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Jets have many offensive weapons to choose from

By BARRY WILNER,
AP Football Writer
January 7, 2003

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- Chad Pennington looks around and sees the kind of arsenal any NFL quarterback would envy.

He has the man he dubbed ``the warrior'' in running back Curtis Martin. And playmakers Laveranues Coles, Santana Moss and Wayne Chrebet. And the protective wall up front.

When the big four isn't producing a big play, Pennington will turn to someone else. Perhaps tight end Anthony Becht. Or running back LaMont Jordan. Or, as in Saturday's blowout of the Indianapolis Colts, fullback Richie Anderson.

``To me, if you trust this offense, and you do things the right way, everyone is going to get involved,'' Pennington said.

His involvement in the offense began in Game 4 when Vinny Testaverde slightly injured his shoulder, and was the catalyst to making all those weapons productive.

``That's just what I've tried to concentrate on, because I believe in all of my guys,'' Pennington said. ``To me, stats don't necessarily dictate who is a playmaker and who is not. All of my teammates that have a chance to handle the football are playmakers in my eyes.

``Just like on Saturday when Richie caught the screen pass and he takes it 55 yards, no one expects him really do that. But we expect him to do that, because we know his talent and what he's capable of. It's just my job to run the offense, and whoever gets the shot, let them do the rest.''

Often this season that has meant Coles, who had a breakthrough year, catching 89 passes for 1,264 yards and five touchdowns. His synergy with Pennington has been startling.

Moss, who only recently has become a key part of the offense, had 30 receptions for a 14.4 average and four TDs. The veteran Chrebet, after a strange sequence when he complained he was being overlooked in the passing game while the Jets were in the middle of a four-game winning streak, had a strong finish. He wound up with a career-high nine touchdowns among his 51 catches.

Martin, after a horrid first half of the season plagued by a sprained ankle and an underachieving offensive line, is back in form. He had only 489 yards midway through the season, when the Jets were 3-5. But he rushed for 605 in the last eight games to extend his streak of 1,000-yard seasons from the start of his NFL career to eight.

Jordan has been used to give Martin a breather, and in last Saturday's 41-0 victory, he rushed 20 times for 102 yards, nearly all of it in the second half.

``That was big-time right there for myself, and I think for our team,'' Martin said. ``I hope I get to rest like that a little more often, because I think if I'm sitting on the sidelines in the third quarter, then we're doing pretty good.''

Offensively, they are doing very well, scoring 113 points in the last three games against winning teams. Coordinator Paul Hackett's version of the West Coast offense has become multifaceted, with nine players catching passes against Indy. He also used five running backs in that game.

``I think once you can orchestrate the way Paul has done it, and what Chad has done, delivering the ball to certain guys -- what's great about Chad, when he's not a quarterback anymore, he should be an Equal Opportunity Employer, because he is going to give it to the guy that's open,'' coach Herman Edwards said. ``He really doesn't care whose name it is, how many catches he's got. Hey, you're open, you get the ball.''

That's also the way Pennington, in his first season as a starter, led the league in passer rating and completion percentage. He's been as efficient distributing the ball as John Stockton.

``I think that's what's great about his role as a quarterback, he's going to serve it up,'' Edwards said. ``It doesn't matter, you're open, the play is designed to get you the ball. The No. 1 guy is not there, go to No. 2. No. 2 is not there, go to No. 3. He understands that and that helps your offense.''

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