New York Jets ultimate starting lineup – offense

New York Jets. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
New York Jets. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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Quarterback: Chad Pennington

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Yes, this choice is going to cause some fans reading this to moan and groan. Pennington did always have as many detractors as he had fans. But for this particular lineup, Chad Pennington is the right choice and I will take you through why.

On the previous slide we talked about running the “West Coast” offense. That is predicated on being an accurate passer. What is valued the most these days in the metrics of a quarterback? Completion percentage.

Chad Pennington means the criteria and then some. His career completion percentage is 66% and during his time with the Jets it was 65.6%. In seasons he started at least nine games in New York, he never dropped his percentage below 63%. When he wasn’t injured he was as accurate as anyone ever has been.

He also played well in big games. Twice he threw for over 400 yards in playoff games. In 2004 he did it even though he was on the brink of yet another arm surgery. There is a lot that can be said about Pennington, but nobody can say he wasn’t a gamer. Despite his bad luck with his arm, he came to play and played well.

The Jets played well when he was under center. Every time he played a full year, they made the playoffs. He deserves to be the quarterback of this ultimate group. For anyone that wonders why Joe Namath isn’t here, he didn’t even complete 50% of his passes in his career. He wouldn’t work in 2018.