Never more true has that old adage been than this NFL season in regards to Chad Pennington. Cast asunder one month before the season opener for the Living Legend Brett Favre, Chad was picked up by an old AFC rival, the Miami Dolphins. At the time, the move was analyzed as a strong positive for the J-E-T-S (JETS! JETS! JETS!), upgrading from the noodle armed Pennington to the old gun slinger.
At first glance, it was working out great for Gang Green as Favre returned to the form of his glory days. However after starting 8-3, the Jets could only muster a 9-7 finish. This ending was due mainly to Brett being Brett and looking like the old man who could no longer handle the harsh, cold ends of the NFL season. In the Jets 1-4 stretch run, Brett threw 9 INTs including three multi-INT games to end the year.
On the other end of the spectrum, you have a man given the dreaded tag as ‘game manager’. Pennington was near flawless to finish the season with only 1 INT through a 5-0 finish, having a passer rating over 100 in the final four. He even finished the season with a rating over 96 – his highest since 2002, his first year as a full time starter.
I suppose this is the time where I’m supposed to make my big point. Make some grandiose statement about what this means for the league. I don’t have one. In NY, Chad was tagged. They knew what he could do, they knew what he couldn’t do. At least that’s what they thought. Meanwhile, he moved down to Miami, where he doesn’t have to contend with the bitter winters. Then the Sparanos unveiled the Wildcat and you have RBs lining up in the shotgun, which was good enough to get the W versus New England. Now, the Fins are headed into the playoffs as the number 3 seed, hosting (and likely losing to) the Baltimore Ravens. Nevertheless, the Jets jettisoned a proven vet who’d worn out his welcome for an old man who no one knew was washed up until Thanksgiving.
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