third quarter.
Of course, those cheers also were for Pennington after throbbing pain forced him to the sideline. It was a distasteful gesture from the sold-out Meadowlands crowd, and the honeymoon for the No. 2 quarterback will quickly be over if Clemens finds himself on the end of a Ray Lewis sack or throws an interception into Chris McAlister’s hands.
“You are not going to play too many (defenses) that are better than New England, but Baltimore is a very sound defense,” Clemens said. “They are at the top of most statistical categories, so they demand a lot of respect. We feel comfortable with our offense and we are going to go out there and do the best that we can.”
Clemens’ maturation from a preseason star (registering a league-leading four touchdown passes) to a legitimate starting quarterback could prevent the Jets’ season from being over before October. A multiple-game losing streak in the first month could prohibit the Jets from making it back to the playoffs for a second straight season, as the AFC features three Super Bowl contenders in the Colts, Pats and Chargers. With only two wild-card spots available, the postseason could be a distant memory if the Jets allow Steve McNair and Derrick Mason to impersonate the Brady-Moss duo.
As Mangini often says in his bland news conferences, it takes a total team effort to be successful. Or at least the purchase of a more expensive electronic communications system.

Chad Pennington

Brian Bohl