At 1-3, the New York Jets are done as surely as are the choke-artist New York Mets. It’s time for the fellows in green and white to look to the future. Chad Pennington’s time has come and he must be gone.

The unexceptional Jets rolled over to the pathetic Bills on Sunday in outer New York state and now languish in the basement of the AFC, half-a-step above the “With the number one pick in the draft…” Miami Dolphins (0-4). The door to that cellar is locked from the outside, and the Jets would do well to have their scouts skip their upcoming opponents and spend more time watching college juniors and seniors.
I’m a long-time Chad Pennington fan. He’s an above-average NFL quarterback and has great intangibles. But he’s a known quantity. He’s good, not great. On a team with an above-average defense and camped behind a strong offensive line, Pennington can win a lot of games. But the Jets have 4-3 defensive personnel that they haven’t bothered to switch over to their 3-4 scheme. And they have an offensive line that seems short at least one blocker.

Under these circumstances Chad Pennington is just good enough to be outplayed by a rookie quarterback on the league’s worst offense. Which calls to mind a maxim I have pertaining to baseball: Given the choice between a 24-year old rookie and a grizzled veteran, either of whom is likely to produce an ERA between 4.50 and 5.00, I’d go with the youngster. At least with the youngster you might discover some upside or at least provide experience that leads to better things down the road.

Is Kellen Clemens likely to win many more games than valiant Chad in 2007? No. But does it matter? The Jets are well on the way to a record somewhere between 6-10 and 8-8. I’d rather see if Clemens holds the prospect of future winning seasons rather than play out the string with the tarnished Penny.