By Bob Bonett

Okay, guys. No more fooling around now. It’s time for a change.

Watching Chad Pennington come to the podium after the Jets sloppy loss to the Giants last weekend, it was clear that all confidence was gone. The former field general was reduced to a mistake-prone, unconfident quarterback who could tell the end was near.

Listen, Pennington is a class guy. Yet, watching the events unfold this weekend from the press box atop Giants Stadium was as painful as anything. After Leon Washington returned the kick for a touchdown, putting New York back up by 10, it seemed like Gang Green was on their way to a bounce-back victory, looking 2-3 right in the eye.

Nothing went right the rest of the game, though. And as much as people may want to blame the defense, Pennington had to accept the role of scapegoat for this one.

The (sad) fact of the matter is that the Marshall product has been figured out. Defenses can pinch eight guys into the box, taking away any shot that Thomas Jones has to rush the ball. Then, when Penny drops back to pass, his throws are often telegraphed the entire way, causing him to be prone to have a defensive back jump his wide receiver’s routes.

Now New York did put up 24 points last week, which may not appear at all bad considering what the Big Blue defense did to the Philadelphia Eagles the week prior. However, an oversight of many Jets fans has been the fact that of the 24 points, six were scored by the Jets offense. Kerry Rhodes returned a fumble for a touchdown, Washington had the kick return, and Mike Nugent kicked a field goal at the end of the half because coach Eric Mangini did not trust Pennington’s ability to throw the ball down field.

So who is at the center of this change? Second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens, of course.

Probably the most well-liked, well-known backup quarterback in the NFL, a substantial amount of Jets fans, including myself, feel like Kellen’s got to be brought in soon. He’ll extend the field, forcing defensive backs to give the Jets’ passing game some downfield respect, in turn allowing Jones to rack up some carries.

Regardless, this column is not about a Jets rant; it is about making the readers rich.

So how does this all tie in?

A good amount of the Jets faithful believes that New York can take down the Eagles this week. Bad news, though; if Penny starts, the Eagles defense will have a field day. Jones will be stuffed at the line, Pennington will be pressured constantly, and the Eagles hard-nosed secondary will creep up into the box, blitzing Pennington nonstop.

Enough about the Jets, though. The real story of this week is that the Cowboys are going to beat the Patriots.
I’ll explain momentarily.

BEST BET
New Orleans (+6.5) at Seattle: No, this is not to spite the Seahawks after they made me look silly by scoring zero points last week—at least not entirely. I just don’t think that there is any possible way that Drew Brees will let his team inexplicably fall to 0-5. Pick: Saints

GAME OF THE WEEK
New England (-5.5) at Dallas: Okay, maybe my grounds for this upset prediction aren’t necessarily scientific. Tony Romo has something to prove this week after drawing so much criticism from his five-interception performance against the Bills. What better way to rebound than leading America’s Team to an upset victory at home against “Shady Brady and Bill Belicheat.” Pick: Cowboys

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS
Philadelphia (-3) at New York Jets: Until Clemens is slotted in at quarterback, the Gang Green offense is limited so much that I can’t see them beating anybody. Plus, Brian Westbrook has been waiting three weeks to get back on the field. Pick: Eagles

THE REST
Cincinnati (-3) at Kansas City: The Chiefs are really just an embarrassment. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson will hook up more than once this week, while Larry Johnson will continue to be the bust of the century. Pick: Bengals

Houston (+6.5) at Jacksonville: I am the ringleader of the Jaguars bandwagon. David Garrard is playing like an All-Pro, and their defense is flat out unstoppable. Pick: Jaguars
Minnesota (+5.5) at Chicago: Adrian Peterson (of the Vikings) is going to show everybody he is for real against a stingy Bears defense. His breakout performance will lead the Vikes to a big victory over the “Brian Griese Crew” (that must make Bears fans cry) on the road. Pick: Vikings

St. Louis (+9) at Baltimore: The Rams are really embarrassing. However, the Ravens can’t score worth a look, so while they will win, the final score will probably be something like 3-0. Pick: Rams

Tennessee (+3) at Tampa Bay: I know that the unwritten rule is that you never pick against Jeff Garcia. Vince Young is hungry for a victory, though, and Tennessee is getting points! Pick: Titans

Washington (+3) at Green Bay: Yes, I did call the downfall of Favre and the Packers. And yes, it will continue this week. Pick: Redskins

Carolina (+4) at Arizona: Kurt Warner gets full reign of the Cards (finally), meaning that Arizona is going to score a ton, even against the Panthers defense. Pick: Cardinals

Oakland (+9.5) at San Diego: They’re back! LT, Philip Rivers, and the rest of the Chargers juggernaut offense might not lose for a while. Don’t expect the Raiders to be in the same ballpark. Pick: Chargers

New York Giants (-3) at Atlanta: The Big Blue defense has stepped up big with word that Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat. The NFC East is scary good, and the G-Men are no exception. Pick: Giants

Clemens showed his worth against Baltimore; it is time for Mangini to give him another shot. (NYTimes.com)