Kellen Clemens Any Favorites or Tendencies? (1 Viewer)

[Mungo Burrows]

With Kellen Clemens looking to get his first start this week, I was just wondering if he had demonstrated any tendencies in how he has distributed the ball in the past, either during Preaseason, training camp, etc. Has he shown a tendency to favor a particular receiver? Has he even worked with the Ones much? I understand he's got a stronger arm than Pennington (who doesn't)...is he likely to try to go deep more? Would that favor Cotchery over Coles? Does he throw a lot of dump-offs instead? Any Jets insiders (or NFL Geeks) who have seen this guy, what can you tell us about how he might distribute the ball?

I realize they're playing the Ravens and nobody makes a great start this week, but both Coles and Cotchery are probably on the starting roster borderline for a lot of teams, so any information about tendencies for the new QB might help people better understand what to expect from his WRs.

 

[Jason Wood]

I think Clemens' arm strength lends itself to the proverbial "opening up the playbook" but I'm doubtful we would see that in the first week he's under center. For all his physical abilities, there's no way he would have the mastery of the playbook necessary for OC B. Schott to call plays that aren't already deeply embedded in the team's DNA. At least I doubt he would.

 

[harryhood]

I think Clemens' arm strength lends itself to the proverbial "opening up the playbook" but I'm doubtful we would see that in the first week he's under center. For all his physical abilities, there's no way he would have the mastery of the playbook necessary for OC B. Schott to call plays that aren't already deeply embedded in the team's DNA. At least I doubt he would.

I think you will see a lot of t jones and a lot of dump offs to leon washington. Being a Jets supporter, having to watch them with my father all the time, I think this might help them out. They have coles and mccareins who can stretch the field, but a QB who couldnt make the throw. Chad is extremely accurate and it is amazing he made it so far with his skill set, I respect the hell outta him.But maybe this jets offense needs to stretch the field to get their gameplan working. This could be another brady/romo situation. Clemens has the tools and no doubt this is a tough first test....but just remember...this offense for baltimore is nothing better than the jets. If this game stays close, clemens could get the confidence to start airing it out.

 

[Sweet Love]

Honestly, as the #2 QB I would think he would lock on the TE (Baker) or the third WR (MCCairens) since the TE is the easy outlet and the third WR is usually the one who is "starting" on the second team. I am not bullish on any of the Jets WRs this week, but it would not surprise me at all to see a WR3 or WR4 from the Jets outperform one or both of the Jets starters.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Newsday is speculating that McCareins could benefit from Clemens at the helm:<h1></h1>

Clemens-McCairens duo has worked well for Jets

BY TOM ROCK

Jerricho Cotchery was asked what it will be like to have backup quarterback Kellen Clemens driving the offense on Sunday.

"This offseason I haven't been in the huddle with him very much, but I'm pretty sure he's ready to take on the task," Cotchery said.

Well, how does Clemens compare with Chad Pennington, the starter who in all likelihood will miss the game with an ankle injury?

"I really don't know," Cotchery said. "I haven't had a chance to really work with both of them and have a chance to prepare with them. I've just been working with Chad this whole offseason. That's who I know right now."

It's changing this week; the offensive pieces are trying to cram chemistry into a week of reps. But if Cotchery, Laveranues Coles or anyone else is looking for some tips on being a receiver for Clemens, they might want to turn to Justin McCareins.

The veteran wide receiver not only built one of the strongest rapports with Clemens during the preseason, he also stands to benefit the most from the vertical passing game the Jets can build around Clemens. As a downfield threat trapped in a ball-control offense, McCareins finally could be unleashed.

"He's easy to throw to; you just drop back and throw it as far as you can and he gets it," Clemens said of passing to the speedy McCareins. "Those one-and-dones, yeah, they're a lot of fun."

McCareins not only has experience with Clemens ("I feel good catching the ball from Kellen," he said), he also has experience playing against the Ravens. In three career games, he's caught seven passes for 122 yards against Baltimore.

"They've got an all-star team on defense," McCareins said. "I think we have to be sharp and maybe try to take advantage of their aggressiveness and do some other things that could exploit them being out of position."

The Clemens-McCareins connection was first noticed early in training camp when the quarterback threw two long touchdown passes to McCareins during the Green-and-White scrimmage at Fordham in August.

In the first preseason game against the Falcons, Clemens threw a deep pass on his first snap of the game, a 42-yard completion to McCareins. The next week against the Vikings, McCareins caught another two from Clemens, including a 35-yard touchdown.

For the entire preseason, McCareins caught five passes from Clemens for 140 yards and a touchdown. He caught one pass from Pennington for 6 yards.

McCareins' chemistry with Clemens might have even helped the young quarterback look better than he actually was.

"There were a couple of those vertical balls [in the preseason] that he was helped out with where they hung up there quite a long time," coach Eric Mangini said of Clemens as a deep threat. "Justin McCareins made a few really good catches on ones that were a little bit overthrown."

With Clemens at quarterback, it's only natural for the Jets' offense to change. Even Mangini has said all week that the game plan and the play-calling will be altered to the preferences and capabilities of the man who is running them.

The two Jets quarterbacks have a similar set of skills, but within that set are differences. Where Pennington has an edge in football intelligence and experience, and an ability to check out of bad plays and exploit weaknesses in a defense, Clemens' stronger attributes are his ability to throw deep and his athleticism moving around the pocket.

Ravens coach Brian Billick said that even though the differences between Clemens and Pennington are subtle, they will need to be addressed on defense.

" has a very strong arm and the Jets have great speed, so that is certainly something that you are going to have to account for," Billick said. "That combination and what they may do can be lethal if you're not on top of it."

 

[zamboni]

Interesting article, but McCareins is just not good - can't get open and has lousy hands. His experience working with Clemens means little IMO, as McCareins may not even be on the field that much. He's never been a favorite of Mangini, and I'm still puzzled as to why he's still on the roster.

 

[Reaper]

Interesting article, but McCareins is just not good - can't get open and has lousy hands. His experience working with Clemens means little IMO, as McCareins may not even be on the field that much. He's never been a favorite of Mangini, and I'm still puzzled as to why he's still on the roster.

I've always been a fan of McCareins and think he's had tough luck so far..... Nagging injuries, the collapse of 05', losing tgts to Cotchery last year etc.I also think he's proven himself to Mangini with a great work ethic this offseason.

 

[cstu]

I think you have to bump all the Jets receivers if Clemens hangs onto the job, but Coles appears to be the beneficiary because of Clemens' arm.

 

[PACKER 7]

Not sure how it will turn out on Sunday, but I found this article....

McCareins, Clemens could provide spark for Jets vs. Ravens

By ANDREW GROSS

THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: September 14, 2007)

HEMPSTEAD - The Ravens might be wise to watch wide receiver Justin McCareins closely if Jets second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens, as expected, makes his first NFL start Sunday at Baltimore.

Clemens injects more of a long-ball element into the Jets' offense than Chad Pennington - still limping yesterday with an injured right ankle as the Jets practiced at Hofstra - and McCareins seems to be his favorite target.

"He's a very intelligent quarterback and he's very aggressive down the field," said McCareins, third on the Jets' depth chart behind Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles. "He likes to put the ball out there. It's fun for a guy like me."



Clemens threw to McCareins on three of his 10 attempts after replacing Pennington in a 38-14 loss to the Patriots in Week 1, completing one for 10 yards.

And McCareins caught six passes for 146 yards in the Jets' first three preseason games. That included a 42-yard gain against the Falcons, a 35-yard reception against the Vikings and a 45-yard catch against the Giants, all thrown by Clemens.

"He's a great athlete, especially in the vertical passing game," Clemens said. "He's pretty easy to throw it to. You just drop back and throw it as far as you can. With his speed, he goes and gets it. All the hookups that we've had have really been his ability to go get the football. He's a guy I have a lot of confidence and faith in."

Plus, in the Jets' Green and White scrimmage Aug. 5, Clemens connected with McCareins for touchdowns of 66 and 39 yards.

"Kellen did a good job in the preseason with some of the vertical balls," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "There were a couple of those vertical balls, though, that he was helped out with, where they hung up there quite a long time. Justin McCareins made a few really good catches on ones that were a little bit underthrown."

Obviously, Clemens will have less time to throw against the opportunistic Ravens defense than he did against second- and third-teamers in the preseason.

The trick will be for the Jets to stem the Ravens' pressure and play up to their speed.

"It's not just playing," McCareins said. "It's shifts, motions, crispness in and out of the huddle. We definitely have to match their speed and intensity. It's going to be tough, not impossible."

Again, another reason to expect Clemens to look McCareins' way Sunday.

The two spent the offseason developing a chemistry, while Coles and Cotchery took most of their reps with Pennington in preseason games, training camp and even mini-camps and the offseason training activities.

"I felt some chemistry, but I also felt some chemistry with Chad," McCareins said. "They have different strengths and weaknesses. Kellen moves around a little bit more and takes more chances down the field. They're both intelligent. They do have a lot of similarities and I feel good with either one of them out there."

 

[zamboni]

Interesting article, but McCareins is just not good - can't get open and has lousy hands. His experience working with Clemens means little IMO, as McCareins may not even be on the field that much. He's never been a favorite of Mangini, and I'm still puzzled as to why he's still on the roster.

I've always been a fan of McCareins and think he's had tough luck so far..... Nagging injuries, the collapse of 05', losing tgts to Cotchery last year etc.I also think he's proven himself to Mangini with a great work ethic this offseason.

Maybe he had a better offseason, but I think there's a reason Cotchery passed him on the depth chart.

 

[Reaper]

Interesting article, but McCareins is just not good - can't get open and has lousy hands. His experience working with Clemens means little IMO, as McCareins may not even be on the field that much. He's never been a favorite of Mangini, and I'm still puzzled as to why he's still on the roster.

I've always been a fan of McCareins and think he's had tough luck so far..... Nagging injuries, the collapse of 05', losing tgts to Cotchery last year etc.I also think he's proven himself to Mangini with a great work ethic this offseason.

Maybe he had a better offseason, but I think there's a reason Cotchery passed him on the depth chart.

Yes, Cotchery is more talented.But, McCareins has talent.

 

[eom]

I believe he has the tendency to get sacked and picked off by the ravens.

 

[Bri]

Cotchery

McCariens going deep is very predictable

Teams game plan to contain Coles and he takes the underneath stuff wonderfully so he'll get his but I'd bet it's Cotch if there's an increase in production. That bugger sneaks up on ya. He does nothing and then explodes for a real sweet play.

 

[Bri]

Got Cotch right here, started Washington though

 

[delusional]

Tough to say considering alot of dropped passes from his WRs

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

CotcheryMcCariens going deep is very predictableTeams game plan to contain Coles and he takes the underneath stuff wonderfully so he'll get his but I'd bet it's Cotch if there's an increase in production. That bugger sneaks up on ya. He does nothing and then explodes for a real sweet play.

Great prediction Bri. Very nice!

 

[zamboni]

Interesting article, but McCareins is just not good - can't get open and has lousy hands. His experience working with Clemens means little IMO, as McCareins may not even be on the field that much. He's never been a favorite of Mangini, and I'm still puzzled as to why he's still on the roster.

I've always been a fan of McCareins and think he's had tough luck so far..... Nagging injuries, the collapse of 05', losing tgts to Cotchery last year etc.I also think he's proven himself to Mangini with a great work ethic this offseason.

You were saying about McCareins? <_< That drop/near-sure TD at the end of the game was huge.

 

[Reaper]

Interesting article, but McCareins is just not good - can't get open and has lousy hands. His experience working with Clemens means little IMO, as McCareins may not even be on the field that much. He's never been a favorite of Mangini, and I'm still puzzled as to why he's still on the roster.

I've always been a fan of McCareins and think he's had tough luck so far..... Nagging injuries, the collapse of 05', losing tgts to Cotchery last year etc.I also think he's proven himself to Mangini with a great work ethic this offseason.

You were saying about McCareins? That drop/near-sure TD at the end of the game was huge.

Damn.... Well, we all felt he would get his Targets this week...That could be it for him.

 

[zamboni]

Interesting article, but McCareins is just not good - can't get open and has lousy hands. His experience working with Clemens means little IMO, as McCareins may not even be on the field that much. He's never been a favorite of Mangini, and I'm still puzzled as to why he's still on the roster.

I've always been a fan of McCareins and think he's had tough luck so far..... Nagging injuries, the collapse of 05', losing tgts to Cotchery last year etc.I also think he's proven himself to Mangini with a great work ethic this offseason.

You were saying about McCareins? That drop/near-sure TD at the end of the game was huge.

Damn.... Well, we all felt he would get his Targets this week...That could be it for him.

If it's not the end for him, the fans are going to run him out of town on a rail.On the other hand, I Cotchery. Quickly becoming my favorite Jet.