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Jets will look to Carter's strengths to keep season on track
Thursday, November 11, 2004
BY DAVE HUTCHINSON
Star-Ledger Staff
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- In some ways, quarterback Quincy Carter is a lot like Vinny Testaverde -- strong-armed and interception-prone. And neither of those qualities is a good fit for the West Coast offense, the ball-control attack that demands touch passes and timing, brains more than brawn.
But Jets offensive coordinator Paul Hackett insisted yesterday the bottom won't fall out of this season like it did a year ago, when Testaverde was forced to start the year for an injured Chad Pennington. Hackett said he began preparing for this day as soon as Carter arrived -- though he had hoped it would never come -- and has a specially designed package that plays toward Carter's strengths, which are mobility and vertical passing.
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During training camp this summer, Hackett candidly admitted he did a poor job in not preparing Testaverde, who had just 21 preseason snaps, in case he had to take over for Pennington. When that moment came, Hackett was caught off guard and the Jets went 2-4 without Pennington.
"The important thing we learned (from last season) is having a guy come in thinking he can run the offense in its entirety is foolish," Hackett said yesterday. "Since Quincy got here, we have tailored things we have wanted him to do within the things that Chad does.
"We are going to give (Carter) things that are going to feature his arm. This guy has a marvelous arm. I don't think we change (the offense), no. It would be foolish. I think this is a strong-armed quarterback with a magnificent arm, wonderful athletic ability. We're going to feature that as best we can.
"Certainly his mobility, certainly his ability to drive the football down the field," Hackett said. "These are the things that are going to make us look like a totally different offense to the defense. On the other hand, we're going to continue to do what we do. We're going to run the ball, we're going to play-action, we're going to take advantage of the skills we have on this football team."
It appears the notoriously stubborn Hackett is finally willing to be flexible. Instead of making Carter adapt to his West Coast offense, he'll tweak it to fit Carter, something Hackett never seemed willing to do for Testaverde.
With Pennington expected to miss at least two to four weeks with a strained rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder, Carter will start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens at Giants Stadium -- a tough defense for his first start with a new team.
Carter, who had 31 career starts with the Dallas Cowboys, is expected to play it safe. His orders will be to avoid interceptions, take the occasional shot downfield and hand off to running back Curtis Martin. When Carter drops back to pass, he'll run when in doubt.
"I have to make sure I'm playing sound football on Sunday (by) taking good care of the football," Carter said.
Still, coach Herman Edwards said Carter can't play scared. He has to be himself.
"You don't want to put the harness on the guy and all of a sudden he's thinking, 'I can't throw the ball, I'm nervous,'" Edwards said. "He needs to play like he did in the Buffalo game (2 of 3 for 66 yards and a TD), that little spark you saw. He ran out of the pocket one time, made the throw to Santana Moss for the touchdown."
The Jets, however, are concerned about Carter's tendency to throw interceptions -- he has thrown 36 in his 31 career starts. This season, Pennington has only three interceptions in 216 attempts, and the Jets have just seven turnovers. Since Edwards arrived in 2001, the Jets' 67 turnovers are the fewest in the NFL over that period.
On top of that, the Ravens' defense is among the best in the league at creating turnovers.
"We can't worry about the past," Hackett said. "It's my hope that our system, which is a progression-reading system, is different for Quincy. It's very structured where you should go with the football."
Carter, who threw 17 touchdowns and 21 interceptions last season while leading the Cowboys to the playoffs, said he has learned from watching Pennington.
"Over the last eight games, Chad has really shown how a quarterback goes out and avoids mistakes, checking the football down when there is nothing there," Carter said. "That's a good lesson for me. The biggest thing I've learned is you don't have to make a great play out of every play. It's okay to check the football and take care of the football. You punt it and you get the ball back."
Thursday, November 11, 2004
BY DAVE HUTCHINSON
Star-Ledger Staff
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- In some ways, quarterback Quincy Carter is a lot like Vinny Testaverde -- strong-armed and interception-prone. And neither of those qualities is a good fit for the West Coast offense, the ball-control attack that demands touch passes and timing, brains more than brawn.
But Jets offensive coordinator Paul Hackett insisted yesterday the bottom won't fall out of this season like it did a year ago, when Testaverde was forced to start the year for an injured Chad Pennington. Hackett said he began preparing for this day as soon as Carter arrived -- though he had hoped it would never come -- and has a specially designed package that plays toward Carter's strengths, which are mobility and vertical passing.
Advertisement
During training camp this summer, Hackett candidly admitted he did a poor job in not preparing Testaverde, who had just 21 preseason snaps, in case he had to take over for Pennington. When that moment came, Hackett was caught off guard and the Jets went 2-4 without Pennington.
"The important thing we learned (from last season) is having a guy come in thinking he can run the offense in its entirety is foolish," Hackett said yesterday. "Since Quincy got here, we have tailored things we have wanted him to do within the things that Chad does.
"We are going to give (Carter) things that are going to feature his arm. This guy has a marvelous arm. I don't think we change (the offense), no. It would be foolish. I think this is a strong-armed quarterback with a magnificent arm, wonderful athletic ability. We're going to feature that as best we can.
"Certainly his mobility, certainly his ability to drive the football down the field," Hackett said. "These are the things that are going to make us look like a totally different offense to the defense. On the other hand, we're going to continue to do what we do. We're going to run the ball, we're going to play-action, we're going to take advantage of the skills we have on this football team."
It appears the notoriously stubborn Hackett is finally willing to be flexible. Instead of making Carter adapt to his West Coast offense, he'll tweak it to fit Carter, something Hackett never seemed willing to do for Testaverde.
With Pennington expected to miss at least two to four weeks with a strained rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder, Carter will start Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens at Giants Stadium -- a tough defense for his first start with a new team.
Carter, who had 31 career starts with the Dallas Cowboys, is expected to play it safe. His orders will be to avoid interceptions, take the occasional shot downfield and hand off to running back Curtis Martin. When Carter drops back to pass, he'll run when in doubt.
"I have to make sure I'm playing sound football on Sunday (by) taking good care of the football," Carter said.
Still, coach Herman Edwards said Carter can't play scared. He has to be himself.
"You don't want to put the harness on the guy and all of a sudden he's thinking, 'I can't throw the ball, I'm nervous,'" Edwards said. "He needs to play like he did in the Buffalo game (2 of 3 for 66 yards and a TD), that little spark you saw. He ran out of the pocket one time, made the throw to Santana Moss for the touchdown."
The Jets, however, are concerned about Carter's tendency to throw interceptions -- he has thrown 36 in his 31 career starts. This season, Pennington has only three interceptions in 216 attempts, and the Jets have just seven turnovers. Since Edwards arrived in 2001, the Jets' 67 turnovers are the fewest in the NFL over that period.
On top of that, the Ravens' defense is among the best in the league at creating turnovers.
"We can't worry about the past," Hackett said. "It's my hope that our system, which is a progression-reading system, is different for Quincy. It's very structured where you should go with the football."
Carter, who threw 17 touchdowns and 21 interceptions last season while leading the Cowboys to the playoffs, said he has learned from watching Pennington.
"Over the last eight games, Chad has really shown how a quarterback goes out and avoids mistakes, checking the football down when there is nothing there," Carter said. "That's a good lesson for me. The biggest thing I've learned is you don't have to make a great play out of every play. It's okay to check the football and take care of the football. You punt it and you get the ball back."
