On The Jets Woes

Let me take this opportunity to tell let everyone know I am a Jets fan. Everything I say about them is biased, and I will always pick them to win over any team, because I am blinded by my allegiance to Gang Green. That said, they suck.

They have a 41 year old QB and BROOKS BOLLINGER is his backup! Their star QB has a torn rotator cuff for the second year in a row, and is "questionable" for a return next year. And to tell you the truth, I'm not so sure that I even want Pennington to return.

Don't get me wrong, I love Chad as much as the next guy, and I think that he had the potential to be one hell of a quarterback. But to return from 2 years of injuries and still be able throw with your original strength and accuracy is quite improbable. If he can make the comeback, more power to him. But I just don't see it happening since Pennington did not exactly have the strongest arm before he was injured. At best, he will come back and be a decent "workhorse" quarterback like Drew Bledsoe. But he will not be worth the 7-year, $67 million dollar contract the Jets signed him to at the beginning of last season.

This salary cap burden is going to cause major problems over the next few years for the Jets, even if Pennington comes back and plays well. Their offensive line needs a major overhaul, as it has provided no support for Curtis Martin this season, and gave up 16 sacks in the first 5 weeks. And speaking of Curtis Martin, he has rushed for only 285 yards so far this season, in what could be his worst season of his career. He is projected to run a career-low 985 yards, 109 yards less than his previous low in 2002. It appears last year may have been his last truly effective season, and he still has five (5!) years left on his contract. Hopefully his ineffectiveness this season is due to the lack of support from the offensive line and the pressure on him since Pennington's departure, and not because of his age. At 32, he is starting to show signs of wear, and this season may take quite a bit out of him. It appears soon that the Jets will have to make a move for a new RB, or at least a decent backup like they had in Lamont Jordan last year.

All of this spells trouble for the Jets. It appears that this season may be lost, and if things don't work out, the next few may be "rebuilding" years for the Jets as well. Yet again, the adage "Just End The Season comes to mind.