Will changes fuel Jets success? Not while Kellen, Chad are left hangin'

Fair enough. But the fact is that the Jets gave up on Pennington by midseason and gave Clemens a chance to nail down the starter's job for keeps. He failed. In fact, he had the distinction of producing the NFL's lowest passer rating, with twice as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (five).

Of course, he also won three of his eight starts -- or three of seven, if you throw out the New England game where he was sidelined on the second play -- and that's encouraging. Granted, two of those wins came against league doormats -- Miami and Kansas City -- but it doesn't matter.

A win is a win is a win, and Clemens finished the season with a win.

"The main thing I took away from it," he said of last season, "was the confidence that I can do it. I can make the plays. I can make the throws. Now, going into this year, you look for more consistency and productivity."

That sounds like most quarterbacks coming off a half-season of starting, so what's the big deal? Why not make him the early favorite?

I don't know, either, but the Jets won't, and that tells you how unstable the position might be. Look, the Jets could win with Pennington. They have won with Pennington. But for some reason they have him -- and Clemens -- in a position where neither is sure what will happen.

"It certainly isn't the first time I've competed for a spot," said Clemens, "or that Chad competed for a spot. It's something I embrace."

It's something Pennington embraces, too, but that doesn't mean either has to like it. And I suspect neither does. In fact, if you listen to Pennington it's clear where he stands on the subject, even though he was careful in his choice of words.

"I believe when I play quarterback, our team has an excellent chance to win," he said. "That's not me making it up. That's proven. That's on the record. And I believe in that strongly.

"I believe in how I approach the game and how I execute. My outlook and demeanor will never change in that regard."

Pennington makes sense for a team built for the short-haul, a club that absolutely, positively must win now. Let's face it, if the Jets are nothing more than a 6-10 or 7-9 club -- especially after the gazillions they spent on free agents and re-signings -- Mangini can start polishing his résumé.

So an experienced hand leading experienced teammates makes sense.

Only there was Pennington standing side-by-side with Clemens in passing drills, each throwing the same number of balls to tight ends and wide receivers, and there was Mangini swearing his allegiance to no one.

"If you were here in '06 you know what the deal is," Pennington said. "It's nothing new. It's nothing surprising. I'm excited to be here and to have the opportunity to play football and lead this team."

In 2006 Pennington won the job after he outplayed the competition in training camp. Maybe that happens again. But there's a feeling -- again outside the organization -- that he may have to win in a landslide; that he must score a knockout instead of relying on points to succeed.

"You have to ask Coach how he looks at it," Pennington said. "The way I look at it is I have to come out here every day and continue to improve and really focus on things that will take me to the next level to help this club win.

"I feel comfortable about my track record, and I feel good about how I led the organization the past eight years. This is the place for me to be, and I feel good about my situation."

Let's see how he -- and the Jets -- feel in four months.