There’s already a buzz around the Jets about having to face Chad Pennington, their former quarterback who’s now with the Dolphins, in the season opener Sept. 7 in Miami.
“It’s an interesting twist,” Jets safety Kerry Rhodes said. “He’s been the guy here for eight years and now he’s going to a rival team in Miami.
“There’s going to be a lot of excitement going into that first game, with a lot of comparisons. It’s going to be fun to be a part of.”
Coach Eric Mangini typically downplayed the showdown.
“Well, he’s a good player and we’re going to face a lot of good players,” Mangini said. “He’s definitely got some insight into the things we do, but we’re a very gameplan-specific team.
“Players go to different places all the time and there’s definitely an element you have got to be more conscious of – code words and things like that.”
Brett Favre, when asked about facing Pennington right away, said, “Well, every time I’ve faced Chad I’ve lost. I’d just like to beat the guy for a change.”
Indeed, in a 38-10 Jets win over the Packers in 2006, Pennington was 25-of-35 for 263 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. And, in a 42-17 Jets win over the Packers in 2002, he was 17-of-24 for 196 yards and four TDs.
“He’s always played extremely well [against the Packers],” Favre said. “I hope this time is different. I have nothing but the highest regard for Chad. He’s an extremely bright guy.
“The knock on him was his arm wasn’t that strong. So what? I can throw it through a wall but I don’t win every game I play in. It doesn’t matter. He was very effective.”
*
Jets LB Matt Chatham had a moment in yesterday’s practice, picking off a Favre pass in an 11-on-11 drill. Rhodes joked later that “it didn’t count, because it was just practice.”
The Jets yesterday placed LB Brad Kassell on injured reserve with a right knee injury. They signed T Thaddeus Coleman to replace his spot on the roster.
Mangini said TE A.J. Schable, who had a scary helmet-to-helmet collision covering a kickoff in Thursday’s game, “is going to be fine.”
Schable was taken off the field immobilized in a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital for ob servation.