| Newsday, Melville, N.Y. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Given the fact that he was only 10 days into his tenure with the Jets, there was really only one word that fully captured Brett Favre's performance on Saturday night: perfect. SAVE MONEY ON TRAVEL DEALS From the standing ovation when he walked into the huddle, to the 11-yard completion to Jerricho Cotchery on a slant route on the first play of the game, to the effortless 4-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Dustin Keller, there could not have been a better scenario for Favre's first "live" action in Jets' green-and-white. The high-fives from teammates and coaches on the sideline after the touchdown merely underscored the flawless evening. Ah, if it were always this easy. "I was nervous, excited", Favre said. "(There were) some feelings I have not felt in a while, but I was excited." Small wonder. After all he's been through in this long and torturous journey from retirement to his nasty divorce from the Packers and the trade to the Jets, it has been a sea change for the 38-year-old quarterback. But at least he got back to what this whole ordeal has been all about: playing the game he loves. Even if it was for just two series, it could not have gone better. Of course, Favre knows how difficult the process will be moving forward, especially when the games start to count. Heck, it will get significantly more challenging next weekend, even when it doesn't count. His first dose of Jets-Giants will be a heck of a lot more challenging than the two series' worth of work he put in against the Redskins. Favre figures to go at least into the third quarter next week, which is typical for teams using the next-to-last preseason game as the biggest tuneup for the regular season. And to play against a Giants' team that boasts arguably the best pass rush in football, Favre and his new best friends along the Jets' offensive line will have their hands full trying to run the offense. The Jets likely will back Favre off in the preseason finale against the Eagles the following Thursday, although he could play a series just to get a little more work in before the regular season opener Sept. 7 in Miami. In the meantime, Favre can take comfort from a terrific start. Not even two weeks after the conclusion to a soap opera that gripped the sports world with each successive text message from Favre's phone and every double entendre quote from Packers headquarters, Favre got back to what this whole mess was all about: playing football. At 38, he showed the same passion that has driven him to show up every single week over the previous 16 seasons with the Packers. The smile. The swagger. The darts that come from an arm that is still very much alive. About the only moment of concern came late in the first series, when he was sacked by Marcus Washington and Cornelius Griffin for a 10-yard loss. But he bounced up moments after being tackled. And on his second and final series, he drove the Jets 46 yards, thanks to a 19-yard completion down the left side to Cotchery and then the short touchdown pass to his left for Keller. "It was a simple play", Favre said. "We had Keller and (tight end Bubba) Franks on two quick outs. Keller had better leverage at the five, Franks had a little trouble getting off the line. It was pretty simple." Meanwhile, at around the same time Favre was carving up the Redskins' first-string defense, Chad Pennington was doing the same to the Jaguars in his first preseason game with the Dolphins. Pennington went 5-for-6 (for 55 yards) and led a first-quarter scoring drive that ended with a Ricky Williams touchdown run. Favre-Pennington on opening day in Miami. Beautiful. A week later, it's Favre vs. Bill Belichick at the Meadowlands. For a Jets' team that had become largely irrelevant in a town dominated by the Super Bowl champion Giants, this is compelling theater, to be sure. And no matter what happens with Favre whether he leads the Jets to the playoffs or ultimately struggles over the long haul, the storylines are guaranteed to capture our imagination the entire way. The buzz palpable Saturday night for a meaningless preseason game. You could feel it among the tailgaters as you walked into the stadium, and see it with all the No. 4 jerseys starting to pop up everywhere. You can only imagine what it will be like starting the first Sunday in September. Can't wait.
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