NYTimes: Pennington Takes His Place in the Sun

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"There is a lightness to Chad Pennington, as if in his move to South Florida to be the Miami Dolphins’ quarterback, he shed more than a couple of layers of clothing. The smile that was tighter than his spirals toward the end of his tenure with the Jets is now a luminous half-moon.

The change was evident when he stepped into the Dolphins’ interview room last Wednesday for his weekly news conference. In New York, he had played the pedagogue with the press, often answering questions with gritted teeth.

Here, he stepped to the lectern and engaged in some playful banter, anointing one reporter Hammy the Squirrel, after the hyperactive character in the animated film “Over the Hedge.” Chuckling, he said: “Have you seen that movie? Go see it. It’s great.” To much laughter in the room, he then described a scene involving Hammy and a snack food.

Let go by the Jets in August after eight years of service, Pennington, 32, is having a career renaissance with the resurgent Dolphins. Winners of one game in 2007, the Dolphins are 10-5 and can claim the American Football Conference East crown by beating the Jets on Sunday at Giants Stadium. Pennington has thrown for 3,453 yards, a career best. He has completed 67 percent of his passes, and his passer rating, 96.4, is the second best in the N.F.L., behind Philip Rivers’s 104.0.

In seven of their victories, including their come-from-behind win at Kansas City on Sunday, the Dolphins held the ball for more than 10 minutes in the fourth quarter. The efficiency of the offense under Pennington has played a central role in the team’s success.

Cris Collinsworth, an NFL Network analyst, said the shotgun wedding of Pennington and the Dolphins had turned into one of the league’s best stories of 2008.

“The minute you heard it, it was like, that fits,” Collinsworth said in a telephone interview. “He has dug them out of a hole. Is it fun to watch? Yeah. Am I rooting for Chad a little bit? Yeah.”

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[RockaFowler]

1. I love Chad

I am so glad that we got him. Even if the Dolphins don't make it to the playoffs (I still believe they will), he will be a part of the greatest comeback in league history. If it wasn't for Chad Pennington, the Dolphins would not be where they are today. So Thanks New York Jets. We appreciate him in South Florida!!!

[Captain Hilts]

2. I said from the get-go that the Jets were fools to ditch him for an elderly Favre. Stooopid!

Chad's now playing for NY's southernmost borough and doin' great. Good for him.

[nickgutierrez]

3. And, it bears repeating...

...was snubbed in the Pro Bowl selection process in favor of the league leader in interceptions, Mr. Favre.

It's going to be sweet to watch the Jets go down in a ball of flames. Again.

[trumad]

6. That basically solidified the Pro-Bowl as a joke....

[dakota_democrat]

4. Chad deserves every bit of positive press he's received this year

After getting scapegoated on the Jets, it's great to see him succeed in Miami.

Here's hoping they take the division on Sunday!

[Scurrilous]

5. Dolphins' Pennington selected as top comeback player

<snip>

"Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington has been selected as the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year, as voted by the Associated Press.

Pennington joined the Dolphins this season after the New York Jets released him following their acquisition of Brett Favre during the summer.

All Pennington did was help the Dolphins complete one of the most amazing turnarounds in league history, as the club went from 1-15 a year ago to an AFC East title at 11-5 this season. Miami finished its resurgence with a victory over Favre and the Jets at the Meadowlands this past Sunday.

For the season, Pennington completed 67.4 percent of his passes for a career- high 3,653 yards with 19 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. His passer rating of 97.4 was the second-best in the NFL.

Pennington became the first to win the Comeback Player of the Year award twice. He first captured the honor in 2006 with the Jets after coming back from a pair of rotator cuff surgeries to lead New York into the playoffs."

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=nfl/news/newstest.aspx?id=4200430

[Hokie]

7. I hope Chad has a good run int he playoffs

He was thrown on the trash heap in favor of Favre and we all see how that worked out for the Jets. Pennington should have already been in the AFC championship once except for really stupid coaching by Herm Edwards against Pittsburgh a few years ago.