Reeling Jets Yank Pennington During Ugly Loss to Bills
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

Chad Pennington was benched yesterday, and as if to remind fans that the Jets’ problems go much deeper than their starting quarterback, backup Kellen Clemens promptly threw an interception.
The story of the game was coach Eric Mangini’s decision, finally, to pull Pennington, weeks after fans and the press began clamoring for a switch. Although it’s not clear who will start for the Jets against the Washington Redskins next week, Mangini signaled by benching Pennington that the franchise is ready to move on and end Pennington’s tenure as the starter, which he has been, when healthy, for the last six years.
But the story shouldn’t just be about Pennington, who is far from the only one who deserves blame after the Jets played a bad football team, the Buffalo Bills, and lost 13–3. The rest of the Jets’ offense didn’t give Pennington much help, and the Jets’ defense allowed Bills quarterback J.P. Losman to throw the game-winning 85-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
The Jets probably aren’t the worst team in the NFL, but they’re awfully close. They’re bad at passing and running, at stopping the pass and stopping the run. The Bills have swept the Jets for the first time since 1997. This season Buffalo is 2–0 when playing the Jets and 1–4 when playing the rest of the league. Yesterday’s was an ugly game between two bad teams, and one of its few virtues was that it was, mercifully, over quickly: The game kicked off at 4:05 and was finished well before 7 p.m.
It was, for all intents and purposes, finished when Losman, with the Bills at their own 15-yard line, launched a pass deep downfield to wide receiver Lee Evans. The Jets appeared to have Evans well covered, and cornerback Darrelle Revis even looked like he had a shot at an interception. But safety Abram Elam came over to try to help and instead ran into Revis, allowing Evans to grab the ball, break free, and prance into the end zone.
That touchdown was preceded by a strange strategic decision from Mangini, who decided to punt with the Jets facing fourthand-3 at the Bills’ 41-yard line and just over six minutes left in the game. By punting, Mangini was showing confidence that his defense would be able to stop the Bills and get the ball back. But what has the Jets’ defense done this season to earn such confidence? Having the ball in Buffalo territory late in the game was the Jets’ best chance, and Mangini should have given the offense an opportunity to try to score.
Another strategic mistake from the coaching staff was a botched trick play that cost the Jets dearly late in the second quarter. With two minutes remaining in the first half and the Jets inside the Bills’ 20-yard line, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called for Brad Smith, who usually plays wide receiver, to line up at quarterback. Smith tried to hand off to running back Leon Washington, but Washington never got the handle and the Bills recovered his fumble, costing the Jets what should have been, at least, a chipshot field goal just before halftime.
It wasn’t all bad for the Jets. Rookie linebacker David Harris made his first career start in place of Jonathan Vilma, who was placed on injured reserve last week with a knee injury. Harris was great, recording a sack and a game-high 10 tackles. The Jets are a rebuilding team, and Harris is one young player they can build around.
Another highlight was a 13-yard catch by Laveranues Coles in the fourth quarter. Pennington’s pass was high, and when Coles jumped for it Bills cornerback Terrence McGee pummeled him. Coles landed awkwardly, with the ball right under his gut and the full weight of McGee on top of him, and he looked woozy as he walked off the field. But he held onto the ball, for his only catch of the game — and maybe the last pass he would ever catch from Pennington.
That catch looked like it could set the Jets up for a fourth-quarter comeback, but just two minutes later, Mangini called for that punt, and just two minutes after that Losman threw to Evans, and that was that.
The crowd at the Meadowlands booed Pennington a number of times, especially when he underthrew his receivers, demonstrating the lack of arm strength that has always been Pennington’s greatest shortcoming. But the fans shouldn’t expect much to change if Clemens starts the rest of the season. The Jets are a bad team, as their 1–7 record at the halfway point shows. Whether Clemens or Pennington plays the rest of the way, the Jets look like they’re halfway to 2–14.