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Carter ready to Cowboy Up
By RICH CIMINI
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
For the doomsayers who believe the Jets are in trouble now that Chad Pennington is out two to four weeks with a strained rotator cuff, Quincy Carter offered some advice: Relax.
"I want our team to understand - our offense to understand - that we aren't going to take any steps back with me in there," Carter said yesterday only minutes after learning he will start Sunday against the Ravens (5-3), one of the toughest defensive teams in the NFL.
"This isn't my first rodeo," the former Cowboys starter added. "The Jets gave me an opportunity, and I've been busting my tail for two months, learning this offense. Now the opportunity is here. I don't want to make it a big ol' circus. I've played football in the NFL and my teammates do understand that I have experience. And I do think they believe in me."
Carter started every game last season for the Cowboys, who finished 10-6 and made the playoffs, but he was released in training camp, reportedly after flunking a drug test. The Jets, with no proven backups, signed him on Aug. 24. Good thing, too; could you imagine the uproar if GM Terry Bradway had decided to stand pat with Brooks Bollinger?
"It's good we had foresight, and he's here," Herman Edwards said.
Carter, who replaced Pennington with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Bills, took only five snaps. The first resulted in two points for the Bills (a safety when Curtis Martin was tackled in the end zone) and the last resulted in seven points for the Jets - a 51-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss. The Jets received a huge break on the latter; Bills cornerback Terrence McGee fell down, leaving Moss wide open.
"I'm surprised Santana caught it," Edwards said. "That ball was whistling."
Indeed, Carter (3-for-4, 74 yards this season) has a stronger arm than Pennington, but he's not an ideal fit for the Jets' West Coast offense because he's not accurate. He's a 56% career passer (Pennington is 66%), with 30 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. It's up to offensive coordinator Paul Hackett to tailor the game plan around Carter's strengths, especially his mobility. You could see more rollouts against the Ravens.
"I really felt like, if we got the ball back, we were going to win the game because he has that explosion to his game," said Pennington, alluding to the fourth quarter against the Bills. "He's going to be fine."
Moss said Carter's fastball is similar in velocity to that of Vinny Testaverde.
"It's like going back to Vinny again," Moss said. "You've got to look his (passes) in. They come pretty fast."
By RICH CIMINI
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
For the doomsayers who believe the Jets are in trouble now that Chad Pennington is out two to four weeks with a strained rotator cuff, Quincy Carter offered some advice: Relax.
"I want our team to understand - our offense to understand - that we aren't going to take any steps back with me in there," Carter said yesterday only minutes after learning he will start Sunday against the Ravens (5-3), one of the toughest defensive teams in the NFL.
"This isn't my first rodeo," the former Cowboys starter added. "The Jets gave me an opportunity, and I've been busting my tail for two months, learning this offense. Now the opportunity is here. I don't want to make it a big ol' circus. I've played football in the NFL and my teammates do understand that I have experience. And I do think they believe in me."
Carter started every game last season for the Cowboys, who finished 10-6 and made the playoffs, but he was released in training camp, reportedly after flunking a drug test. The Jets, with no proven backups, signed him on Aug. 24. Good thing, too; could you imagine the uproar if GM Terry Bradway had decided to stand pat with Brooks Bollinger?
"It's good we had foresight, and he's here," Herman Edwards said.
Carter, who replaced Pennington with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Bills, took only five snaps. The first resulted in two points for the Bills (a safety when Curtis Martin was tackled in the end zone) and the last resulted in seven points for the Jets - a 51-yard touchdown pass to Santana Moss. The Jets received a huge break on the latter; Bills cornerback Terrence McGee fell down, leaving Moss wide open.
"I'm surprised Santana caught it," Edwards said. "That ball was whistling."
Indeed, Carter (3-for-4, 74 yards this season) has a stronger arm than Pennington, but he's not an ideal fit for the Jets' West Coast offense because he's not accurate. He's a 56% career passer (Pennington is 66%), with 30 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. It's up to offensive coordinator Paul Hackett to tailor the game plan around Carter's strengths, especially his mobility. You could see more rollouts against the Ravens.
"I really felt like, if we got the ball back, we were going to win the game because he has that explosion to his game," said Pennington, alluding to the fourth quarter against the Bills. "He's going to be fine."
Moss said Carter's fastball is similar in velocity to that of Vinny Testaverde.
"It's like going back to Vinny again," Moss said. "You've got to look his (passes) in. They come pretty fast."