DETROIT – Jets offensive tackle Jumbo Elliott has played with at least 12 different starting quarterbacks during his 14 years in the NFL. It’s a list that ranges from Phil Simms, Jeff Hostetler and Dave Brown with the Giants, to Neil O’Donnell, Glenn Foley, Rick Mirer, Vinny Testaverde and now Chad Pennington with the Jets.
If there is one that Pennington reminds him most of it’s Simms, the quarterback who helped the Giants to two Super Bowl victories and has an outside chance to wind up in the Hall of Fame some day.
It’s not just the blond hair that Pennington styles over his white Jets visor before television interviews, or their similar stature (Pennington is listed at 6-3, 225, while Simms played at 6-3, 220). It’s the work ethic, confidence and competitive fire that makes Elliott think of Simms when he watches Pennington.
“Phil was such a vet and Chad’s still working to get there,” Elliott said. “But Phil was a big workout guy. He liked to stay strong and he used to hate soft quarterbacks in the league. Chad’s similar in that regard.”
That’s one of the reasons Pennington has bonded so quickly with his teammates.
“It’s important to be part of the group,” Elliott said. “Chad does a good job with that. I don’t think he’s the type that’s going to get aloof or anything like that. He’s just a guy who wants to work hard.”
Simms was known as one of the league’s fieriest competitors when he played, one of the few who wasn’t afraid to yell back at coach Bill Parcells in the heat of battle. Elliott sees some of that in Pennington, too.
“He’s fiery and he likes to inspire,” Elliott said. “It takes a while to get that seasoning where you can look at guys and they’ll clam up. That’s respect from accomplishments and years of doing it. Chad’s at the beginning of that.”
Pennington is certainly no Simms yet. But you have to like what you’ve seen, not just on the field where he has revived the Jets’ faint playoff hopes with three victories in their last four games, but off the field where his teammates aren’t shy in praising their young leader.
“He’s got a defensive player’s mentality,” said safety Sam Garnes. “That’s the type of quarterback you want. He’ll look you in the eye and tell you what he expects.”
Pennington faces another test of his development today when the Jets (4-5) play the Lions (3-6) at Ford Field. It looks to be a game where consistent execution with minimal mistakes by the Jets offense should lead to a much-needed victory. But any hint of overconfidence or lack of focus could result in a disastrous afternoon, something Pennington has taken upon himself to prevent.
“I’m all about wins,” he said. “We have seven games left and in order to have a chance [for the playoffs] we have to win six of those seven. I’ve done some good things, but I have a lot of things I have to improve on. But ultimately, it’s up to the quarterback in crunch situations to push the team forward.”
Winning is the bottom line, but how you win can reveal something about the progress of quarterback. Upsetting the Chargers 44-13 in San Diego was a breeze, but in the 13-10 win over the Dolphins last week, Pennington impressed the coaching staff with his poise and patience. He didn’t force throws into coverage, he didn’t get ahead of himself, and most of all he protected the ball.
“If you protect the ball and take advantage of opportunities, your chances of winning are great,” Elliott said. It’s something he first watched do Simms 14 years ago, and sees in Pennington today.
