Only wins will take heat off Groh
David Teel
August 7, 2007

The University of Virginia football team began preseason practice this week -- "training camp" in coach Al Groh's NFL-centered world -- amid stifling heat more suitable for cactus than humans.

But to hear cynics, critics and one Internet grenade-launcher tell it, such player discomfort pales to what Groh is enduring.

Win or else, they proclaim. Another losing season and it's divorce court -- Groh's Virginia sheepskin notwithstanding.

I'm not buying it. Not yet anyway.

Don't get me wrong. Groh's no Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer or Prince Charming. In six seasons his teams are 10-23 on the road, 25-23 in the pedestrian ACC and 1-5 against Virginia Tech.

Conversely, his teams are 3-1 in bowls and would be 4-0 had instant replay been around to erase a bogus Fresno State touchdown. Also, his 9-16 record against ranked opponents is comparable, during the same 2001-06 stretch, to peer programs such as Maryland, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and even Florida State (see accompanying chart).

So there's some bad and some good. About par for a program that's never cracked the top 10 of the final Associated Press poll.

Why then the vitriol toward Groh and chatter about his job security? Why did SI.com's Stewart Mandel absurdly pronounce him Division I-A's worst head coach?

It's a perfect storm of attitude, capitalism and neighborhood.

The attitude is Groh's. Humoring boosters, administrators and media pinheads doesn't win games, but it does procure goodwill for the inevitable lean times. Last season was lean -- the Cavaliers finished 5-7, lost their homecoming game to Western Michigan and did not sell out Scott Stadium once -- and Groh had precious little goodwill to cushion the fall.

If you think that overstates the case or trivializes coaching, consider Chuck Amato. His teams won four bowls in his first six seasons at his alma mater, N.C. State, but his disagreeable nature -- worse than Groh's -- left him defenseless and fired after the Wolfpack's 3-9 nosedive last year.

Amato and Groh share another link: heightened expectations fueled by rampant investment. Boosters at Virginia and N.C. State ponied up tens of millions to upgrade their stadiums and support facilities, and despite the programs' unexceptional histories, those investors want exceptional dividends.

Groh is further burdened by a preposterous contract that fattens his portfolio (not to mention his agent's) but tightens his noose. Suitors weren't luring Groh from Virginia in 2005, but for reasons no one in authority (read: President John Casteen) has explained, the university more than doubled his salary when a simple bump was in order.

Two-million-dollar coaches must produce, and to date, Groh has not.

Meanwhile, 150 miles down the road at Virginia Tech, the neighboring Hokies have reached postseason 14 consecutive years. And during that time they've won four conference championships and defeated the Cavaliers 10 times -- fingernails across the chalkboard to Virginia fans.

Which leaves us where?

Well, a 3-9 or 4-8 freefall punctuated by empty seats and another loss to Virginia Tech would almost certainly prompt a change. Just as 8-4 or better during the regular season would rightfully secure Groh additional time. But what of 5-7 or 6-6, the gray areas that many Virginia faithful dread?

No easy answers there. Much would hinge on how the Cavaliers performed late in the season and how much sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell, a promising talent, affected that performance.

Virginia won four of the nine games Sewell started last season and returns a host of offensive talent around him, especially on the interior line. Moreover, with 10 starters back on a defense well-coordinated by Mike London, the Cavaliers could be stingier than in any season since the 1991 team yielded a meager 10.8 points per game.

The schedule is also manageable. Virginia should pass non-conference tests against Wyoming, Pittsburgh, Middle Tennessee State and Connecticut, and its cross-over conference games are against the three least-regarded Atlantic Division squads: Wake Forest, N.C. State and Maryland.

But Sewell had offseason surgery on his throwing (left) wrist, and there's no ready back-up. His most reliable receiver (Kevin Ogletree) is sidelined for the season by a knee injury, and the tailback position remains unsettled.

All that said, this is a program that should improve markedly this season, and the progress should translate to a winning record.

"I feel like the chips are stacked in our favor," said Chris Long, the ACC's premier defensive lineman.

"I think everybody feels very positive," Groh said, "but it's more (long pause), there's a little attitude about the whole operation. A little attitude that everybody has toward performing the way we think this team can perform. ¡K I can clearly see that there are a lot more players who are much more familiar with, and much more confident in, how to do their job."

Groh's job hangs in the balance.

 

U.VA. NOTES
Wednesday, Aug 08, 2007 - 12:06 AM

Cavaliers eye forward Kelly for 2009 crop
DeShawn Painter, a rising junior from Norfolk, isn't the only post player the Virginia basketball staff is pursuing in the Class of 2009.

Ryan Kelly, a 6-9, 190-pound forward from Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, N.C., will visit U.Va. with his family late this month. Kelly impressed last month at a Las Vegas tournament in front of college coaches from across the country.

Kelly has excellent bloodlines. His parents are Ivy League graduates and former athletes. His mother, Doreen Kelly, played volleyball at Villanova and Penn. His father, Chris Kelly, who stands 6-7, played basketball at Yale and then overseas professionally.

Doreen is the head of Ravenscroft, and Chris teaches physics there.

"We're interested in the whole concept of the student-athlete, and we've been impressed with U.Va.," said Doreen, whose father and grandfather played college hoops. Virginia, she said, would "be on a very small list of schools" that her son would consider.

Former U.Va. football standout Antwan Harris is a graduate of Ravenscroft.

Peerman willing to go all-out in starting bid
The football team opened training camp Monday night, and the first-team tailback was junior Cedric Peerman, a backup to Jason Snelling last season.

Other tailbacks on the roster include promising redshirt freshmen Keith Payne and Raynard Horne, though Payne remains suspended from the team for academic reasons.

"I don't care who's in the running backs' room," Peerman said. "I don't care if Barry Sanders is back there. I'm going to go 110 percent. I'm going to push myself to the best of my ability, and if I'm the best guy for the job, the coaches will see that, and I'll be the go-to guy."

As a sophomore, Peerman averaged 27.3 yards per kickoff return, but his productivity as a tailback dipped.

"I have high expectations on myself to do well each year and just do whatever I can to help my team win, and I don't think I did that to the best of my ability," Peerman said.

Slimmed-down Sintim testament to hard work
Outside linebacker Clint Sintim, who played at about 255 pounds last season, said Monday night that he's down to 244.

Sintim, a junior from Woodbridge who's entering his third year as a starter, has "done a great job with his training here in the offseason," Virginia coach Al Groh said yesterday.

"He's really lean, and that's a testimony to his hard work and what [new strength coach Matt Balis] had them doing this summer. His body has really changed since he came here. . . . He really seems to be coming into his own physically."

First-year players see time on practice field
They may end up elsewhere, but first-year players Ras-I Dowling and Corey Mosley began practice at cornerback and safety, respectively, Groh said. Mosley, a Henrico High graduate, also is a talented tailback, and Dowling can play wide receiver and safety.

Three scholarship freshmen are working at wideout: Dontrelle Inman, Jared Green and former Matoaca High star Kris Burd.

Groh awaits players' summer-school grades
Summer school ends this week, and Groh will anxiously await the final grades of some players whose academic eligibility for the coming season isn't assured.

"We have a couple cases where we need good performances on these exams," he said. - Jeff White

 

Sintim on the prowl
Injury-free linebacker feeling as strong as ever
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
August 8, 2007

Opposing players beware: Clint Sintim is feeling better than ever.

For the first time since arriving at Virginia in 2004, the outside linebacker admittedly is injury-free.

Shoulder pain, leg issues and broken bones in his hand are in the past, exactly where Sintim hopes to leave a disappointing 5-7 season that left the Cavaliers outside the postseason picture.

“I have never felt as good as I do coming into a season as I do right now – from high school to college,” Sintim said Monday night. “I am so ready to get this season on a roll and prove to people that we can be better than what everybody thinks.

“I couldn’t even explain it.”

Virginia coach Al Groh has taken notice, admitting that Sintim’s physical condition is eye-catching.

“He has done a great job with his training in the offseason,” Groh said. “He is really lean, which is a testimony to his hard work. His body has changed significantly from when he came in here.

“He is a lot sleeker and his body fat is way down. He really appears to be coming into his peak physically.”

Sintim has also adjusted his attitude.

Yes, the junior checked out the preseason media poll that pegged UVa as the fourth-best team in the ACC’s Coastal Division.

Yes, Sintim has heard the whispers about the discouraging 2-9 record the program has posted on the road the past two seasons.

Those rumblings fueled Sintim through summer workouts.

“I have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder but people are going to write and say what they want,” Sintim said. “That is just the way it is. That is the media and that’s how they do it.”

Sintim, who has started all 24 games of his career, has a simple solution to eliminate the negative chatter.

“You just have to come out here and play football,” Sintim said. “That is the only way to shut up your critics. Just play football. That solves the problems.

“If you come out here and play football and make plays, there is not much they can say.”

A sore subject

Perhaps tired of the constant questioning, Groh offered very little on the condition of quarterback Jameel Sewell.

In December, Sewell had surgery on the wrist of his throwing hand. The starting signal-caller was limited in work during spring practice, but worked without a brace Monday.

When asked what type of limitations Sewell has, Groh said it is “whatever Jameel tells us on a day-to-day basis.”

Groh will likely have a better idea as practice continues.

“Really, we only had one day for him to tell us anything – that was [Tuesday] morning,” Groh said. “So it is pretty hard to form any kind of patterns as the result of one practice.”

Finding a home - for now

Throughout his tenure, Groh has preached the importance of recruiting players that boast “versatility.”

Tight ends often become linebackers. Wide receivers land in the secondary and vice versa. Expect the same this year with numerous true freshmen, but many were given a chance to pick their first home.

Corey Mosley is at safety. For now, Ras-I Dowling is on the “corner,” Groh said. Kris Burd, Jared Green and Dontrelle Inman are running routes with the wideouts.

“We are not really sure where the best spot is so a number of them we said, ‘You just start out where you are comfortable or where you want to start out,” Groh added. “‘We are probably going to look at you at a couple of spots anyway. So to get you off to the best start, just start out where you would like to start out and we will look at you from there.’

“That’s how some of them have gotten to where they are.”

A tap dancer

Nick Jenkins, a true freshman from Westminster, Md., has wasted little time making a positive impression on several of the team’s veterans. The nose tackle, despite being listed at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, has a surprising burst of speed.

“He can move,” said fellow defensive lineman Chris Long. “What you look for is if they can move laterally like that. He gets it quick. It is chop, chop, chop.”

After hearing about Jenkins’ speed prior to his arrival, Sintim had doubts. Those have been answered - to a degree.

“Nick Jenkins moves very well for somebody his size. I know that much,” Sintim said. “They talked about him before he came in here and said he moved well and moved as quick as Chris [Long] does. He doesn’t move quite as well as Chris does, but he does move pretty well for his size.

“He is a big round guy, typical nose guard-type body. He wants to play and I think he is ready.”

UVa played only one true freshman last year: nose tackle Nate Collins.

Practice No. 2: A scorcher

Virginia’s second practice was held Tuesday afternoon as temperatures soared towards 100 degrees.

Despite the heat and humidity, Groh said the players avoided dehydration issues during the 132-minute session. Credit the continual preaching from the assistant coaches and the athletic training staff.

“We try to make sure it gets addressed many times in many different places,” Groh said. “We address it in the team meetings – we ask each position coach to bring it to the attention of the players in his individual meeting. We address it after practice.

“Really, the issue of hydration occurs before the issue of dehydration occurs, as we try to explain it to them it’s like going on a trip. If you start the trip with your gas tank half empty you are probably going to run out. When you have to put some gas in it is still going to cost you some time. It is the same thing with your hydration.”

Groh said the best time for players to “hydrate is in the evenings and the mornings before practice.”

Extra points …

… Tonight’s practice might be the shortest one of the month and for good reason. Almost every player in the program has an exam for a third-session summer school course Thursday. “We will work a minimal amount of time [tonight] to allow those players who have exams Thursday morning or Thursday afternoon sufficient time to prepare,” Groh said.

The exams are critical - the marks may determine the eligibility of several players. “We have a couple of cases where we need a good performance on these exams,” Groh added. One of those players, without question, is running back Keith Payne, who is currently suspended from the team.

… Andrew Pearman, who returned to the program Monday after taking a leave of absence last year, has been impressive thus far, Groh said, especially in regards to his speed and conditioning. “One thing that does stand out about him in two practices, Andrew looked like he could have gone quite a bit longer this afternoon when we were finished,” Groh said. “If we would have started all over again it looked like he would have had quite a bit of juice left.” Pearman played in four games and had seven receptions for 34 yards before leaving the team. “[That experience] puts him a little bit ahead of where the guys who started from scratch are,” Groh said.

… Fans have three chances to watch an open practice this weekend: Friday at 2:20 p.m. and on Saturday at 8:35 a.m. and 6:35 p.m.

 

Numbers add up to Cavaliers' later start
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Apparently, there's one area in which Virginia football coach Al Groh doesn't mind cross-state rival Virginia Tech getting a head start.

The Hokies already had practiced four times by the time UVa began workouts Monday, although both schools open the season Sept. 1.

"It's a long stretch as it is," said Groh in a Tuesday teleconference with reporters. "It's four weeks before the first game. I'm just happy we don't have it stretched out any longer.

"We're happy with where we are."

Both Tech and UVa were told when they could start practice by the ACC, which was acting on an NCAA formula.

"It's based on an institution's academic calendar," ACC assistant commissioner Amy Yakola said.

Classes at Tech start Aug. 20. Virginia begins classes Aug. 28.

According to several reports, Virginia Tech started earlier because it wanted to avoid two-a-day practices, "but it had nothing to do with two-a-days," Yakola said.

The start of practice is determined by counting backward by ones from the opening game to the start of classes, then by twos up till the allowable 40 practice opportunities are exhausted. Sundays do not count.

"I can't explain it," Groh said. "I get confused sometimes by formulas, so I'm happy to have somebody else figure them out. If we start later than somebody else, I just take it on faith that it's been worked out properly and that nobody's at a disadvantage."

Personnel

Groh said he will wait until the third summer-school session ends this week before making a decision on tailback Keith Payne, who was suspended from team activities this summer to concentrate on academics. Groh said that most of his players are enrolled in summer school and that several iffy situations could be affected by exams today.

n Missing from Virginia's preseason roster are a couple of prospective fifth-year players, outside linebacker Marvin Richardson and wide receiver Simon Manka, who took part in spring practice.

Their absence appears to be a numbers issue. Manka, who gave up a lacrosse scholarship to join the football team as a walk-on, scored the only touchdown pass in UVa's spring game on a pass from Scott Deke.

n One-time Richlands High School standout Cain Ringstaff, the Region IV offensive player of the year in 2004, has transferred to Emory & Henry. Ringstaff was listed on the Cavaliers' two-deep at fullback before last season and played on special teams in the first two games, but felt he could have more of an impact in Division III.

By the numbers

Virginia hasn't always started preseason practice with 105 players, the Division I-A maximum allowed by the NCAA, but there was no room for walk-on Warner Blunt Jr. to join the team until the start of classes, when roster limits are waived.

Blunt, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound quarterback and outside linebacker from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, tentatively had accepted an appointment to Army before Middies coach Bobby Ross announced his resignation. Blunt, the son of a UVa alumnus, has been timed in 4.65 seconds for 40 yards and was ranked the No. 84 prospect in Virginia by The Roanoke Times.

Blunt passed for nearly 5,000 yards in his career at Episcopal, where his primary target was Virginia Tech signee Danny Coale. As a senior, Blunt threw 16 touchdown passes, compared to four interceptions, and led the team in tackles.

More walk-ons

The 24 players who signed with Virginia in February have been joined by four invited walk-ons, including 6-2, 240-pound linebacker Curt Orshoski, who joined fellow Culpeper High School linebacker and UVa signee Terence Fells-Danzer on the All-Cedar Run District team.

The other invited walk-ons are Brendan Lane, a 6-6, 210-pound quarterback from the Severn School in Annapolis, Md.; 6-6, 286-pound offensive lineman Dave Roberts from Sarasota, Fla.; and 5-9, 171-pound William Webb, a running-back candidate from Dallas.

Webb played quarterback at Highland Park High School, where he subbed for an injured Matthew Stafford in 2005. Webb became a regular in 2006 after the departure of Stafford, the starting QB at Georgia last year as a true freshman.

Quote-unquote

Music aficionado Groh on singer David Lee Roth's decision to rejoin Van Halen for an upcoming tour:

"I guess that makes him the Roger Clemens of rock 'n'roll."

U-Va.'s Covington Is Receptive
By Adam Kilgore
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 7, 2007; Page E02

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Aug. 6 -- Maurice Covington still speaks with Fontel Mines every day, no matter that Mines has graduated and Covington has taken his spot as a starting wide receiver at Virginia. Mines acted as something of a spiritual leader for the Cavaliers, "like a big brother to me," Covington said.

When they talk on the telephone, Mines's message to Covington is simple: "This is your year. Go out there and do your thing. Take care of business."

The first piece of the advice -- This is your year-- for better or worse, could not be more fitting for the Virginia receiving corps, the largest unknown as the Cavaliers began preseason practice Monday night. When Kevin Ogletree was lost for the season to a knee injury in the spring, Virginia lost not only one of the best deep threats in the conference, but also its only remaining proven wide receiver.

Covington, a junior who notched six of his 11 career receptions last season, is the most experienced wide receiver remaining. Next is Cary Koch, a junior who transferred from Tulane last season. He has caught 24 career passes, only one of which has come with Virginia. Redshirt freshmen Chris Dalton and walk-on Staton Jobe fill out Virginia's top four wide receivers.

Unexpectedly, Covington has emerged as the best threat for sophomore quarterback Jameel Sewell. Ogletree caught 52 balls last season. The remaining wide receivers on Virginia's depth chart have caught a total of seven.

"It's definitely a real big season for me," Covington said. "It's a lot of pressure. I'm the only returning junior that actually played last year. It's a big issue. I'm ready to step up and do my job."

Covington shed five pounds, slimming down to 215. He spent every day in Virginia's weight room this summer, knowing he would need more endurance and strength to carry the enhanced burden.

While Covington worked out over the offseason, he found reason for confidence in Ogletree's ascension last year. As a freshman, Ogletree caught just seven passes. But when Deyon Williams suffered an ankle injury in preseason, Ogletree was thrust into a starring role, and he used the opportunity to become honorable mention all-ACC.

"I really feel I have a good chance of stepping up and being the main, go-to receiver," Covington said. "I'm very faithful and comfortable in my abilities. I'm very excited for this season."

Damaging as it is to Virginia's season, Ogletree's injury has created an opportunity. When Jobe walked on last season, he figured he would need to claw his way up the depth chart for several seasons. "I was definitely surprised to get a shot this early," he said.

Though Jobe is unassuming, generously listed at 6 feet, he is familiar with big-time football. He arrived at Virginia from Westlake High in Texas, one of the premier high school football programs in the country. Although three high school teammates accepted Division I scholarships, he was named team MVP as a senior.

"I don't think about that sort of stuff," Jobe said. "I always go out there with the mind-set that I'm better than the guy across from me. Not in a cocky sort of way, but that's the kind of mind-set you have to have."

"He hasn't said a word, hasn't complained," running back Cedric Peerman said. "He's one of the most stand-up guys you'll ever want to be around. Good guy, great teammate. I'm looking for big things from him."

And Virginia, for better or worse, will need big things from Jobe and Virginia's other largely anonymous wide receivers as Ogletree watches. Of course, at this time last season, Ogletree was mostly unknown, too.

"There's some good natural skill amongst them," Coach Al Groh said. "Collectively working with those to bring talent out of them, that's our challenge."

Cavaliers Note: Redshirt freshman running back Keith Payne did not practice with the Cavaliers, still under suspension by Groh for academic reasons. Payne is academically eligible for now, though, and, pending results from exams in the coming days, he is likely to rejoin the Cavaliers soon. Payne, who is 6 feet 3, 234 pounds, is expected to challenge Peerman for the starting role, replacing Jason Snelling.
 

Cavs deal with early preseason distractions
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 8, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Preseason practice may have started, but that doesn't mean Virginia isn't dealing with distractions in its first week.
The Cavaliers have exams for the final summer school session from this morning through Thursday afternoon, overlapping with the third and fourth days of practice. Coach Al Groh estimated that of the 105 players in camp, "just about every one of them" will have some sort of exam.

As a result, Virginia will alter its schedule today, avoiding practice in the morning and afternoon and having a short session at night to allow players time to study for Thursday exams.

Eligibility is a concern for a few players.

"We've got a couple cases that we need a good performance with these exams," Groh said, though he did not specify which players were at risk.

During his Tuesday teleconference, it was asked if redshirt freshman Keith Payne's situation will be revisited, to which Groh replied, "Certainly." Groh suspended Payne from team activities in June for academic reasons.

Further restraints come from the NCAA, which has certain rules for what teams are allowed to do during the first few practices. The Cavaliers, who did not practice in pads on Monday or Tuesday, will be allowed to put on shoulder pads today and Thursday. They can be in full uniform for the first time on Friday.

As a result, Groh is trying not to come to many conclusions in the first week of camp. He's simply trying to correct mistakes and build a foundation for more intensive practices.

"It's kind of like building a wall of bricks," Groh said.

"You just keep laying one brick on top of another and pretty soon you have a good, stout wall."

Wide open at wide receiver

No position on the Cavaliers' depth chart has as big of a question mark next to it as wide receiver. With Kevin Ogletree sidelined for the season with a knee injury, the Cavaliers have just three returning receivers who caught passes last year.

Though not listed on the depth chart, Andrew Pearman's return provides a boost. Pearman, who had seven receptions in four games in 2006, making him UVa's top returning receiver, left the team and later the school last year for personal reasons following knee surgery but returned over the summer. He looked ready to be back on the field Monday.

"Andrew looked like he could have gone a bit longer when we were finished," Groh said.

"If we were to start all over again, it looks like he would have had a lot of juice left."

Pearman will be in a wide receiver mix that includes juniors Maurice Covington and Cary Koch and a pair of redshirt freshmen, Staton Jobe and Chris Dalton.

"I think with both of those (wide receiver) positions, we're not only willing, but I'm going to say disciplined to go in here quite a while and let this competition play out just to see who rises to the top of it," Groh said.

A first step

True freshman Peter Lalich stepped in for some reps with the first-team offense during the opening practice. The precocious quarterback's first thoughts? That defense is fast.

"At first I was nervous, then I started to catch up a little bit," he said. "I'm still not there yet."

Lalich, a top recruit out of West Springfield High who will battle Scott Deke and Marc Verica for the No. 2 quarterback spot behind Jameel Sewell, had a head start compared to his fellow freshmen. He was a frequent spectator at spring practices and is already a recognizable face in Charlottesville.

"A lot of the guys know who I am already, so that helps a lot," he said. "It's good if you're a quarterback to know the guys, because I'm going to be a leader one day, hopefully."

Extra points

Cornerback Vic Hall was wearing an orange starter's jersey when practice began Monday, meaning all 11 jerseys are accounted for. UVa has 10 starters back on defense. ? The coaches have picked some starting points for several versatile freshmen. Ras-I Dowling has started out at cornerback, while Corey Mosley is at safety. "Sometimes we're not really sure where the best spot is, so for a number of them we said, 'Look, you start out where you're comfortable ? and we'll go from there,'" Groh said. ? Virginia has its first open practice on Friday at 2:20 p.m.



 

Jones adds talent to Jets O, insurance for Chad
Aug. 6, 2007
By Clark Judge
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- It's mid-afternoon at the New York Jets practice facility, and everyone, it seems, is beginning to suffer the infernal heat of August -- everyone, that is, but quarterback Chad Pennington ... and hallelujah.

A year ago Pennington had to compete with three others for the starter's job. But he was coming off his second shoulder surgery in a year and playing for a new head coach and a new staff in a new system.

So the proof was in his play.

And that's exactly what Pennington did. He played. And played. And played. When the season was over he achieved a career first: He started all 16 games -- 17 if you include the playoffs -- without a hiccup.

Now, he's the unchallenged starter, with coach Eric Mangini making the announcement back at the February scouting combine, and as comfortable in this environment as he's been in years.

"I'm glad he did that," Pennington said of Mangini's decision. "I still have to compete and play well, but this helps me approach the season with a little different mindset. I can concentrate on being a better quarterback helping the team to win."

Mangini helped him with the acquisition of a bona fide running back, and trust me, there's no way of overstating the importance of that move. In veteran Thomas Jones, the Jets not only have someone to beef up the league's 20th-ranked rushing game, they also have a valuable ally for their quarterback.

"We've seen the Jets beat New England before. Let's not count the Jets out on that one. They have a chance with their new running game."

I don't think I need to draw a map here, people. If Jones does what he did in each of the past two years with Chicago -- namely, rush for 1,200 yards and make crucial short-yardage plays -- opponents can't afford to zero in on Pennington and the Jets passing attack.

And that is big because it could reduce the hits -- and the pressure -- on Pennington. In fact, when Pennington ended a drill last weekend with a perfectly thrown touchdown pass to the back of the end zone, he did it with Billy Joel's Pressure blasting from speakers that dot the Jets practice fields.

Perfect.

"After what I've gone through," said Pennington, "I recognize the true fragility of the game. I'm not concerned about trying to plan for the next 10 seasons because you never know when the end is going to come. So what's exciting to me is to be around my teammates, maintain a positive attitude and focus on one day at a time."

If I'm a Jets fan, I like that. Listen, the Jets know they go only as far as Pennington takes them, which last season was to the playoffs. OK, so he didn't exactly light up the scoreboard or your Fantasy Football league. His 17 touchdown passes ranked 17th in the league, and his 16 interceptions were a career high.

But the key number there was zero, as in games missed.

And that's where Jones comes in. Pennington had the unenviable task of trying to run an offense crippled by a rushing attack opponents didn't respect, and for good reason: The Jets' average of 3.5 yards a carry was 30th in a league of 32 clubs.

Still, Pennington hung in there ... game after game after game. Now that Jones is on the scene, Pennington may get his chance to exhale.

"What really excites me about Thomas is his work ethic," Pennington said. "You don't get a physique like that by rolling out of bed."

A former first-round draft pick, Jones was one of Chicago's best and most consistent performers in last year's playoffs. He averaged 5.5 yards a carry, had two 100-yard rushing games, scored four times and was the Bears' best offensive player -- maybe their best player, period -- in Super Bowl XLI.

Sure, Jones has a tough act to follow in Curtis Martin, who retired after sitting out last year. But he doesn't need to be Curtis Martin. He simply needs to be the guy who averaged 1,272.5 yards and 4.2 yards a carry the last two years.

"Look," said Jones, "my thing is I'm just one of the guys trying to help this team win. Ultimately, it's a team sport. I'm not here to replace Curtis Martin. I'm not trying to be the next Curtis Martin. I'm Thomas Jones, and I'm here to play football."

And that's just what the Jets need. They haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher in two years, and Pennington suffered for it. He was hurt in 2005, and one year later had to deal with opponents who attacked the pocket and dared the Jets to run.

In fact, opponents attacked Pennington so hard it once looked like 2005 all over again. I'm talking, of course, of that game against Houston when defensive end Mario Williams clobbered Pennington in the third quarter and drove the quarterback into the Giants Stadium turf.

For a split second it appeared that Pennington re-injured his right shoulder. Then, he popped up, pumped his fist and left the field.

He returned one play later.

"Everyone thought I hurt my shoulder," he said, "but my shoulder was OK. I was just trying to get a breath of air because I'd gotten the wind knocked out of me. That was one of the hardest hits I've ever taken, but I fell on my fist, that pushed the air out of me."

Now, the air is back ... in Pennington, in the New York Jets and in their hopes for a playoff repeat.

Look at it this way: Jones improves the Jets rushing attack, and an improved running game improves the chances of Pennington hanging around. All I know is that the only years where Pennington played 13 or more games the Jets went to the playoffs.

That is no coincidence. It's a call to protect a valuable resource. The Jets may have just done that.

 

Hokies coach suspects Bulldogs spied bowl practices
Richt: I can assure coach Beamer we had no idea about anything going on
By CARTER STRICKLAND
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/07/07

Eight months later, Frank Beamer has floated an excuse for Virginia Tech's 31-24 loss to Georgia in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. The coach believes that maybe, just maybe, Georgia had an extra set of eyes and ears near the Hokies' practices leading up to the game.

"We practiced out at Georgia Tech and we let all kinds of people through there ... people we didn't really know," Beamer told The Roanoke Times. "And I thought it hurt us in the bowl game. I'm not blaming anybody ... but I thought Georgia knew exactly what we were doing in several situations."

Georgia coach Mark Richt understood Beamer's concerns, but he also was quick to douse any rumors of espionage.

"It is natural," Richt said. "I don't blame him for wanting to close [practice] or even feeling that way. To my knowledge we had absolutely no idea what was going on in their camp. I can assure coach Beamer we had no idea about anything going on."

The first half might have been an indication of that. Virginia Tech outplayed Georgia for 30 minutes. Georgia won the chess match in the second half and seemed to be in the right place at the right time every time.

"Sometimes you get the right call at the right time, and if that happens enough times coaches begin to wonder, 'My gosh they must have had us. Somehow had our signals or had something.'

"I can't tell you how many times that I have been signaling plays in, and if things aren't going well I will immediately grab the guy and whisper in his ear and run him in there because I am concerned they got my signal," Richt added.