FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) -With Brett Favre under center and the Jets creeping toward the goal line, New York tried to run the ball into the end zone.
Then, the gunslinging quarterback handed off again.
And again.
Rather than let Favre throw, the Jets stuck to the ground on three consecutive plays against the Patriots last Sunday and were forced to settle for a field goal.
“Would I have liked to have thrown it? Sure, I would,” Favre said Wednesday. “But I would much rather get the ball in, whether it be running or throwing.”
It was a questionable series of play calls in the 19-10 loss that had some wondering if Favre, the NFL’s career leader in several passing categories, is being misused by coach Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
s.”
Favre hasn’t shown any visible frustration – yet – and has been careful not to criticize the play calling.
“I feel like the path that we’re on right now is the right path,” he said. “At the end of the season, who knows? You guys may think differently. Right now, we’re 1-1. We lost to a very good football team. Three plays in that game didn’t make the difference. There were a lot of plays that made the difference.”
The 38-year-old Favre is 33-of-48 for 375 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for a 104.1 quarterback rating. That’s good enough to place him ninth in the league and fifth in the AFC, but some fans and members of the media expected an even greater impact. And they’re pointing to the play calling as the prime culprit.
“I feel confident that I can go to (the coaches) at any point and ask for something, install something that maybe we don’t have in, and that will get it done,” Favre said. “Just because I’m here, we don’t change our offense.”
When the calls came in from Schottenheimer to run the ball during that series that started at the Patriots 3-yard line, Favre insists he didn’t lobby to change the plan.
do, but I have to be honest with you, I’ve got a lot of confidence in our offensive line, in our running backs and I still do.
“If we got in that situation again, I think if we threw the ball, we would score, but I think if we ran it, we would score as well. I really do.”
Mangini has been peppered with questions about the offensive game plan since Sunday.
“I think it’s understandable,” Mangini said. “Everybody is evaluating the game and I appreciate that. I just am always working to try to put in the best play at that time. That’s why we’re calling it.”
The Jets will need to iron out things in a hurry by next Monday night, when they face the San Diego Chargers, a team that has lost both their games in the closing minutes. On Sunday, coach Norv Turner and the Chargers were upset after an errant whistle erased Jay Cutler’s lost fumble and helped lead to a 39-38 loss to Denver.
“Norv may be saying this is a must win,” Favre said. “I’m sure in the back of his mind, they’re all must wins. I feel like we’re in a must-win situation as well. At the end of the season, when you look back, you can always say that one game or that one play may have cost us a chance at the playoffs or whatever.”
Many believed the Jets could’ve made a statement by beating the Patriots. Now, some wonder if expectations were too high on a team that went 4-12 last season.
o be seen,” Favre said. “I like the fact that people expect a lot out of us when maybe they didn’t before. I think that’s a good thing. Each individual in that locker room can look at it however they want to look at it, but I expect us to win. I think we have the nucleus in place.”
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