SHOES: Why No. 4? For Third-and-15 at the 15

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SHOES: Why No. 4? For Third-and-15 at the 15

Published: Sat, November 15, 2008 - 12:15pm ET
Bob Wischusen

By Bob Wischusen

Bob Wischusen is in his seventh season as the New York Jets' radio play-by-play voice.


File Under: Eric Mangini, Thomas Jones, Laveranues Coles, New England Patriots, Brett Favre, Dustin Keller

11/15 — The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre to light up a highlight reel. The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre so they’d be on the big TV game more often. The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre so ESPN would have reporters on their beat and extra cameras in their locker room. The Jets didn’t get Brett Favre to score points like a pinball machine, although it doesn’t hurt when it happens.

The Jets got Brett Favre for third-and-15 at their own 15 on the road in New England in overtime in a must-have spot that’s probably about a 10 percent success rate play for most QBs in the NFL, and that might be generous.

They got Brett Favre because they know that not only do they need a QB with the talent to make that play happen but they need a player that marries that talent with a total calm to go along with it in the most intense pressurized moment.

Favre not only has the ability to make that play, but he’s not worried about needing it when 70,000 Patriots fans are screaming at the tops of their lungs after Randy Moss makes an amazing catch to send an unlosable game into an overtime that Eric Mangini couldn’t actually believe the Jets were in.

But they’ve got No. 4, and not only is he much more comfortable with this offense now than he had ever been before, he also seems more than happy to spread the ball around to as versatile and deep a group of playmakers as the Jets have ever had.

Favre can hand it off to the top rusher in the AFC in Thomas Jones. He can throw across his body into traffic to convert another big third down to Laveranues Coles. He can do the same for a TD to Jerricho Cotchery. He can get the ball into the hands of Leon Washington in any number of ways and know there’s at least a chance that once Washington has the ball no matter where he is on the field, it could be six.

And he can drop back on third-and-15 from his own 15 on a play he has to have in the most intense moment a team could face in a regular-season game with arguably their season hanging in the balance, and he can throw it to a rookie tight end named Dustin Keller that is emerging as a target that has the right to be called Favre’s favorite as much as any other player in this offense.

In order to have a magical season, a team has clear-cut defining moments when it must execute, and some of those moments come on the road. The Jets had that moment in the fourth quarter at Buffalo and put together an eight-minute drive when they had to have it to ice a huge win. They had that moment in the fourth quarter at Foxboro when they needed to put together a drive to break ... a 24-24 tie in a game that actually felt like they were losing after blowing a 24-6 lead.

And then the drive that trumps them all ... in an overtime that must have seemed like a bad dream in the first place, third-and-15 at their own 15, game over if they don’t convert, most likely division race over if they lose.

And an 18-year veteran Hall of Fame quarterback finds a rookie tight end that was about 6 years old when he first threw a pass in the NFL — and hits that rookie for a first down. Drive alive. Season now more than alive.

Maybe this will be a magical year.

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Moonerrn Said:

Fri, November 21, 2008 - 12:03pm ET

"... On the first drive in overtime our hero, Brett, takes the team down the field and the winning field goal is made. The crowd goes wild! I am convinced that was the loudest cheer ever heard in the State of Wisconsin ... for a New York Jets game. On the way home it hit me. I just saw a great game where Brett Favre and the home team beat Randy Moss and the arch rivals for the division lead—something we’ve all seen before. But this time, it was a Jets/Patriots game. I hope the fans in New York and New Jersey realize and cherish the player they now have. Yes, he will have his bad days with multiple interceptions. ..."

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Moonerrn Said:

Fri, November 21, 2008 - 12:04pm ET

"... But he brings an excitement to football that you probably won’t experience again in your lifetime; and comes from a 16-year stretch with a storied team that had the highest winning percentage in the league. Enjoy the journey for all it’s worth. I have my green and white #4 jersey ready for the playoffs. "

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Anonymous Said:

Wed, November 26, 2008 - 9:08am ET

"come on people...this guy will blow it in the end and playoffs like he always does...Brett Favre is the regular season league leading numbers hanger. when was the last time he came through in a big spot in the playoffs? Jets fans remember this : favre is 3-6 with 12 TD and 18 INT in postseason since his last SB title(his only one). Enjoy Mr. interception !!!!"

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