FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -After 17 years of zipping passes down the field, Brett Favre showed he can be more game manager than gunslinger when he needs to be.
“I’ve got no problems doing whatever it takes to win, believe me,” the New York Jets quarterback said Wednesday.
Favre spoke to Phil Simms by phone for a television production meeting last Saturday, and the former Giants quarterback asked him about his transition with the Jets and being able to manage games in the team’s low-risk offense.
“I kind of joked. I said, ‘I never really believed in that,”’ Favre said. “I think you play the game. Whatever’s asked of you, you do. I don’t manage.”
Then, Favre smiled, and added: “But I managed the game the other day, as bad as I hate to say that.”
Favre was efficient in running the Jets’ offense, going 19-of-28 for 201 yards and leading a nearly 9-minute, 14-play drive – with no pass longer than 6 yards – that sealed a 26-17 victory at Buffalo.
hes and players say that, but really where we were, where we are at this stage in the season, it was a game that we really needed to win no matter how.”
Criticized for taking too many unnecessary chances in his previous three games, Favre masterfully worked the dink-and-dunk approach against the Bills.
“All I wanted to do is win,” Favre said. “That felt really good the other day. As I said the other day, I’d love to throw 70-yard touchdowns, love to throw six (TDs) every day, but I’d much rather win.”
Favre had an interception returned 92 yards for a touchdown, but he otherwise kept his mistakes to a minimum. The Jets have talked about finding their identity offensively, a perfect balance of running and passing, and the game against Buffalo might have been a breakthrough in that respect.
“I didn’t think they weren’t together,” coach Eric Mangini said of Favre and his offensive teammates. “I think it’s just another week in the process, another week of playing together. … Offensively, as we play together and understand each other more throughout the course of the year, it should get better.”
And if that means sometimes having one of the game’s greatest passers stay conservative, so be it.
that I set as far as goals, other than if I’m going to come here and play for the Jets, that’s to win here. That’s it.”
Favre hasn’t completed a pass longer than 40 yards since Week 3, leading some to question whether his arm is a bit tired. St. Louis coach Jim Haslett, whose team is preparing to play New York on Sunday, was asked if he thought Favre could still throw the deep ball after mostly short passes in recent weeks.
“I hope he keeps doing that,” Haslett said with a laugh, adding that he considers Favre the game’s greatest quarterback. “He can make all the throws.”
Favre threw just 22 passes in Week 1 at Miami and 26 against New England the following week as he jelled with his new teammates. The conservative playcalling caused fans and the media to urge Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to let their quarterback air it out more.
That’s exactly what Favre did with 42 passes and three touchdowns in a loss at San Diego and a 34-pass, six-TD performance against Arizona that proved he can still sling it with the best of them.
Then a funny thing happened: Favre started throwing too much and taking too many gambles. He threw 33 or more passes in each of the Jets’ next three games with three touchdowns and an alarming seven interceptions that had many wondering if Favre was hurting more than helping.
on to what people are saying,” he said. “I’ve had so much advice throughout my career, good and bad, some directly, some indirectly. All I know is this is 18 years and I’m still playing. This team is tied for first place. That’s not too shabby.”
Nope, not at all. With a 5-3 record, the Jets have already won one more game than they did last year – with Favre still feeling his way through.
“I could be better, but in my 17 years of playing, 17 1/2, I could’ve always been a little better,” Favre said. “I’m always trying to achieve being perfect. That’s never going to happen. I don’t know if anyone’s ever been completely perfect, but I’m still trying to achieve it.”
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