08/09 — The Jet and Brett fans were coming over the hills this afternoon — a crowd estimated at a Jets training camp-record 10,500 for today's single camp practice.

And for Jets head coach Eric Mangini, It was a midday news conference just like every other one he's had this summer ... not!

This was the news conference before the first practice for new Jets QB Brett Favre. The media room at Weeb Ewbank Hall was packed (pun intended?) with national reporters augmenting the Jets beatwriters.

And the questions were generally all Favre all the time.

"I guess the word's out how much better my press conferences are," Mangini said with a smile.

One message that came through loud and clear was that the coach and his staff do not anticipate a problem with Favre assimilating much of the offensive system in the next the next four weeks before making his starting debut as the Jets QB at Miami on Sept. 7.

"I think it's very realistic," Mangini said. "We'll cater the program and the learning, and he's been working incredibly hard. He, [QBs coach] Brian Daboll and [coordinator] Brian Schottenheimer have already spent a lot of time together. We'll take it in chunks.

"You don't ever use all the stuff from training camp in any given game anyway. You may use 10 to 15 percent of the playbook, and during the week you're focused on that 10-15 percent. I think it's very realistic."

As for the "gunslinger" and "instinctive" tags that Favre comes with from his 16 seasons of slinging the rock around Green Bay's frozen tundra, Mangini said that won't be an issue here and leaned back on a certain legendary safety's arrive in Foxboro, Mass., a few years back to illustrate his point.

"I think the key thing is for us to be able to operate successfully," Mangini said. "Brett does some things on instinct, some things that, as a coach, you don't want to coach him out of a good play, you don't want to outcoach a guy's instincts. Rodney Harrison, when he first got to New England, we had a play drawn up one way and he ran the play completely different. We said, 'Why'd you do that? We didn't have it drawn up that way.' And he said, 'I just knew.' "

And with his instincts and talents, Favre will obviously bring a new personality to the Jets' offense.

"I think he has a very strong arm, a very live arm," Mangini said. "He can make all the throws, he can make some things happen that may not have been possible, so that opens u p some things offensively and it adds some additional pressure to the defense. You're always trying offensively to force the defense to cover the whole field, both horizontally and vertically. He adds both those elements."

On Chad Heading South

As for Chad Pennington's reported signing with the Miami Dolphins — setting up a suddenly hot-hot-hot season opener with Favre and the Jets — the coach acknowledged that Pennington will bring a lot of knowledge of the Jets' operations to the Aqua & Coral.

"Chad's definitely got some insight into the things we do," the coach said. "But we're a very game-plan-specific team. ... Players go to different places all the time. That's definitely an element you've got to be more conscious of — code words, things like that. Victor Hobson's at New England, he knows certain things about us.

"When we get players from conference opponents, we try to gather information. It's not abnormal to do that. But you still have to be able to recognize that and adjust to it."

Final note on the pre-Favre-debut newser: One talking head asked the coach about Favre's arrival time and breakfast selection.

"I can see how these press conferences are going to go for the next month," Mangini said.

No. 4 Makes His Entrance

Just a short while ago, Favre left the Jets' locker room at 1:20 p.m. — 10 minutes ahead of the stretching period that starts each practice — and walked across the parking lot and into the Hofstra soccer stadium.

And the fans, estimated at more than 5,000 and possibly swelling to close to 10,000 by the time practice ends around 3:30, let out a loud, appreciate cheer at seeing No. 4 take the field.

Eric Allen, Stephen Haynes and I will provide full coverage n Favre's first practice in Green & White as the day turns into night here on Long Island. And Haynes' story on the early-arriving Jets fans will be going up on the site shortly.

Kassell placed on IR

At the top of his news conference, Mangini did have one piece of housekeeping news that didn't involve Favre but represent bad news for the defense and special teams: Brad Kassell has been placed on injured reserve.

"With Brad, it's his right knee," Mangini said. "We've signed offensive tackle Thaddeus Coleman, so he'll replace Brad [on the roster] in the short term." Coleman, an undrafted free agent from Jerry Rice's old college, Mississippi Valley State, was cut by the Cardinals on July 31.

Kassell, meanwhile, was the first backup behind David Harris and Eric Barton at inside LB and was also a main cog on kick coverage and returns. David Bowens, the 10th year "old dog" who is learning new tricks at ILB, could move into Kassell's defensive role. Stephen Haynes will talk to Bowens and Harris and provide a report later this afternoon.

Mangini also gave the latest word that TE A.J. Schable, injured late in the win over the Browns on Thursday night, "is going to be fine. We're going to monitor him the next couple of days and make sure everything's progressing the way it needs to progress. That's good news."