By Lyle Fitzsimmons, Contributing NFL Editor -- (Sports Network) - You can almost hear Eric Mangini's pre-game speech.

"Well guys, I know it's been bad out there so far. But at least we didn't lose, 52-7!"

Other than finding happiness in the misfortune of teams unlucky enough to have faced the New England Patriots a week prior, the suddenly un-precocious young coach has had precious little to grin about in this, his second year atop the foundering ship known as the New York Jets.

Playoff participants just nine-plus months ago after a stirring 10-6 inaugural season, Gang Green has experienced a Gotham-sized sophomore slump in year No. 2 under "ManGenius," including a flaccid 13-3 loss to Buffalo last week that effectively brought an end to the Chad Pennington era in East Rutherford.

Starting in his stead this week will be second-year understudy Kellen Clemens, a second-round pick from Oregon in 2006 who started a Week 2 loss in Baltimore when Pennington was shelved with a sprained ankle. It marks the first time since 2002 -- when he first won the job from Vinny Testaverde -- that a healthy Pennington has not started at QB.

"It's in no way an indication that Chad is solely responsible. We all are," said Mangini, who reportedly told the team he's planning other changes. "It's really about Kellen earning the opportunity and me giving him that opportunity."

The opportunity came in the late stages of the loss to the Bills, with Clemens coming in and completing five-of-12 passes for 67 yards and a pair of interceptions. Pennington started and played three quarters, completing 13- of-20 attempts for 106 yards, but led the offense to only three points.

"It's exciting to have the opportunity and I'm definitely looking forward to the chance to play," said Clemens, a 6-foot-2, 223-pounder. "Getting your first start out of the way is pretty big. Now I feel a lot better, a lot more confident. In that first start, you're a little unsure."

Meanwhile, you can't blame the Washington Redskins for feeling a little unsure.

Coach Joe Gibbs and Co. were soundly thrashed by the Patriots in their trip to Foxboro, the franchise's worst defeat since the Redskins were blanked, 53-0, by the New York Giants in November 1961.

Washington managed just 224 yards of offense in the defeat, 68 of which came on a cosmetic fourth-quarter scoring drive after New England had assumed its 50-plus point lead.

"I think we have a lot of pride," Gibbs said. "I think we have a lot of character. It's got to be played out to see how we deal with this. (The Jets game) is very important to us. It's on the road and in reality it's cutting it close to getting things done by the end of the season."

The Redskins (4-3) are on the fringes of contention in the ultra-competitive NFC East, trailing first-place Dallas (6-1) by two games and the second-place New York Giants (6-2) by a game-and-a-half.

SERIES HISTORY

The Redskins are 7-1 against the Jets all-time, including a 16-13 home victory when the teams last met, in 2003. The Skins were 27-20 winners when the clubs last played at the Meadowlands, in 1999. The Jets' only win in the series came in 1993, a 3-0 triumph at R.F.K. Stadium.

Gibbs is 1-0 in his career against the Jets, with that win coming in 1987. The Jets' Mangini will be meeting both Gibbs and the Redskins for the first time as a head coach.

WHEN THE REDSKINS HAVE THE BALL

Quarterback Jason Campbell took a step back with ineffectiveness against the Patriots, including three lost fumbles and an interception, in addition to a pedestrian 21-of-36 performance through the air for 197 yards and one touchdown. For the season, he's connected 121 times in 204 attempts for 1,378 yards, six touchdowns and six INTs. Turning to the rushing game, Clinton Portis has an NFC-best five rushing touchdowns and notched 125 yards from scrimmage in his lone game against the Jets -- while with the Broncos in 2002. Complementing Portis is burly back Ladell Betts, who's gone for 1,087 yards in nine career games with 20 or more carries. Tight end Chris Cooley has scored a touchdown in five of his last six games, while versatile wideout Antwaan Randle-El leads the Redskins with 26 catches for 465 yards. Santana Moss faces the Jets for the first time. He was New York's first pick (16th overall) in the 2001 draft and played with the team for four seasons. Also, guard Pete Kendall spent three seasons with the Jets before his trade to Washington shortly before the opening of the 2007 schedule.

Defensively, a bad situation got worse for the Jets when inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma was officially deemed out for the season with a knee injury. He'll be replaced in the 3-4 scheme by rookie David Harris, who started against the Bills and made a team-high 17 tackles. Vilma had reached 100 tackles per season for his first three seasons, the first Jet to do that since Kyle Clifton. As a unit, New York allows 373.9 yards per week, compared to the anemic 293 averaged by the Redskins. Shaun Ellis leads the Jets with two sacks, while veteran cornerback Hank Poteat has a team-best two interceptions.

WHEN THE JETS HAVE THE BALL

Clemens will have his chance to captain a ship that does, admittedly, have a few weapons. Running back Thomas Jones, who helped the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl last winter, has spun his wheels for just 557 yards and no touchdowns through eight games, though having a quarterback who can stretch the field may loosen up opposing defenses. Youngster Jerricho Cotchery has 46 catches for 592 yards and one TD, while veteran Laveranues Coles, a former Redskin, has six of the Jets' 10 receiving TDs this season. He caught 172 balls for 2,154 yards in two seasons with Washington. Overall, the Jets have averaged just 284.3 yards per game and enter the week with a minus-5 turnover ratio.

Injuries hit the Redskins backfield last week, with starting cornerback Carlos Rogers going down with a severe knee injury. He'll miss the rest of the season with torn medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee. Leigh Torrance came on for Rogers against the Patriots and made a career-high seven tackles. Pierson Prioleau also saw increased playing time and made seven stops against Brady & Co. Elsewhere, safety Sean Taylor has interceptions in four of his last five games, and leads the NFL with five. Defensive end Andre Carter has a team-best five sacks and has recorded at least one in nine of 12 games. He had a sack and a forced fumble against the Jets while with San Francisco in 2001. Linebacker London Fletcher had an interception against Pennington while with Buffalo in December 2006.

FANTASY FOCUS

Facing a suspect defense, expect Moss, Randle-El, Portis or Cooley, or maybe a combination of them, to have strong games. The Washington defense could be a good play as well, with their tendency for creating turnovers and a rookie opposing quarterback. For the Jets, Coles, Cotchery and Jones figure to be immediate beneficiaries from the switch to Clemens, but the defense is likely to continue its season-long struggles.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The change they've been clamoring for has finally arrived for Jets fans, though they'll likely now have to live through the growing pains sure to follow. Clemens may one day exceed the quality that Pennington showed during his five years at the helm, but he's been spotty during limited 2007 duty and doesn't figure to become a high-end performer overnight, especially against a strong defense. Bottom line, look for the Redskins' offense to use its variety for enough big plays to offset the North Jersey renaissance.

Sports Network predicted outcome: Redskins 24, Jets 20