Favre's meeting with receivers bears fruit- Newsday

Favre's meeting with Jets receivers bears fruit -BY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com
October 9, 2008
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Brett Favre threw for a career-best six touchdowns his last time on the field, but Laveranues Coles said yesterday that wasn't the only "first" for the quarterback in the Jets' 56-35 victory over the Cardinals Sept. 28.

The other occurred on Coles' third touchdown of the day, a 2-yard fade thrown into the left corner of the end zone precisely placed beyond the reach of cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

"He told me that in his whole 18 years of playing football that was the first fade pass he's thrown for a touchdown," Coles said yesterday. "It was one of the weirdest things for me to hear him say that."

Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Favre went through the scoring play. "I called a play and I just said, 'What can you beat him on?' " Favre said. "He said, 'Just throw me a fade route.' I threw him a fade route and he won. So that makes it a little bit easier to come back the next time."



And while the play on the surface seems to fall into the category of draw-it-up-in-the-dirt improvisation Favre is known for, that wasn't the case.

Favre said in a way it resulted from one of the weekly meetings he has with his receivers. No coaches. Just receivers.

Favre has been doing it all season, sessions in which the quarterback and his receivers share the floor equally, learning and exchanging ideas. "We'll do it today," Favre said. "We'll watch practice [the tape]. First and foremost, and this goes for anyone - any team, any level of play - it's not so important you know what the other team is doing; it's more important to know what you're doing first and that's what we try to get accomplished. How can we make our routes better? How can I make my read better? If we have a check, let's make sure we're all on the same page . . . I think it's important to know what we're doing first, and then we're about who we're playing second."

Favre said he was confident throwing the fade to Coles in part because of what he had seen in one of those conferences and the skills that Coles, who missed the entire preseason, brings to the field.

"You can draw up all the plays you want," Favre said. "But it really comes down to the individuals, and that's what we figure out in those meetings."

Favre said the Packers started doing quarterback/receiver gatherings "about three or four years ago," and he finds it curious why they're not universal throughout the league.

"You would think everyone would do it and that everyone has done it forever," said Favre, who leads the NFL with 12 TD passes and a 110.8 passer rating. "Why not? I think quarterbacks should be in every meeting with receivers in my opinion because you work hand in hand with them."

Chansi Stuckey, who has 14 receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns this season, said of the meetings, "They really help out a bunch."

Coach Eric Mangini said he's noticed a carry-over to other positions. "I'm seeing a lot of the seeds of that throughout the building," Mangini said. "That stuff is huge, because nobody can help them win on the field besides themselves and understanding how the person next to you sees things is key."

Coles said the meetings aren't where plays are specifically drawn up, more an opportunity for all involved to know a little more than they did before. "The meeting is to keep you on edge and give you an idea of what direction or his train of thought is going to be on Sunday," Coles said. "For the most part, it's everybody trying to get a better understanding for him."

And, clearly, vice versa.

Sunday

Bengals at Jets

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WABC (770), WEPN (1050), WADO (1280)
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