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Head & shoulder

Weight of Jets' world resting on Pennington's arm, mind

By RICH CIMINI
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER




And on the sixth day, Chad Pennington and his ever-present notebook were sent home.
After meeting with new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger for five consecutive days at the start of the offseason, Pennington showed up for another skull session, eager to absorb more of the Jets' new playbook. He arrived with a pen, paper and plenty of questions. As usual.

Just one problem: Heimerdinger, concerned about getting too far ahead of schedule, told the quarterback to take a couple of days away from the classroom - a respite from the Xs and Os.

"It's almost like he was disappointed. I had to kick him out," Heimerdinger says with a laugh. "Everyone told me he was a gym rat, that I'd have to kick him out of my office, but I didn't realize it would be every day. I mean, every day. I didn't expect him to be that intense."

So began the offseason that never felt like an offseason. For Pennington, it was a grueling test of mind and body. Aside from learning a new offensive system, he endured 5-1/2 months of intensive rehabilitation on his surgically repaired throwing shoulder.

From all accounts, Pennington attacked the rehab the way he went after Heimerdinger's playbook. But, now, the true test: Training camp.

The Jets, six months removed from their crushing divisional playoff loss in Pittsburgh, start two-a-days Friday at Hofstra. The primary storyline, from Day 1 to the Sept. 11 season opener in Kansas City, will be Pennington.

It's not an overstatement to say the Jets' playoff chances hinge on a hinge. If Pennington's right shoulder isn't right, it will be difficult to operate Heimerdinger's offense.

Unlike his predecessor, Paul Hackett, who was content to run a dink-and-dunk passing scheme, Heimerdinger wants to attack downfield. No, the Jets aren't going to morph into the bombs-away Raiders of the old AFL, but Heimerdinger wants to go deep if one-on-one matchups materialize on the perimeter.

Under ideal circumstances, Pennington would face inquiries about his arm strength and whether he has enough zip to thrive in Heimerdinger's system. But coming off shoulder surgery, it becomes a bold-faced question mark.

"That's what we'll find out, how far he can get it downfield," Heimerdinger says. "The main thing for Chad is to manage the game. Tom Brady manages the game well and, when he gets a home-run shot, he takes it. That's what we're going to ask Chad to do."

Heimerdinger has yet to observe Pennington in a formal practice, but he has a hunch that his QB will do just fine. He saw tape of the Jets' wild-card game in San Diego, where Pennington, playing with a torn rotator cuff, threw a sensational, 47-yard touchdown bomb to Santana Moss. The pass traveled nearly 60 yards in the air.

"We dialed it up and, no matter how bad it was going to hurt, he just threw it," says coach Herm Edwards, impressed - but not surprised - that Pennington played the final seven games with the bum shoulder.

Says Pennington: "If I could play with a torn rotator cuff, I certainly can play with a surgically repaired one."

Edwards may face a quandary in training camp. He doesn't want to overwork Pennington, whose throwing will be limited, but the coach also must keep an eye on the big picture.

Because Pennington missed the offseason, he is in catch-up mode. And if the quarterback is behind, so is the entire offense. There's an urgency to get him ready for Kansas City, but not at the risk of a shoulder setback. It's a philosophical tightrope for Edwards and Co. If he isn't ready by opening day, new backup Jay Fiedler gets the nod.

For his part, Pennington spent the offseason poring over practice scripts, taking mental reps. During spring practices, he observed the receiving drills, studying the moves of his pass catchers. He has two new weapons, tight end Doug Jolley and wide receiver Laveranues Coles, who returns after a two-year exile in Washington.

"Brain-wise, I know Chad has taken it all in," Heimerdinger says. "But I want to see how he does when people are running at him."

Pennington, ever the optimist, believes he will be 100% by the season opener. When he looks at his supporting cast, he sees a group capable of averaging 24 points per game - a field goal better than last season.

"If we do that," Heimerdinger says, sounding surprised by Pennington's prediction, "we're in Detroit."

The Super Bowl, he means.

"My expectations for our team are nothing short of the Super Bowl," Pennington says. "That's our goal, get to Detroit. Not only get to Detroit, but to win . . . We're a playoff team. Now we need to become a championship team."

After four seasons of Hackett's predictable playcalling, the players are excited about the switch in philosophy. The running game hasn't changed much - Curtis Martin, 32, will remain the workhorse - but there are some significant differences in the passing attack.

Heimerdinger runs a West Coast-style scheme, as did Hackett, but there will be more flexibility in the new system. If the quarterback notices a one-on-one matchup, he's instructed to abandon his West Coast progressions and throw deep to the receiver in single coverage.

In Tennessee, some players felt Heimerdinger became too obsessed with the deep ball and the quick strike. The bottom line is he achieved solid, if not spectacular results, while evolving from a run-oriented attack that featured Eddie George to a passing offense that highlighted the skills of Steve McNair.

In five seasons under Heimerdinger, the Titans averaged 22.9 points per game. The Jets averaged 20.0 in the Hackett era.

Pennington, who seemed like an ideal fit in Hackett's short-passing system, doesn't anticipate any major problems in the transition.

In 2004, Pennington attempted 13 passes of at least 31 yards, completing six for 249 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, according to STATS, Inc. Compare that to Brady, who went 11-for-35, 484 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions under the same scenario.

For Pennington, that came in a system he knew better than some of the coaches. Now everything is new.

"I know I'm not going to step out there the first day and run the offense like I've been in it for five years," says Pennington, who also will get a chance to use the shotgun for the first time since college. "It's going to take some time, but that's what training camp is for."

Actually, training camp will have a dual purpose for him: Get comfortable in the system and rebuild his arm strength and endurance. He has been throwing about 250 balls per week for the past six weeks, but he didn't have a pain-free session until last week, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Pennington has spent the last two weeks working out at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., not far from his vacation home in Sarasota. A typical day: Movement drills from 8:30 to 10:30, followed by two hours of weightlifting.

He also follows a carefully scripted throwing regimen, with a receiving corps consisting of Giants cornerback Will Allen, a fellow IMG client, and players from nearby Bayshore High School. Pennington tried to arrange for Coles, Justin McCareins, Wayne Chrebet and Jerricho Cotchery to fly down for an informal passing camp, but logistics prevented it from happening.

In five days, the shroud of secrecy that has surrounded Pennington's offseason activities will disappear. He will be on the practice field, where every throw will be scrutinized by media and fans. Prepare for six weeks of The Shoulder Watch.

"He's anxious and nervous at the same time," says David Donatucci, who has supervised Pennington's workouts at IMG. "I think he's very concerned because he doesn't want to go backward. He's real cautious, and that's common for an athlete coming off an injury.

"I'm sure he has a lot of questions in the back of his mind: 'If I have to zip it between two linebackers, can I do it? When will I know if (the shoulder) will hold up? Am I better off now after the surgery?' I think he'll find that he is."

The Jets are banking their season on it.

5 Fearless Predictions


Here are five things the Daily News' Rich Cimini foresees for Herman Edwards' Jets this summer:


1. The Jets will prevail in the Ty Law sweepstakes. It may take until mid-August, but eventually both sides will panic. The Jets will be desperate for a cornerback and Law, desperate for a job, will grab the best available offer. Curtis Martin, still friends with Law from their days in New England, is trying to convince his old buddy to join him.


2. John Abraham will sign his one-year tender ($6.7 million) and report after the Aug. 19 game against the Vikings. By then, the dog days of camp will be almost over, and he'll still have enough time to get ready for the season opener. Sorry, Abe, no long-term contract. Maybe next year.


3. No offensive players will bemoan the loss of Paul Hackett. Okay, so it's not exactly a fearless prediction. Which is appropriate, because Hackett wasn't exactly a fearless playcaller.


4. Curtis Martin will rush precisely 22 times in the preseason, same number as last year. Herm Edwards finally let Martin get dirty and it resulted in a career year for the future Hall of Famer. Why mess with a formula that works?


5. The Jets will miss RT Kareem McKenzie and NT Jason Ferguson. Football still is a game for the big and strong, and McKenzie (biggest offensive lineman) and Ferguson (strongest defensive lineman) will be hard to replace. Lots of pressure on second-year RT Adrian Jones, 40 pounds lighter than McKenzie.


Camp Watch


When: July 29-Aug. 25

Where: Hofstra University

What's New: The offense. New scheme, new attitude. Conservative coordinator Paul Hackett is out, aggressive Mike Heimerdinger is in … WR Laveranues Coles (remember him?), TE Doug Jolley, RB Derrick Blaylock and backup QB Jay Fiedler … A rejuvenated Wayne Chrebet, who is glad to be rid of Hackett … A likely no-show - unsigned DE John Abraham. Contract disputes are rare for the Jets … A different look on special teams. There's a new kicker (rookie Mike Nugent), a new punter (Micah Knorr or Aussie Ben Graham) and a new return man (rookie Justin Miller). Playoff goat Doug Brien was exiled to the Bears.

Biggest camp question: Is Chad Pennington's surgically-repaired shoulder strong enough to handle the demands of Heimerdinger's vertical passing attack?

Biggest battle: It's Ray Mickens vs. Pete Hunter vs. Justin Miller at left cornerback, Donnie Abraham's old spot. They could be keeping the spot warm for Ty Law.

Health issues: Pennington (shoulder), Coles (toe), Abraham (knee), FS Jon McGraw (groin), Mickens (knee), Hunter (knee) and Chrebet (concussion history). Pennington, McGraw, Mickens and Hunter have undergone surgery in the last 12 months.