10/22 — Topic A at today's news conference with head coach Eric Mangini was more like Topic BFO as in Brett Favre's offense.

Such leading questions are going to happen when you've got one of the legendary QBs leading an offense to 418 yards of offense but only 13 points in an overtime loss to a 1-4 team. Mangini parried several thrusts from reporters about Favre and the offense.

On if there is something offensively that the Jets can "hang their hat on"...

"I think what you're looking for is balance. Some games you're going to throw six touchdowns, some games you're going to rush for 8 yards a carry. Either one of those are really positive things. The end result or what you're looking for is to be able to score points. More than anything else we need to convert those red zone opportunities, eliminate penalties — those things that kill drives."

On the lack of downfield throws the last two games...

"It's always a coordinated effort where you've got to be able to run a good route, you've got to be able to hold up in protection, you've got to be able to make the right read. Some teams have made the decision to put more support in those areas, which open up other things like the running game where you can average 7, 8 yards a carry."

All leading up to a leading question: "Brett's at the lowest of his career with 9.9 yards per completion. ... Is your offense too conservative?"

"I think as we go into each week, we discuss the game plan," Mangini said. "It's a collaborative effort. It's never something that's just jammed down the throats of the players. It's all a part of trying to figure out what's the best way to achieve success. The numbers are going to vary throughout the course of the season and the course of time."

One observation about that last question. It is true that Favre is averaging 9.93 yards per completion in his first six games as a Jet. And it is convenient — I'm sure I've done it — to match that kind of a number of with all the season averages of a particular player's team's history. For Favre, the lowest such average was the 10.39 yards per completion in his second season as a Packer, 1993.

But to be fair, you need to match like with like, or qualify your statement: In this case, to say that if Favre continued to average less than 10 yards per completion over the final 10 games, it would be the lowest figure of his career. Don't compare six games to all other 16-game seasons and say he's having the worst season of his career because that's cooking the books.

Now it is surely true that Favre has had very few six-game stretches in his storied 17 seasons where he's averaged less than 10 yards per completion, but it has happened. Most notably, in the first six games of 2003, his average was 9.85 yards per completion and the Packers were 3-3 in those games.

From there, despite breaking his right thumb in Game 7 of the '03 season, he finished with an 11.67 average over the final 10 games, during which the Pack went 7-3 and made it to the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

All this is a way of saying the questions about conservative offense and downfield throws are OK, as long as they don't imply that the sky is falling on the offense, Favre is done or he's being misused. I could be wrong but I feel confident in predicting that the final 10 games this season will feature a passing attack that comes in solidly over 10 yards per completion, especially if the running game continues its upward trend.

And the chances of that happening Sunday vs. the Chiefs' 32nd-ranked run defense are fairly good.

Favre and the Lions

The other Brett-related story angle today is the ongoing story of whether or not Favre assisted Detroit in preparing for its Week 2 meeting vs. Green Bay, and if so, how much. Eric Allen took in Favre's weekly news conference this morning and will have a story for newyorkjets.com shortly.

But Mangini was ready for such questions. He didn't dwell on the subject but he asserted that information sharing in the NFL is not uncommon.

"From my experiences, the benefit is pretty marginal," the coach said. "What's really important is being able to look at the tape, see what they're doing. ... The gain you get from that is pretty small."

A questioner stretched to suggest that somehow, if this story is true — which Favre says it isn't —that somehow he's not preparing as well as he could for the Jets, Mangini replied:

"I know that Brett prepares as thoroughly as anybody else. I don't monitor guys' free time, so they can spend it any way they want."

Ding, Ding

Two keys to the offensive performance for Kansas City and the games to follow are the physical conditions of two key contributors, WR Jerricho Cotchery and RT Damien Woody. Mangini said Cotchery has a shoulder injury and Woody a leg injury but wouldn't say how much if at all they would work on the field today.

"The plan is always for them to practice," the coach said. "I'll meet with the trainers after I meet with you guys [reporters] and see where they are."

The Jets' and Chiefs' first injury reports of the week will be posted on newyorkjets.com sometime after 4 p.m.

Housekeeping

The Jets made a practice squad exchange, releasing T Stefan Rodgers, who was signed Sept. 10, and re-signing TE Brad Listorti, who was also signed to the P-squad Sept. 10 but released 13 days later.

The other Brett-related story angle today is the ongoing story of whether or not Favre assisted Detroit in preparing for its Week 2 meeting vs. Green Bay, and if so, how much. Eric Allen took in Favre's weekly news conference this morning and will have a story for newyorkjets.com shortly.