IN the locker room now, before the postgame shower, after Brett Favre had thrown a career-high six touchdowns and became the first Jets quarterback to throw six touchdown passes since Joe Namath did 36 years ago in Baltimore, Jerricho Cotchery had a question for him.
“Did you tie a career-high?” Cotchery wanted to know.
“I’ve never thrown six,” Favre told him.
“That,” Cotchery was saying now, “was the end of the conversation, ’cause I’m scratching my head like, ‘Really? He’s never thrown six touchdowns before!’ But, he played great today. He was just dialing it up, telling everyone, ‘Get ready, the ball is coming.’ ”
It came to Cotchery for two touchdowns, and it came to Laveranues Coles for three, all in the second quarter, and it came to Dustin Keller to give Brett Five his sixth TD pass.
“I think it shows the potential that this team has,” Favre said after Jets 56, Cardinals 35. “I don’t think it’s any reason to go out and start buying playoff or Super Bowl tickets.”
Of course it doesn’t. But this may prove to be a water-shed moment, a turning point for Favre [24-for-34, 289 yards, six TDs, 1 INT] and the 2-2 Jets.
“Throwing six touchdown passes was awesome,” Favre said. “But that had nothing to do with how I felt like I played. I think it was just one of those games. I mean, I’ve played a long time, and I’ve had guys come up to me and say, ‘You mean it’s the first time you ever threw six touchdown passes?’ And . . . ‘Yeah, it is.’ . . . I think there’s a lot of things we can get better at, and I’m pointing at me first. It was by no means perfect.”
Imagine if it gets closer to perfect. Imagine when Favre, whose interception came on what he thought was a free play, has two healthy ankles, if Favre and the offensive braintrust, if Favre and his receivers, grow their newfound chemistry.
“It helps when Brett gets in a zone like that,” Cotchery said. “It was fun out there playing today.”
Coles’ breakout came after he implored the coaching staff to Just Give Me The Damn Ball early. He can miss Chad Pennington and love Favre, too.
“I’m just excited about having an opportunity to play football with a legend,” Coles said. “There’s nothing I could do to enhance his career, but there’s a lot he could do to enhance mine with everything that he brings to the table.”
The Jets put up a franchise-record 34-point second quarter before an inept Kurt Warner awakened to cut the deficit to 34-21. Favre answered with a 17-yard TD pass to a wide-open Cotchery off play-action.
“When I came out and I saw the safety, and I saw him shoot up, so obviously he thought it was a run,” Cotchery said. “I knew it was up to me to beat the corner. Before that play, me and Brett were talking, he was saying, ‘If he’s even close, just take him.’ I was like, ‘Well, I already had that in mind.’ ” Favre: “That type of play, that type of route, is one that I’ve always felt like I threw as well as any, a real skinny post,” Favre said.
Now it was 41-28 and Eric Mangini went for it fourth-and-one at the Arizona 40 with 7:33 left.
“I think sometimes you gotta roll the dice, I really do,” Favre said. “And sometimes they work, sometimes they won’t – but you won’t know unless you try. They can only play one of two ways – they can play defend, or they can play attack. And, they attacked, and so did we.”
Cotchery was wide open. “Only thing I could think of was, ‘Whatever you do, give him a catchable ball,’ ” Favre said.
Coles gave Favre the ball after his third TD. “I’ll keep it. I’ll put it up in my trophy case,” Favre said.
On the sidelines late, Favre told Damien Woody:
“I’m very, very happy I’m here.”
So is Jet Nation.