With his trademark candor, Brett Favre repeatedly has said that training camp, off-season workouts and practices aren't all that much fun. But actually playing football? Well, that's a different story, as Favre again showed Saturday night.
In fact, he was enjoying himself so much after his 4-yard touchdown pass to Dustin Keller against Washington that he asked coach Eric Mangini if he could "play a little bit more."
After Saturday's game, Favre recalled with a smile that Mangini said, "Let me think about it."
Favre continued, "He turned back (to me) and said, 'I thought about it.'"
So much for that. Favre was done for the night, and he didn't argue.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I understand where he's coming from," said the 38-year-old quarterback, who won't return to work until Tuesday when the Jets resume practicing at Hofstra. The team didn't practice Sunday and won't work out today.
"It was good to go out that way," Favre said of the scoring pass. "I've played in preseason games where you play two series and you go three-and-out, three-and-out. I feel like you get nothing accomplished that way.
"This (was) one of those times where everything seemed to be clicking. We'd like to have scored on the first drive (but), all in all, it was good. I was OK with it."
But Favre made it clear that he wants more work, and believes Saturday's third preseason game against the Giants would be a good place to start.
"I think it's now or never," Favre said. "The clock is obviously against me a little bit and to a certain degree, maybe the team, too, just because we haven't worked together that long.
"I understand, maybe from a coach's standpoint, you have to be smart. But in my opinion, the bottom line is winning and however we get to that point remains to be seen."
Mangini wasn't asked by reporters Saturday night how much he intends to play Favre this week, but Favre certainly will ask him, if he hasn't already.
"I don't know what Eric wants to do," Favre said. "If he says, 'Hey Brett, I'll let you play as long as you want,' I'm all for it. You have to get your feet wet somehow.
ADVERTISEMENT
"There are certain situations that you don't get in the first two series of the game. You'd like to get a two-minute drill, you'd like to get maybe some more red-zone, some more third downs.
"There's no substitute for game-type situations," Favre said. "I'm sure we'll talk about it this week but believe me, from my end, ready or not, I need to be in there."
Mangini said Favre had about 30 to 40 plays in his repertoire for the Washington game. As Favre said, "Ten days ago I was doing yard work."
But the transition from yard work to yard lines has looked seamless to his new teammates.
"He's real calm and collected in the huddle," Keller said, "even though he's new with the offense. Every single time he comes in it's like he has been with this offense for his whole career."
-- Copyright (c) 2008, North Jersey Media Group Inc./Distributed by
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
