It's only fitting that the Jets wrap up a terribly disappointing season with a scenario like this;
A. Beat the Chiefs and lose out on a higher draft pick.
or
B. Lose to the Chiefs and finish their crummy season with a record of 3-13, their worst since the 1-15 season in 1996.
What to look For
Quarterback Play: For the second straight week it will be a game time decision. I would be surprised if Kellen Clemens doesn't get the start. At practice on Wednesday he was throwing the ball with alot of velocity and the shoulder seemed to be OK. In terms of Chad Pennington, I believe he can be a good quarterback on a good team with very good offensive lineman. This is no longer the right fit for him. I liked two throws this past Sunday (the slant to Cotchery and the TD pass to Baker) but beyond that, nothing. Pennington's greatest attribute throughout has been his decision making. This season it has been a detriment. He has made bad throws at the wrong times. Just look at the interception in the end-zone last week after the Jets took the three points off the board. Let Clemens play.
Offensive Line Rotation
This will continue on Sunday as Mangini and his staff continue to look at the likes of Oldenburg, Montgomery & Turner. Clearly Adrian Clarke nor Jacob Bender appear to be the future at left guard. If the Jets don't have that person on the roster, and I do not believe they do, it is possible they could use free agency to fill that spot. Wink wink, Alan Faneca.
Special Teams
Ben Graham said being benched last week wasn't a jolt but instead like a rocket falling. He was clearly annoyed at Jeremy Kapinos getting the nod & he was punting with a purpose at practice this week. No word who will punt on Sunday but what seemed like a position without question is anything but. Also, keep an eye on Mike Nugent who struggled early in the season, went on a tear in the middle part & is now struggling again.
The Return of Herm
While tickets for the Giants & Patriots are going for absurd amounts on ticket sites like stubhub, tickets for Sundays game between the Jets & Chiefs are going for absurd amounts in the wrong direction. Take a gander to stubhub and you will see that $65 seats are being sold for $24 dollars. Ouch. So who knows how many fans will show up as empty seats but the ones that do will have an opportunity to either boo or cheer former head coach Herman Edwards. I don't know what you think, but I believe he'll be booed back to Kansas City. Certainly he did a lot of good things in his time here as he took the team to the playoffs in the first three out of four years. However, most fans will remember how his final season ended and the way he took off to take over the Chiefs. The Jets have 3 wins, the Chiefs are 4-11. Was there any wonder that NBC flexed out of this game?
On Monday we'll take a look at the Jets needs for '08. For now though enjoy your final real football game until September. Doesn't it feel like training camp just opened?
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