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Why Favre Hurts, Rather than Helps, the Jets

Boba_tiny by Brian Galliford on in Opinion


Can Favre lead Jets back to playoffs? (Photo Source)

The Green Bay era is over, and the New York Jets have landed a Hall of Fame quarterback.  Yes, folks, you've all heard that it's official: Brett Favre is a New York Jet.

As dirty as it makes me feel to write about Brett Favre, I'm willingly sacrificing my feeling of cleanliness to send Buffalo Bills fans a message that I hope some of you have already instilled some belief in this morning: don't panic.

There are, of course, immediate ramifications for the Buffalo Bills.  Buffalo swept the Jets last season, and were expected to use the Jets as a welcome mat to the AFC playoff bracket this season.  Now, with the Jets in possession of a better quarterback - and "better" is about where the increase ends for them, at least at this point - those playoff chances take a hit.

There are reasons, however, to not fear this move.  Take your fingers off the panic button and hear me out.  I'm of the belief that the Jets were monumentally stupid to trade for Favre, for a few key reasons.

Reason 1: Jets Quarterbacks
So the Jets' new starting quarterback, presumably, is Brett Favre.  It's an upgrade, to be certain.  But it is without a doubt an upgrade for the short term.  And it may not be the upgrade that many fans believe it to be.  Set aside the change of scenery and the change in offensive weaponry, because Favre can work with any offensive threat.  He turned mediocre wideouts into stars left and right in Green Bay.  But he did it working his entire career under one offense.  That offense suddenly changes under the tutelage of Brian Schottenheimer, the Jets' offensive coordinator.  To believe that there won't be an adjustment period is naive.  It may be a short adjustment period, but it will definitely be there.

Don't forget, also, that Kellen Clemens is still the future of that franchise.  Now he sits on the sideline, giving way to a guy who is famous for ignoring his understudies.  Best case scenario, Clemens turns into Aaron Rodgers watching him.  What that means, time will tell.  Worst case scenario (for the Jets), Clemens flops, and they're right back in rebuilding mode two years from today.  Good for them.

Reason 2: Eric Mangini
Quick - name the most desperate coach in the NFL right now.  Is there any doubt that it's Eric Mangini, the guy who threw wads of money at veteran players (Alan Faneca, Tony Richardson, Kris Jenkins) to throw together the quick fix?  Mangini made a huge gamble during this off-season, and acquiring Favre exacerbates his desperation.  There is now a ton of pressure on Mangini to turn the '08 Jets into a playoff team.

Imagine, for a moment, that something goes wrong, and the Jets miss the playoffs.  That would make two straight years on Mangini's record that his teams were gigundous disappointments.  His job is unmistakably on the line.  Would you want to be the coach who missed the playoffs with all the "name" players that he has?  Gregg Williams and Mike Mularkey did it with the Bills; their careers have turned out pretty shiny, right?  The Jets are building a team the wrong way, and that will come back to bite them in their large green butts.  That segues perfectly into the third reason this move was dumb.

Reason 3: Team-Building Philosophies
There's nothing more irritating in the music business than a one-hit wonder.  It irritates me when a team like the Jets go for broke with a one-hit wonder team as well, and that's exactly what they're doing by acquiring Favre.  It doesn't irritate me in this case because, well, they're the Jets.  I love seeing them build a team this way, because it kills their long-term viability.  Their future is now in flux.

I'm not saying Buffalo's future isn't in flux, just that they're going about building the team the right way.  In today's NFL, building a perennial winner takes patience.  The Jets and Mangini have proven that they don't have much of that.  Buffalo has a chance at being a good team for a long time; I no longer see the Jets as close to being in the same boat.  I'll take Buffalo's long-term viability over the Jets' at this point - especially since the Bills can still beat the Jets, even with Favre.  Need I remind anyone that the last time the Bills faced Favre, it was in a 24-10 victory just two seasons ago?  Buffalo's awful defense played Favre well that day (he had 287 yards, a touchdown and two picks).

Does Favre to New York hurt Buffalo's playoff chances in 2008?  Certainly, but not to the point where the Bills don't have a somewhat realistic shot at the post-season.  Buffalo's defense has improved to the point where it can compete well with a Favre-led Jets team, especially considering the grace period Favre will undoubtedly need to get his feet wet in a brand new offense.  The Jets are also now unmistakably a last-gasp team, and Buffalo's future is, for now, much brighter.  I'd much rather be a fan of the Bills than a fan of the Jets today - Buffalo has direction; the Jets have desperation.

No panic needed, folks.  The Bills are still in good shape.  The Jets may not be.

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Good and Bad

Now that i have let it digest. I see that it is fine, but also how it may be bad as well.
Favre is a playmaker, and he adds both his playmaking ability and arm strength above what Pennington has on him in intelligence. I know Clemens has a stronger arm than Pennington, but he must not be the future if they brought in Favre. It is NYC so the flashy favre fits in perfect, and along with some of their weapons they will be a better team.

However, the Bills are a team on the rise, a team I think we believe can be very good. So if we are to succeed this year, or for years to come, why not play better teams? It will only make us better and prove our worth all the more.

Do we nab Pennington? I say yes….it would give us a much stronger stable of QBs and Edwards would learn alot more from Pennington, as would our whole team about the Jets. Green Bay talked about releasing Favre into the division as a bad thing, but now Mangini&Co has released one of the brainiest QBs out into the waters of the AFC East with sharks like Belichick and Parcells lurking. So hopefully Jauron and his training camp fishing hat can hook #10

Protect ya neck!

by killascript on Aug 7, 2008 9:19 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

No!

Ha ha, Pennington isn’t bad, but I’m tired of the Bills spinning the wheel of Quarterbacks. Picking up Pennington would put us all the way back to Bledsoe. I’m eager to see Trent Edwards learn on the field and not on the bench.

by Optimist on Aug 7, 2008 9:31 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

How about as a backup?

Pennington as a veteran backup would be better than Hamdan/Baker, certainly. As long as we bring him in knowing that Edwards is the starter and he’s the backup… I’m not sure if he’d be open to being a backup (possibly even #3 behind Losman most of this year).

by Krenn on Aug 7, 2008 9:43 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

A backup...

Yeah, Pennington would be a great option as a backup… but do you trust the Bills to keep him on the bench if Edwards struggles early in the season?

by Optimist on Aug 7, 2008 9:54 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Pennington

I don’t want Chad Pennington on the Bills’ roster in any capacity. Ever.

Young and talented: Ideal.
Young and untalented or old and talented: Maybe.
Old and untalented: No Way!

Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.

by Fort Worth on Aug 7, 2008 10:17 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Definitely backup

If Losman is going to go after this season, what better then an AFC East QB who has seen the playoffs to be our back up guy. He is smart and accurate, and while his arm is noodly, I believe as a back up he can thrive.

Protect ya neck!

by killascript on Aug 7, 2008 10:12 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I know Clemens has a stronger arm than Pennington, but he must not be the future if they brought in Favre.

That doesn’t make much sense, kaiser… Favre is old. Clemens isn’t. Clemens is presumably the backup. How is not their QB of the future still?

by Brian Galliford on Aug 7, 2008 9:41 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I didn’t say it, but I do agree with it.

Clemens is entering his third year with the Jets. He just turned 25 and only has two years left on his contract. Unless the Jets win a Super Bowl, or Favre plays downright terrible, I think he comes back for a second season in NY/NJ and when he decides to play in 2009 it signals the end of Clemens’ tenure with the J E T S, Jets, Jets, Jets. They then get to draft another QB and start all over.

by kaisertown on Aug 7, 2008 10:01 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

My quote

Because, if Clemens was the guy, there would be no need for Favre, and spending 13 mil a season on a guy who could be sopping tears come January. I mean, it is a great PR move to grab Favre, but if you’re serious about winning, just as the original article suggests, this is not the way to build a modern NFL winning franchise

Protect ya neck!

by killascript on Aug 7, 2008 10:13 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Farve was a playmaker when he PLAYED WITHIN THE SYSTEM

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE is ignoring that fact that Farve was a good, and only good QB from ‘03-’06 when he was running around like a chicken with its head cut off and chucking up 20+ INTs every season. Last year Mike McCarthy told him he had better play within the system he built or see the bench. All season long Farve did that 99% of the time, and they did well for that. In the NFC Championship game in OT, what did Farve do? He threw out the system to make a stab at eternal glory, eternal PERSONAL glory, and ended up chucking the INT that cost GB the season and a possible Superbowl Berth.

He is now going to the Jets, whose LT is NOT that good, meaning that Farve will be keeping his head on a swivel and will be wary of the blindside. What does that mean for his opponents? More picks because he will now be freelancing rather playing within the Jets system like he did in GB, becuase at least in GB, he had a good running attack and a good and solid LT to D’Brick who is never going to be better than serviceable in my mind. And a low level serviceable at that.

I think Farve will be on a mission to prove GB wrong this season by playing hard, BUT he will do it on his terms, which means that Jets had better watch out because when Farve plays only for himself, he makes ALOT of mistakes. Yes he can also win games, but I think the scales are right now tipping towards the bad performance side now.

As for Pennington, if he is willing to come in as the 3rd QB and understands that he would get the 2nd QB position next year after JP leaves and thats all he will be is Trents backup, then bring him in. He is a smart QB and honestly, while Trent has a better are than Chad, they play the same style of ball, short to intermediate passing.

Fear the mighty helmet wearing gopher, he is coming for your soul....

by WABillsfan on Aug 7, 2008 2:35 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Come on, your using one example

“All season long Farve did that 99% of the time, and they did well for that. In the NFC Championship game in OT, what did Farve do? He threw out the system to make a stab at eternal glory”

Brett makes a throw outside the system a lot of the time and it works and very well. For every time it doesn’t work there are times that it does, to the detriment of the opposing team. Remember his two bombs to tie and then win in OT against the Broncos? Need I remind you that we went into the 4th quarter of our games with Jets last year tied in the fourth quarter? Favre will make those games much much much harder to win. He torched Champ Bailey and Dre Bly, Terrence McGee and Jabari Greer better be ready because they will be facing Favre and Brady 4 TIMES A YEAR. I don’t think Bills fans are realizing that facing two hall of famers in a 1/4 of our games, no matter how old one of them is, will inevitably reduce our chances of making the playoffs. Period.

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Aug 7, 2008 3:01 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

The worst part about this

is….that he’s now in NYC (jersey). Kill meeeee. It’s going to be in every newspaper for the next 5 months and on every sports segment, and talked about during every Yankees game. UGGGGGGGGGGH. And it wont’ go away until everyone realizes the Jets are going to stink again!

Good for the Jets. Gives them some optimism, but I don’t see this move as one that’ll allow them to contend. Maybe for a wildcard, but not a division or Super Bowl title.

Brett Favre of ‘05 and ‘06 come on down!!

~K

by Kurupt on Aug 7, 2008 10:05 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

One of my favorite movies of all time, comes to mind. Is the AFC East heading for a Mexican Standoff?

by Zumone on Aug 7, 2008 10:06 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

G, B & U

If Parcells is the Ugly, and Belichik is the Bad, and Jauron is good…then that would make Mangini Bud Carson, who may now have gotten his gold in Favre, but he ends up dying anyway, so who cares

Protect ya neck!

by killascript on Aug 7, 2008 10:15 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

DOLPHINS TALKING TO PENNINGTON

So reports Sirius NFL Radio within the past hour…Parcells draft pick?

Protect ya neck!

by killascript on Aug 7, 2008 1:23 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

And that would be a dumb move for the Dolphins. Ha! My day just keeps getting better… :)

by Brian Galliford on Aug 7, 2008 1:31 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

No way does anybody trade for Pennington.

Pennington is under contract through 2011 and will make about 6 mil in base salary.

by kaisertown on Aug 7, 2008 1:32 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

that makes more sense. He will definitely land on his feet somewhere.

by kaisertown on Aug 7, 2008 1:37 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Pennington is a good fit anywhere because not only does he have the brains to step in on any team that deosn’t want to heave it down field, he also has the brains to mentor a younger player, as he is the one coming into a team and will not have the animosity of having a young guy drafted or coming into his locker room.
Chiefs are also a possibility being tossed around.

Protect ya neck!

by killascript on Aug 7, 2008 3:46 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Favre to Jets

My take is that this was a good move for the rudderless Jets. At least for a season or two. Its the Yankee/Ranger/Knicks philosophy of sports management – bring in a big name has-been to fill up the seats and make some news. I don’t think they improved on D this off season, so we’ll see a good number of shootouts. This is not going to be the Favre from 2007-2008. Most likely, it will somewhere between the 2005-06 and 06-07 Favre. For Favre, this was a great marketing move – time to cash out on the endorsements! – but a terrible football move. Tampa would have been a much better choice for him – at least chance of making the playoffs.

No need to worry. The Jets got marginally better. The Bills are still the fundamentally more sound team. Two wins just got slightly harder. But some dbacks will have an opportunity to pad the resume with some extra INTs.

by oompaloompa on Aug 7, 2008 10:34 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Tampa

would have been the better choice as far as playoff chances go, but I guess Brett will have to find that out the hard way. Hopefully our defense will have a few more opportunities to take it to the house when they play the Jets!

I agree with Brian that this is a terrible move long-term for the Jets. After Favre is gone their QB situation will be a mess for years to come…

Get the Bills back to the big game!

by Blitz on Aug 7, 2008 11:41 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I beg to disagree...a good move by the Jets

Although Brian makes some legitimate points and the trade doesn’t eliminate the Bills from the playoffs, it is a good move by the Jets. Remember, prior to last seasons aberration, the Jets were a winning team. Poor quarterback production (partly due to poor line play) and a lack of play makers doomed the Jets last season. The Jets addressed the underlying problem by vastly improving the offensive line. This was a huge factor in Favre’s decision: they had the beef, now they needed the mustard.

Favre is most certainly on the downside of his career, but he is still a top ten quarterback and represents a huge upgrade over Pennington and Clemens. If nothing else, the trade finally allowed the Jets to JETtison Pennington. This is something Clemens couldn’t do..despite being given many opportunities. The team had many of the pieces to win now…not three or four years from now…but the most glaring need was QB and that was solved in the short term.

From a business sense, bringing one of the greatest QB’s ever to the largest market in the world is a marketing boon. Not that it will increase ticket sales, (all seats are season tickets and there is a waiting list) but the Jets will be able to move a little more out of the shadow of the NY Giants at a time when their going through some changes. Undoubtedly, a Jets number 4 jersey will outsell every other in the NFL.

I always felt that the Bills will have a tough time in the Meadowlands (I’ve only seen them win there a couple of times), now the task is that much more difficult. And although there will be an adjustment period, Favre will be settled by the time they play the Bills at the Ralph in week 8. The Bills will have to fight hard for a split in the division series. As Marv Levy used to say: “systems don’t win championships, players do”.

The approach the Bills are taking to develop their team is the right path for their franchise and hopefully will pay off for years to come. The Jets are taking a different path that is not dissimilar to other big market franchises. The Favre trade is not inconsistent with that strategy. There may be one plus for the Bills, playing the Favre twice may actually get them more recognition by everyone at ESPN not named Chris Berman.

by NJBill on Aug 7, 2008 10:52 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Clemens is NOT the future of the Jets

I totally disagree with this Brian:

“Don’t forget, also, that Kellen Clemens is still the future of that franchise. Now he sits on the sideline, giving way to a guy who is famous for ignoring his understudies.”

Says who? Clemens was terrible, absolutely terrible, last year. The fact that there was an open competition between him and Pennington during training camp should be proof enough there is no faith in him. I think this is a great move for the Jets. They have Favre for two years and they draft a rookie QB next year, who becomes the QB of the future. After having Favre to keep from throwing their new prized possession into the fire, they put the kid in when he’s ready. Am I saying the Jets other moves were good? No. But bringing in Favre makes it so that we don’t get the advantage of playing the Jets led by terrible Qbs anymore. As soon as we’re done battling Favre, we’ll have to deal with their new young star who won’t be named Clemens.

Finally, how is this good for the Bills? We beat the Jets 17-14 and 13-3 last year. Those are close games and Brett Favre wins close games. We play the the Jets Week 9 and Week 15. By Week 9, Brett should be feeling comfortable and by Week 15, which I had already marked as a game which will catapult us in or out of the playoffs, Brett will be in his element. The wind of the meadowlands and maybe some snow, a team he has gelled with all year, and two good receivers, and three options at tight end, one of which he has played with for many years. I’m sorry, whenever you face two Hall of Fame QBs 4 times in one season its not good for your team.

The playoffs just became a longer shot in my opinion. I’m not saying the Jets will be a playoff team either. I’m just saying this hurts us more than you’re letting on. The Jets were a messed up team for the long-term anyway, as I said Clemens was never the answer. So they didn’t get any worse by brining in Favre, just bought more time to find a franchise replacement. All that happened with this trade is that our playoff window closed an extra inch.

On that note. I still believe. Go Bills

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Aug 7, 2008 11:39 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Very well said, I totally agree.

The Jets already have a terrible situation at QB. So the fact that their QBs may stink in a couple of seasons shouldn’t be a big concern. This move doesn’t solve their QB issues, rather it just pushes them off for a couple of seasons. Doing that does buy time for them to find an eventual replacement. The Jets will draft somebody during the next couple of drafts and whether or not he works out will go a long way to determining the future success of the Jets.

by kaisertown on Aug 7, 2008 12:07 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Would it be better if I said “CURRENTLY still the future of that franchise”? Because that’s what he is – the young understudy to an aging quarterback. Ergo, QB of the future.

by Brian Galliford on Aug 7, 2008 12:35 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

How about "ACTING future QB of the franchise".

Short for “Acting future QB of the franchise that will be sent to another team just as soon as we find another true future QB of the franchise through the draft or trade with another team that has two really good or potentially good young QB’s (see Cleveland) and we’re going to try to make it happen as soon as possible, but will likely have to wait until next year because it’s so late in the off-season and we besides we don’t want to piss off our newest and legendary QB of the present.”

by NJBill on Aug 7, 2008 12:54 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

That’s all fine and well. My point was that it stunts Clemens’ development. That remains true, whether or not he’s with the Jets long-term. And if they’re drafting another QB next year, well, it’s the same situation. So the point remains valid – Favre is a desperate, stop-gap move that will hurt the team long-term.

by Brian Galliford on Aug 7, 2008 1:05 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Favre only hurts the team long-term under the assumption that Clemens would have actually developed into a decent starting QB. If Clemens ends up being pretty good than this is wasted development time. If he was going to have a mediocre season that led to the Jets drafting another QB, then Favre’s presence doesn’t hurt them one bit.

by kaisertown on Aug 7, 2008 1:35 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

WASTER DEVELOPMENT TIME?

How is it wasted? To learn under a legend and get better? I think it is proven in today’s NFL that QB’s that are brought along slowly so they can learn the mental game are much better. Clemens is not ready to play at a high level. Sitting and practicing will only aid in his progress. To think this move does anything but help the Jets is assinine. Sure Favre may struggle and not play as well because the Jets aren’t as good as the Packers, but surely the Jets are much better with Brett Favre than without him. I would not for one second be mad if Favre came to the Bills and Edwards sat for 1-2 years. Elite QB’s in this league are so hard to develop and maintain. The Jets immediatly now have one of the top 5 QB’s in the league. Edwards is in the 20’s.

MARVelous

by MARVelous on Aug 7, 2008 7:07 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I’m not sure Farve is top 5 any more. In fact I can think of at least 8-9 QBs I would take over him right now.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Aug 7, 2008 7:15 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Marv, you’re concentrating on the short term. Long-term, this hurts the Jets. That’s the entire point of the article.

by Brian Galliford on Aug 7, 2008 9:31 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

It hurts the Jets alright, especially when Vince Wilfork launches himself into Favre’s knees.

Get the Bills back to the big game!

by Blitz on Aug 8, 2008 9:48 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

i guess

I don’t see that. The QB position is the hardest one in the NFL to fill. And like I said, sitting on the bench is never a bad thing for a young QB IMO. I think its a great, low-risk gamble by the Jets and no way jeopardizes the long-term implications of the franchise. Brett will play 1 or 2 years. Clemens will still be there when that is over and will have gotten to watch a legend.

MARVelous

by MARVelous on Aug 8, 2008 11:15 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

We have no idea if “getting to watch a legend” has worked for Aaron Rodgers. Why should it automatically be assumed that it will work for Clemens too?

by Brian Galliford on Aug 8, 2008 11:17 AM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Clemens is a 25 year old QB entering his third season. He won’t be young forever and his contract expires in two seasons. The Jets have to make a decision on whether or not he is the long term answer before his contract is over. My bet is that he leaves via FA after the 09 season. He might not still be there when Favre leaves.

And while young QBs learning on the bench is not really a bad thing, I don’t think it is a good thing either. Most QBs are going to take their lumps for a year or two of starting, no matter how long they sat on the bench and learned during practice.

The Clemens era in NY/NJ is probably over without ever really starting.

Favre only hurts the team long-term under the assumption that Clemens would have actually developed into a decent starting QB. If Clemens ends up being pretty good than this is wasted development time. If he was going to have a mediocre season that led to the Jets drafting another QB, then Favre’s presence doesn’t hurt them one bit.

That was my post that got you to respond and get this whole line of convo going. But my original point was that Favre probably WON’T hurt the Jets long-term. My thought is that:

IF Clemens leaves via FA (like I am pretty sure that he will) and turns into an above average starting QB, it will make the Jets look pretty foolish assuming Favre never leads them to a conference championship.

IF Clemens never develops than (which he probably won’t) then the Jets look very smart for acquiring Favre. And that is assuming that Favre actually plays well and makes the Jets playoff contenders at the very least.

by kaisertown on Aug 8, 2008 12:23 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

great post

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Aug 8, 2008 12:33 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

IF Clemens never develops than (which he probably won’t) then the Jets look very smart for acquiring Favre.

Disagree with that. The only thing that makes it true in my book (Favre being a good move, that is) is if they find a suitable replacement. Until then, it’s a stop-gap move.

by Brian Galliford on Aug 8, 2008 12:48 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

By acquiring Farve the Jets basically wasted the 2nd round pick they used on Clemons.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Aug 8, 2008 10:12 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

You can't stunt something that's not growing

He had his chance last year and took most of season to depose of Pennington…who despite his limitations never really went away. I have nothing against the young man and wish him success (that is against teams other than Buffalo). It is the Jets coaching staff and front office, who know him best, that have made their assessment plain by aggressively pursuing Favre. Clemens may linger around a season or two, but he won’t be given too many opportunities to get on the field in a real game. Young quarterback, stunted development, are you sure you’re not still hurting over the Losman situation?

by NJBill on Aug 7, 2008 1:51 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

exactly right NJBILL

I was literally posting “there is nothing to stunt with Clemens” when you wrote your post. I agree with you completely. The Jets were going to be searching for or drafting a QB next draft anyway unless Clemens performed very well which at this point was unlikely because he couldn’t establish himself as the clear starter over Pennington.

By drafting another QB next year it is a totally different situation, especially if they pick up a 1st rounder. By picking up a rookie with more upside than Clemens and letting him ride the bench while watching Favre and learning the playbook is not the same as stunting growth, in fact is it promoting growth.

And with all the free agents the Jets brought in why not try to establish a winning mentality in a new locker room by bringing in a winning QB, before turning over the reins to a young, up and coming star. Clemens was not going to win, in fact he was likely to drag the team down. Which team mindset would you want waiting for your “real” QB of the future?

Just some stats from last year. With both QBs playing about half a season each, here are Clemens and Edwards stat comparisons, bearing in mind that Clemens was a 2nd year man and Edwards was a rookie, while Clemens was a 2nd rounder and Edwards a 3rd.

Competition Percentage: Edwards 56.1%, Clemens 52%
Yards: Edwards 1,630, Clemens 1,529
TD: INT ratio: Edwards 7:8, Clemens 5:10
Sacked: Edwards 12, Clemens 27
QB rating: Edwards 70.4, Clemens 60.9

I think the TD:INT ratio speaks volumes, 5 TD to 10 INT, the guy threw 10 picks in 8 starts. He doesn’t sound like a franchise QB to me. If Edwards puts up those numbers in his second year, I’d doubt he was the answer as well.

kaisertown is right on, “If he was going to have a mediocre season that led to the Jets drafting another QB, then Favre’s presence doesn’t hurt them one bit.”

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Aug 7, 2008 2:03 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Poz: Interesting stats...

particularly since Clemens was drafted a year ahead of Edwards. More than the stats however, the Bills like the qualities they see in Edwards. The same cannot be said of Clemens. Who said that the process of filling the most important position in pro sports is fair. I hope Lil’Mac’s glass is half full and overflowing perspective comes true…even if it’s filled with Kool-aid.

by NJBill on Aug 7, 2008 2:31 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

Without Farve,

I don’t see the long-term future of the Jets being any better. Unless they were to play horrible this season, select high in the 2009 draft, and pick the next John Elway.

Great plays don't make great players; great players make great plays.

by Fort Worth on Aug 7, 2008 2:01 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

I think this could help us

If the Bills are in fact as good as we all BILL-eve, then there is no way that we lose to the Jets this year. That in mind, yes, the Jets are much better. This will allow them to be in the playoff chase and hopefully knock off a few of our key opponents in the process. Maybe they even get an upset or two in there, Pats please. It also guarantees that the Dolphins will go 0-6 in the AFC East, which is just icing on the cake. The Jets play the likes of Cincy, Tennessee, and Denver all of which are teams that will be competing for a wild card spot. Jets Victories over those teams will be huge, as long as the Bills take care of business against Favre’s new team. Their offense will not be as terrible as we all hoped but there defense still won’t be anything special at all. Plus don’t forget the certainty that Favre will not play every game this season, my proof…...the Madden Curse.

by Lil' Mac on Aug 7, 2008 1:36 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Madden Curse

I’ll second that Madden Curse. You have to wonder if the people over at EA Sports are kicking themselves right now. They tried to break their own “curse” and put a retired player on their cover. “He’s retired,” they thought, “How could the curse happen to someone who won’t even be on the field.” Clearly they had no idea just how stubborn Brett Farve was. Now they have a game with a dated cover before it even is released. I just hope that the so called curse will come full circle and drop Farve’s playing ability as far down as his public image has fallen.

by BuffaloBrewed on Aug 7, 2008 11:09 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

whitner on ESPN radio

Listening to Tirico on ESPN and donte whitner will be interviewed about Favre in a few seconds.

by Zumone on Aug 7, 2008 1:40 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Any mention of Whitner’s reaction to Favre would be appreciated.

by Brian Galliford on Aug 7, 2008 3:26 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

No great revelations

Basically repeating the Bill’s party line on the matter. If I knew how useless the interview would be, I wouldn’t have posted. Amazingly Whitner stated the Bills would be making the playoffs! And apparently Scott Van Pelt is friends with Melvin Fowler.

by Zumone on Aug 7, 2008 3:50 PM EDT to parent up reply reply   0 recs

i agree about picking up pennington. one i hear that the dolphins r talking to his agent. 2 he is a team player and will help our young qb. 3 pennington is not stupid and will do his job if asked to play. 4 he knows the jets and theres absolutely no problem picking up a player that knows the other teams system.

by billsstein on Aug 7, 2008 6:30 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

I completely agree with everything Brian wrote here, Farve is a desperate stop-gap move for the Jets.

As for Pennington, I think he would be a teriffic pick-up, but it would most likely mean that Losman goes bye-bye, I can’t see the Bills keeping Losman and Pennington on the roster at the same time. I don’t think that Chad comes here however because he wants to go somewhere he can start, which to me says Miami and maybe the vikings. Humorously if the Dolphins signed him that would mean they would have to cut a QB themselves. My money would be on them cutting McCown, but if they cut Beck I would jump on him in a second.

The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me.

by sireric on Aug 7, 2008 6:51 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Not Too Worried About Favre

The Jets don’t have near the supporting cast that surrounded Favre in GB. They still have no running game and marginal receivers at best. If we face the 2006 version of Favre as opposed to the 2007 version it’s an even better scenario.

I say we just go “Montana” on his arse. We ended Joe’s career and we can do the same for Brett. Show him why he should have opted for retirement.

by Blackthorn on Aug 7, 2008 8:52 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Farve

My opinion is Farve will play like he did in ‘06. I think last year was a mirage. But I have been wrong before. there is a chance we see Clemens week 15 anyway. I dont care nor will I until the Jets come to Buffalo in week 8 with a .500 or better record.

by Berg79 on Aug 8, 2008 11:23 AM EDT reply reply   0 recs

Brett the Jet and Mangini

Mangini is employing the late George Allen philosophy …go with veterans and take your best shot…now! George Allen didn’t think much of rookies and took most of his draft choices and traded them away for proven veterans. Allen didn’t have the patience to wait for a young team to mature and suffer through the maturation process. He wanted to mount a serious challenge every year with experienced veterans. It’s not a bad philosophy. Check his winning percentage…third most successful coach in NFL history! Marv Levy was his special teams coach with the Washington Redskins. The Jets spent 140 million this off-season to acquire free agent veterans. With the addition of Favre, they now have a commanding presence at the QB position. If last season wasn’t an apparition and Favre plays that well again…then I say…watch out! The Jets will be dangerous, especially if Favre is out to prove something to the Packers and all the skeptics.

by southerntierfan on Aug 9, 2008 7:12 PM EDT reply reply   0 recs

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