But my favorite thing of Week 16 is what it leads to: the ultimate revenge game, from the most gentlemanly NFL player of our time, Chad Pennington. He kicks off my little review of the week that was. Miami (10-5) needs to win at the 9-6 Jets on Sunday for the strangest division title in its history. Strange, because Miami was 1-15 last year, and because the Jets had this division copped a month ago after they won at New England and Tennessee in successive weeks, and because the Jets have lost four straight games -- games they were favored to win. And because Sunday brings Pennington back to Giants Stadium, where he quarterbacked the Jets for much of eight seasons before being benched for Kellen Clemens in midseason last year, and before being released by the team this year to make way for Brett Favre. I'll tell you the most amazing thing: In the last week or so, I've actually heard callers to New York sports-talk radio saying they wish they had Pennington back. Instead of Favre. And if you'd heard the same callers (or from the same ilk, at least) shoveling dirt on him last season and preparing the ticker-tape for the Welcome Brett parade in August ... well, let's just say this is one of the most interesting stories, and turnarounds, in recent sports history. Favre under-throwing receiver after receiver in Seattle and playing mediocre football for the past month while the Jets burned, with Pennington piloting an 8-1 Miami run to the doorstep of the playoffs. Now, if Miami wins Sunday at East Rutherford, the Dolphins win the AFC East and host a wild-card game. The only way the jillionaire Jets make the playoffs is with a win and either a New England loss in Buffalo or a Baltimore loss to Jacksonville. Revenge, thy name is Pennington - Peter King - SI.com
Was going to bring this up too. I think Ginn is getting a raw deal from a lot of fans. Even one of our very own who went to the game said, Ginn broke free 2 out of the 5 or so times he keyed on Ginn. Of course Ginn was 25 yards downfield. Pennington can make downfield throws but he has to recogznize them earlier to get the ball out.
Pennington is too classy to admit it, but no one could begin to even imagine how BADLY he wants to win this game. You know that would be the ultimate form of revenge and redemption for him.
Let's hope the other guys in that locker room recognize what this game means to Pennington, and rally around him. Let's go up there and punch the Jets in the mouth. Leave no doubt. Let's end someone elses season for once.
Trust me, they know. Holliday is already talking about it. I have no doubts at all that they will rally around him.
