08/16 — Brett Favre's first two series as Jets quarterback are satisfying on many levels.

He completes his first pass in Green & White, on his first play, a slingshot slant to Jerricho Cotchery for 11 yards.

In fact he hits on his first three passes before suffering his first sack and his first incompletion and the end to his first series on a Ben Graham punt.

But then comes Drive No. 2.

Favre goes to Cotchery again for a deep crossing pattern on which he beats CB Carlos Rogers for a 19-yard gain to the Redskins 20. And after a 12-yard end-around by Brad Smith and a nice 4-yard cut by Leon Washington to the 4, Favre connects on his first touchdown pass for a team other than Green Bay since 1992.

And this one is sweet because of the play and the receiver. Favre looks to his right, then quickly to his left, where he finds rookie TE Dustin Keller all alone. Keller, having shaken the coverage of stumbling LB Rocky McIntosh, snares Favre's fastball for the 4-yard score and a 7-0 lead.

While the Redskins drive from their 19 to first-and-goal at the Jets 9 through to the end of the first quarter, Kellen Clemens warms up with Brett Ratliff on the home team sidelines. Favre's night is done, but the early stats are encouraging. He completes five of six passes for 48 yards and a TD for a sparkling 139.6 passer rating.

And in his 14 plays behind center (two more than head coach Eric Mangini's general parameters of 8-12 plays for his first-string QB), the Jets move 63 yards.

With Clemens coming on the field to run the Jets offense 15 seconds into the second quarter here is a summary of Favre's first two drives at the Jets' offensive controls:

Clemens scuffles when he comes in but he has help with some of his shortcomings. Three passes are dropped — by TEs Bubba Franks and Keller and then by WR David Clowney — and twice he stumbles after the snap, once clearly having been stepped on by his center.

But while KC produces no points on his four drives, all ending in Graham punts, he doesn't turn the ball over. And he helps preserve the Jets' lead, as does second-year S James Ihedigbo, who comes up with his first pro interception, ranging over to pluck a Derek Devine pass away from TE Todd Yoder at the Jets 1 and returning it out of harm's way to the 17 with 3½ minutes to play in the half.

So on a very un-NFL-preseason-like night, the Jets take a very-preseason like 7-3 lead into the locker room.