It was a moment among many in the Jets’ last game, their 56-35 rout of the Cardinals, but it could prove to be one of the most significant of the season for them as they move forward.
The Jets were about to break an offensive huddle in the second quarter and Brett Favre looked at Laveranues Coles and asked him, “What can you beat him on?”
“Just throw me the fade route,” Coles told his quarterback.
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“I threw him the fade route,” Favre recalled yesterday, “and he won.”
That two-yard touchdown, which gave the Jets a 31-0 lead at the time, was Coles’ third catch of a Favre scoring pass in the quarter and, before everyone’s eyes, a quarterback-receiver relationship that some speculated might be rocky, began to blossom on the field for the first time.
“I don’t know how many guys have caught (three) touchdowns in one half, but that’s pretty impressive,” Favre said. “I’ve been playing a long time and the half he had was very impressive and could have been off the charts.”
For Coles, an accomplished receiver who entered this season having caught 579 passes and 41 touchdowns in his eight NFL seasons, his breakout game of the 2008 season (eight catches for 105 yards and the three touchdowns) was significant for his confidence.
“For me, it was something that I needed to let myself know and also the coaching staff know that I still can play,” Coles said yesterday. “I know I can (play). I go out every day in practice and do it, but it’s something else to do it on Sunday.”
Though Coles has had an accomplished career, the ninth-year receiver said he still needs that kind of reinforcement.
“You always need it,” Coles said. “It was a confidence-builder to say, ‘Man, I still can play,’ and I wanted people to see that I still can play and compete on the highest level.”
Favre said he wasn’t that surprised about Coles’ performance against the Cardinals.
“I know the guy is a playmaker,” Favre said. “So trying to get him the ball is important. Even when he’s not the primary guy, he’s going to make a lot of plays. He just continues to get better and better and our communication is much better.”
Coles said he’s feeling that and it obviously excites him.
“He’s starting to get confidence in me and get more comfortable with me and get a better understanding for what I think I’m good at,” Coles said.
Coles said he is excited about the possibilities ahead, but he is taking a game-by-game approach.
“Right now, the main thing is focusing on our next opponent,” Coles said. “Of course, it’s difficult not to think about the future, because every moment you have here with Brett is one that you want to hold on to, because you don’t know how much longer he’s going to decide to stick around.
“It’s entered my mind that if I could have had the last nine years with him to develop, (but) the great thing for me to get an opportunity to play with him for however long it is and just enjoy it.”
When Chad Pennington, Coles’ close friend, was released upon the trade for Favre, Coles went into a shell publicly, refusing to speak to reporters for weeks and fueling speculation that he might not be so welcoming to his new quarterback.
The reality was that, though Coles was hurt about Pennington being jettisoned, he never had a problem with Favre. Their lockers, in fact, are adjacent to each other’s and there’s constant banter amongst the two.
“I’ve had people ask me, ‘Are you and Laveranues OK,’ ” Favre said. “I don’t know where there was ever a problem, really. Our communication has been great since Day 1. The fact that we’ve practiced and played together now has made all the difference.”