NY Jets articles 9/23/08

[Kentucky Jet]

Chargers throttle Brett Favre, Jets

By Associated Press

Tuesday, September 23, 2008 - Updated 43m ago

SAN DIEGO - Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson and the rest of the San Diego Chargers simply left no doubt.

Frustrated by two gut-wrenching losses, the Chargers raced past nemesis Brett Favre and the New York Jets [team stats] for a 48-29 victory last night in a wild game befitting two original AFL teams.

Rivers threw three touchdown passes, Tomlinson scored his first two TDs of the season and San Diego finally got back at Favre after all these years. They sacked him four times and intercepted him twice, including a 52-yard return for a score by All-Pro cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

Favre always seemed to come up big on Monday nights with Green Bay. This night, though, he finally lost to the Chargers after beating them five straight times dating to 1993.

San Diego (1-2) looked like the team picked by many to reach the Super Bowl. The Chargers lost their opener to Carolina on the last play, then lost by one point at Denver in a game remembered for referee Ed Hochuli

[Kentucky Jet]

Chargers rout Jets, fueled by desperationBY ERIK BOLAND | erik.boland@newsday.com

September 23, 2008

SAN DIEGO - No question which team is the desperate one now.

The Jets showed indignation all week leading up to last night's game here, irritated with the suggestion the winless Chargers somehow needed the win more.

"I think we are desperate, too, at 1-1," guard Brandon Moore said. "Nobody wants to be 1-2."

But that's where the Jets find themselves after a world-class flop on the national stage, beaten soundly, 48-29, in front of an energized, out-for-blood crowd of 68,922 at Qualcomm Stadium.

The word of the week now for the Jets?

Regroup.

"The thing I stressed to the team is you can't play this way," coach Eric Mangini said. "You can't have the turnovers, one for a touchdown, another one sets up really good field position. We can't do that and expect to win, especially on the road."

The Jets never recovered from a wild first half in which Brett Favre threw two interceptions, one of which was returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Favre finished with a misleading stat line: 30-for-42 for 271 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Favre was seen limping significantly after the game, the result, he said, of rolling his left ankle early in the third quarter.

One of the many story lines coming into the game was how the Chargers would respond after two gut-wrenching losses, by a combined three points, to open the season.

The early answer was a positive for the Jets. On third-and-5 from the Chargers' 20-yard line, David Barrett stepped in front of a Philip Rivers pass intended for Antonio Gates. Barrett returned it 25 yards down the right sideline to give the Jets a 7-0 lead with 11:27 left in the first quarter. It was Barrett's 18th career interception and first career touchdown.

But if the Chargers were unnerved by the awful start, it didn't show. They responded with a 12-play, 53-yard drive that ended with Nate Kaeding's 36-yard field goal. And it was about that point that the game turned into one of those old AFL shootouts, though mostly one-sided.

On the next Jets possession, linebacker Tim Dobbins stripped Thomas Jones - the third of four Jets turnovers - at the 40. Cornerback Quentin Jammer returned the fumble to the 16. Four plays later, Rivers connected with wide-open fullback Mike Tolbert for a 1-yard TD pass that made it 10-7.

The Jets picked up a first down on their next drive but on the first play of the second quarter - second-and-10 from midfield - Favre bounced in the pocket, then threw off his back foot looking for Laveranues Coles on the left sideline. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie timed the play, reached over Coles' shoulder to tip the ball, then caught the deflection and ran it in from 52 yards to make it 17-7.

"Antonio made a good play," Favre said. "One thing we knew coming into this game was Cromartie had great ball skills."

With Qualcomm shaking, Leon Washington quieted the fans momentarily by bringing Kaeding's kickoff back 94 yards. Favre hit Coles for a 3-yard TD that made it 17-14.

But the next two possessions pretty much finished the Jets. After the Chargers recovered an onside kick at the Jets' 44, Rivers connected deep down the middle to Chris Chambers for a 27-yard touchdown that made it 24-14.

An apparent miscommunication between Favre and Cotchery on the Jets' next possession led to another pick. Ten plays later, Rivers hit Gates with a 6-yard pass that made it 31-14.

It was the most points the Jets had given up in a half since trailing 31-10 to the Colts on Sept. 9, 2001 in a 45-24 loss.

Any thoughts of putting Favre in position to record his 41st fourth-quarter comeback were laid to rest on the first and second possessions of the third. A seven-play, 79-yard drive ended with LaDainian Tomlinson's 2-yard dive for a 38-14 lead.

Favre hit Chansi Stuckey with a 4-yard pass with 10:30 left to make it 38-20. But on the two-point try, Favre was sacked by Luis Castillo. The Jets tried another onside kick, recovering at their 43. But the Jets settled for a 32-yard field goal by Jay Feely that made it 38-23 with 8:21 left. San Diego tacked on one more score with 3:55 left, a 2-yard run by Tomlinson to make it 45-23.

"The bottom line is cleaning it up and getting better," Favre said. "We all can see how productive we all can be, not only passing but in the running game. But we have to get points and not give up points."

[Kentucky Jet]

Mangini fumbled big moment against ChargersShaun Powell

September 23, 2008

SAN DIEGO

On a Sunday afternoon that was unusually foggy, a twinkle emerged from the mist that awakened a football franchise, sparked interest among fans and demanded your attention if not respect.

That flash of brightness came in the form of a statement win by Eric Mangini, then a rookie head coach, and the Jets.

They went into New England, hostile territory for so many reasons, and stunned the Patriots. The victory was sealed rather emphatically in the closing moments when Shaun Ellis chased down Tom Brady and dumped the quarterback, along with the Patriots' comeback hopes, on the turf. Against a better team, against a Super Bowl champion and against a team coming off a loss and rather desperate for a win, the Jets defied all logic and won. Not only that, they did so with a coach who made all the right calls, all the right moves.

Shaun Powell Bio | E-mail | Recent columns

"Eric had those guys ready," said Patriots Pro Bowl lineman Richard Seymour, high praise for any coach, let alone one who never coached before, except in Australia.

Well, that was two years ago, the last time the Jets took a game they had no business winning.

The Jets and Mangini haven't returned since to that mountaintop, where the panoramic view was bright and intoxicating. They made the playoffs that season, which made their sudden stumble the very next year seem that much more painful.

And in order to regain the footing that seemed so secure against the Patriots, Mangini needs exactly what that day heaped upon him: credibility.

Last night was set up perfectly for Mangini to get the shine back, not only for his team, but his reputation as a young coach with a golden clipboard. The Chargers, the best 0-2 team you'll ever see, were wearing scars from a pair of last-second losses, one from a blown referee's call, and were desperate for a win. They played at home, a hellhole for visiting teams. And they had the best player in football, LaDainian Tomlinson.

The Jets had no business winning, and didn't come close.

They did return kicks impressively. Give them that. Give Leon Washington that. Otherwise, the Jets made turnovers early and couldn't match the emotion or the sense of urgency that bubbled from the Chargers, who played as though they needed the game a lot more.

"I don't think anyone will question the effort," said Brett Favre, who quickly added, "that'll only get you so far."

At least the playbook opened up and the Jets rolled the dice often, with mixed results. On first-and-goal from the 5, Mangini didn't call three straight running plays, unlike last week. Instead, Laveranues Coles caught his first touchdown pass from Favre. In the third quarter, his team down 24, Mangini went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 9-yard line.

Then there was Mangini's decision to "take a shot at a momentum changer" and try an onside kick, after Coles' TD catch and the Jets trailing by three. It was a gutsy call that would've made Mangini look brilliant, except the Chargers recovered, quickly scored and turned the first half into a rout.

Nothing happened that gave anyone reason to think of Mangini and the Jets in the same way as two years ago on a foggy day in New England. "You can't play this way and expect to win games," Mangini said.

With his team 1-2, searching for an identity and a way to squeeze more magic from a 38-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback, this will be an interesting few weeks for Mangini. The Jets were just pounded on "Monday Night Football" and the fan base could get restless.

The true value of a coach is measured by how he responds when his team appears adrift. The Giants discovered plenty about Tom Coughlin late last September when he turned a poor start into a Super Bowl finish. The Jets aren't unraveling, nor does anyone expect a championship run. But the ante was raised after a $125 million-plus upgrade, and the addition of Favre, and coming off a 4-12 season.

And so, you ask: When's the next statement win coming for Mangini?

His job isn't in jeopardy, nor should it be, even if the Jets fail to make the playoffs. The only issue is whether he's still in the running to become a great coach someday. The Jets gambled on his resume when they hired him, and after a glimmer of hope in a 10-6 rookie season, Mangini has fallen off the fast track.

He can get up again, and so can the Jets, but that process begins with a signature win.

We'll have to wait.

[Kentucky Jet]

Looking like a long season for Brett and the Jetsby Mark Kriegel

Mark Kriegel is the national columnist for FOXSports.com. He is the author of two New York Times best sellers, Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, which Sports Illustrated called "the best sports biography of the year."

Updated: September 23, 2008, 3:00 AM EST 6 comments add this RSS blog email Print SAN DIEGO - As it ended, Brett Favre was limping in the bowels of Qualcomm Stadium, a PR man clearing a path for him.

"I rolled my ankle up," he had said. "Early in the third quarter."

By then, the game wasn't even close. In fact

[Kentucky Jet]

Sloppy Brett Favre throws 2 picks, rolls ankle; Jets fall to Chargers 48-29

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, September 22nd 2008, 10:56 PM

SAN DIEGO - An ugly, almost embarrassing game for the Jets, who imploded Monday night in a 48-29 loss to the Chargers, ended with this sobering snapshot in their cramped locker room:

Brett Favre sitting in front of his locker stall, his left ankle wrapped in an Ace bandage. It was difficult to tell which hurt him more, the ankle or his two costly interceptions.

"I think they're okay," Favre said of the X-ray results, "aside from the old ankle."

YOUR BRUSH WITH BROADWAY JOE?

Favre said he "rolled" his ankle in the third quarter, although he stayed in the game until his mercy pulling with two minutes left in the disaster at Qualcomm Stadium. He has played with worse injuries during his amazing streak of 256 consecutive starts - assuming this is just a routine sprain - so it's hard to imagine him sitting out next week against the Cardinals.

It was that kind of night for the Jets (1-2), who committed three first-half turnovers and gave a gift touchdown with an onsides kick that backfired - four blunders that resulted in 28 points for the Chargers (1-2). The 48 points were the most allowed by the Jets since the 1995 opener, Rich Kotite's debut.

"We can't play this way," Eric Mangini said, seething. "Too many self-inflicted wounds."

The nation received its first prime-time viewing of Favre in a Jets uniform. Unfortunately for the Jets, they, too, acted like it was their first time in the presence of the future Hall of Famer.

After a week of heavy criticism for conservative play-calling, Mangini loosened the reins on Favre and the result was a mistake-filled meltdown before a raucous crowd and millions of TV watchers who probably were left with the same impression: Maybe he should've stayed retired.

Facing the NFL's 31st-ranked pass defense, Favre was out of sync with his receivers and threw both interceptions in the first half, Antonio Cromartie returning the first 52 yards for a touchdown. Favre (30-for-42, 271 yards) made two other ill-advised passes that almost were intercepted, underscoring his lack of familiarity with the playbook - although he insisted that wasn't the case.

"I feel much better with the offense," said Favre, who threw touchdown passes to Laveranues Coles (7 yards), Chansi Stuckey (4) and Dustin Keller (13) - the latter two in garbage time. "There are no excuses from my end tonight to say, 'I'm still learning the offense.' I, as well as the rest of the offense, made some mistakes. ... Bad plays."

The Jets made it easy for the Chargers, giving their high-powered opponent great field position because of three turnovers. A first-quarter fumble by Thomas Jones, coupled with Favre's two interceptions in the second quarter, resulted in 16- and 45-yard touchdown drives by the Chargers.

"I don't think it was a function of not being on the same page," Mangini said of Favre's mistakes. "There were some throws he'd like to have back."

Questionable strategy by Mangini set up another San Diego touchdown. After the touchdown to Coles, which closed the deficit to 17-14, the Jets squandered their momentum with a surprise onsides kick that was recovered by the Chargers.

It was a daring move by Mangini, and it became the turning point in the game. The Chargers converted the break into the second of Philip Rivers' three touchdown passes, a 27-yarder to a wide-open Chris Chambers. It was 31-14 at halftime, and the Jets never really threatened again.

Mangini, explaining the onsides kick, said the Jets went to an overloaded look on one side and "we had more guys than they had. We wanted to do it after a momentum-changing situation like a touchdown."

Wallace Wright jumped for the ball, and came up with air.

"I had my fingertips on it," Wright said. "I should've come down with it."

Playing consistently on a short field, the Jets' defense, minus nose tackle Kris Jenkins (first-quarter back injury), couldn't stop the Chargers. Rivers passed for 250 yards on 19-for-25 efficiency, with LaDainian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles combining for 105 yards on the ground.

The secondary suffered several communication lapses, the biggest coming on Chambers' TD grab.

"We didn't do anything right," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "There were a lot of miscommunications. I don't know if it was the stage of Monday night or what."

[Kentucky Jet]

Kris Jenkins' exit is a shot to nose

BY RICH CIMINI

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, September 23rd 2008, 4:00 AM

SAN DIEGO - Kris Jenkins' value to the Jets' defense was underscored in Monday night's 48-29 loss to the Chargers. Too bad it took an injury to make that apparent.

The massive nose tackle left in the first quarter with a back injury and never returned, leaving the defense vulnerable in the middle. As soon as he left, the Chargers ran on eight of their next 10 plays, attacking the middle.

Afterward, Jenkins declined to discuss his injury, saying only that his "pride was hurt" that he wasn't able to return. Asked for the prognosis, Jenkins said, "That's the million-dollar question."

Eric Mangini shed some light on the injury, saying, "I don't anticipate it being anything serious."

Jenkins was replaced by Sione Pouha, who can't anchor the 3-4 defense as well as Jenkins.

"Anytime you lose a guy like that in the middle, it hurts," DE Shaun Ellis said.

GRAHAM REBOOTS: The Jets' new punter Monday night turned out to be their old punter, the guy they kicked to the curb last week.

Ben Graham, waived after a poor performance against the Patriots, did the punting. The Jets re-signed Graham Sunday to replace his replacement, Reggie Hodges (thigh), who pulled up lame last week in practice.

Even though Graham struggled last week, the Jets evidently felt more comfortable with him than rookie Waylon Prather, who was signed last week to the practice squad and has no NFL experience.

Graham punted only twice, dropping both inside the 20 for no return yardage.

To make room for Graham, rookie WR Marcus Henry was waived.

MR. MONDAY NIGHT: Brett Favre made his 34th appearance on Monday night (18-15), extending his streak of 16 consecutive years. That tied Marcus Allen, Bill Romanowski and Ed White for the longest such streak.

GETTING PICKY: David Barrett started at safety, replacing Eric Smith. On Philip Rivers' first pass, Barrett stepped in front of TE Antonio Gates for an interception, returning it 25 yards for a touchdown. Things got worse for Barrett. He dropped an easy interception and suffered an undisclosed injury, although he returned to the game.

Smith was burned for one touchdown, slipping in coverage on Mike Tolbert's 1-yard TD catch.

Overall, it was a bad night for the secondary. CB Dwight Lowery broke up two passes early in the game, but he was beaten on Gates' 6-yard TD catch and on a 60-yard reception by WR Vincent Jackson.

INJURY REPORT: CB Justin Miller (foot) was inactive for the third straight game. ... Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson (toe) started, but he was limited (26 carries, 67 yards). ... LT Marcus McNeill returned after missing two games with a neck injury.

[Kentucky Jet]

SAN DIEGO - The bad Brett Favre showed up for the Jets Monday night and when that happens, it can get pretty ugly.

When Favre is on, he can be magic. But throughout his Hall of Fame career, he mixes in the clunkers every now and then and that's the Favre the Jets got Monday night. He looked old and slow and out of sync with his receivers in the Jets' 48-29 loss.

It also didn't help that Eric Mangini got a little too cute early in the second quarter with a onside kick that backfired and completely changed the momentum of the game.

Right after San Diego's Antonio Cromartie took an interception back 52 yards for a touchdown - it appeared Laveranues Coles should have knocked the ball down - for a 17-7 lead on the second play of the second quarter, Leon Washington put on some dazzling moves on a 94-yard kickoff return to give Favre the ball at the Chargers' 5.

The sting of two interception was gone. Two plays later, Favre threw a bullet to Coles in the back of the end zone to get the Jets within 17-14. They were very much in the game.

Here's where Mangini outsmarted himself. The Chargers have an explosive offense, but weren't moving up and down the field on the Jets. They only had to go 16 yards for their first TD after Quintin Jammer returned Thomas Jones' fumble 23 yards, setting up Philip Rivers 1-yard TD pass.

So what did Mangini do?

He called for an onside kick. Now Wallace Wright had the ball in his hands for the Jets after a perfect hop by kicker Jay Feely. But he could not hold on and San Diego recovered at the Jets' 44. The risk here outweighed the reward. Why take the chance of creating a short field for an explosive offense? It all went bad on Mangini when Rivers hit a wide-open Chris Chambers for a 27-yard score for a 24-14 lead. The Jets trailed by double digits the rest of the game.

Of course, the Jets did recover an onside kick with 10:30 left, but by then they were trailing 38-20 and it was much too late.

Favre had a hard time shaking free of San Diego's pressure up front. His second interception was way beyond Jerricho Cotchery and the Chargers only had to move 45 yards to turn the game into a 31-14 embarrassment at the half.

When the Jets traded for Favre, they knew what they were getting: A Hall of Fame quarterback who can make every throw, but who when things aren't going well tries to win games by himself - and bad things happen.

It's not unexpected that the Jets are 1-2 after playing the Dolphins, Patriots and Chargers. And with the softer part of their schedule coming up in the next six weeks, including games against the winless Chiefs and Rams and 1-2 Raiders, Monday night's loss should not cause them to panic.

But they better start to get it together this week against the Cardinals. This could be the one and only year they have Favre if he chooses to retire again, so they better take advantage of it.

Favre spent the final 10 seasons of his Packers career chasing a return trip to the Super Bowl and never made it back.

Things looked pretty easy for Favre early in his career. He won the Super Bowl in his fifth year in Green Bay when he beat the Patriots. He returned the following season, but the Packers, big favorites, lost to sentimental favorite John Elway right here in San Diego.

The Jets did not trade for Favre just so they can improve a few games from last season's miserable 4-12. The premise is to get deep into January and perhaps the first Sunday in February. And they have limited time to do it. Not even Favre knows how long he's sticking around.

The Jets are going for it right now. Going for the playoffs, going for a deep run in the playoffs. They have no choice after making the trade. Favre will be 39 on Oct. 10. This might be a one-year run with the Jets or he might decide to stick around for 2009. All that is certain is that unless Favre's skills deteriorate, the Jets want him back next season.

But they have to approach this season as their one and only shot with Favre.

"I like the fact that people expect a lot out of us when maybe they didn't before," Favre said before the game. "I think that's a good thing. Each individual in that locker room can look at it however they want to look at it. But I expect us to win."

It's been a struggle so far for Mangini and Brian Schottenheimer to implement the things that Favre does best. He ran one system in Green Bay for 16 years and then he and the Jets coaches had just one month to get used to each other before the season started.

It's imperative the Jets coaches take advantage of whatever time they have with Favre. There are only 16 games and the Jets can't afford any more of a transition period. Once Favre is retired for good - will that ever happen? - the Jets quarterback situation will be unsettled once again. Chad Pennington is gone and nobody knows if Kellen Clemens can play.

So they better win while they have Favre.

"You have a guy like that, you don't know how long he's going to be here," safety Kerry Rhodes said. "He's a Hall of Famer playing for you. You know if you give him the chance, he can get the job done. We know that. He's done it before. It gives you a little added incentive to go out and try to win just from that aspect."

It didn't happen for the Jets Monday night. The bad Favre showed up.

[Kentucky Jet]

Attitude adjustment does the trick for Chargers

Kevin Acee (Contact)

Monday, September 22, 2008

The Chargers' Antonio Cromartie intercepts this pass intended for Laveranues Coles and returns it for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Sean M. Haffey/Union-Tribune In the locker room minutes before "Monday Night Football" would commence on the Qualcomm Stadium turf, the Chargers' brutally criticized defensive coordinator spelled it out. He told his defense it was not carrying its weight.

Ted Cottrell had done his part to affect change during the week, and he was challenging the players under his charge to do theirs.

After two games as the collective bearers of blame, the Chargers defenders played as if their feet were on fire -- and it was Cottrell who lit the fuse -- in a 48-29 victory over the New York Jets.

"To make this step and that improvement from the last two games ..." strong safety Clinton Hart said. "Ted and the coaches did a great job allowing us to get the pressure we need. ... We're sending guys left and right, you see what happens."

Blitzing more often and from more places, the Chargers terrorized Jets quarterback Brett Favre into a night not nearly as good as his 92.5 passer rating suggested. Favre was on his heels, throwing two picks in the first half that -- no matter how pretty a play Antonio Cromartie made on his interception and 52-yard return for a touchdown -- were the result of his being pressured.

The Chargers even blitzed in the final two minutes of the first half as the Jets were driving, trying to pull to within 10 points. Instead, a Shaun Phillips sack on third down took the Jets even out of field goal range.

"That's how we should be playing," Phillips said.

It got a little sloppy at the end, but by that point the game had degenerated into weirdness, the Chargers' kickoff coverage taking over for the defense in the role of Swiss cheese.

Fortunately for the Chargers, it didn't matter. They had executed a long-awaited play-with-abandon defense because they were playing with a lead -- taking their first first-quarter edge of the season and then running away by halftime.

Having yielded an unheard of 610 first-half yards coming in, they allowed the Jets 84 before halftime last night, and led 31-14.

"I was not happy with that win," Jammer said, angered by the late slackness. "But we played a lot better than we've been playing recently.

What's most important is we came out and played the first half like we should have played."

They really played almost the whole game like that.

In man coverage much more than in recent memory, the Chargers cornerbacks were almost without flaw.

"I enjoy lining up and playing man," Jammer said.

Cromartie let one sure interception clang off his hands, but on his next opportunity made the kind of pick the NFL grew accustomed to seeing in 2007, when he led the league with 10.

Just as Phillips getting in Favre's face up the middle forced the just-off throw that Cromartie snagged, free safety Eric Weddle picked off an overthrow affected by pressure.

A defense that in 2007 made its living simply stopping touchdowns, no matter how many yards it gave up, did just that Monday night.

On the strength of three turnovers, the Chargers defense hardly allowed a touchdown.

It all worked together, the coverage and pass rush, just as Cottrell said it would, even if he has been cagey about his previously passive approach.

But to understand Cottrell's genius last night, however, one could have simply watched the linebackers.

Derek Smith was moving constantly on the inside, showing one look, then another. He and Matt Wilhelm blitzed routinely, which also made them more aggressive throughout.

"The extra day during the week helped to master those blitzes," said Wilhelm, better by far than he had been all season.

On the outside, Phillips was either blitzing or threatening to blitz seemingly all night. And Jyles Tucker, for now and perhaps someday the team's replacement for Shawne Merriman, had two sacks.

Perhaps there was no better illustration of the difference in this defense than in the fact Hart blitzed two times on the Jets' first drive and at least another time or two before halftime.

Then the Jets caught on. But even that was a victory, a sign of change.

Said Hart: "You need to make them adjust to you."

[Kentucky Jet]

BATTERED BY BOLTS, JETS QB LOOKS HIS AGE

September 23, 2008

SAN DIEGO - Brett Favre has had a lot of magical memories on Monday Night Football.

Last night, Favre's 24th appearance on the iconic NFL showcase, was not one of them.

The 38-year-old Jet quarterback looked his age in last night's 48-29 Chargers shellacking of the JetsNew York Jets at Qualcomm Stadium.

Actually, in throwing two first-half interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, Favre might have looked a bit older than 38 - particularly as he limped through the locker room with sore left ankle he injured in the second half.

Based on how gingerly he was moving around after the game, Favre, who's started a record 256 regular-season games, had the look of a player who's going to be hurting for a few days.

"I rolled my ankle early in the third quarter," Favre said. "I'm sure it'll feel terrible tonight. But we just did some X-rays on it and I think they're OK."

Favre (30-42, 271 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) credited the Chargers' defense with showing some new looks.

"There are no excuses from my end," Favre said. "I made numerous, numerous mistakes. Made some plays but made too many mistakes."

In his defense, however, Favre didn't get a lot of help from his supporting cast, which was abysmal in too many areas with three first-half turnovers.

In addition to Favre's two INTs was a fumble by RB Thomas JonesThomas Jones in the first half that led to a Chargers' TD.

So, after the feel-good Summer of Brett and the opening-week victory in Miami, the Jets have hit their first mini-crisis.

They sit uncomfortably at 1-2, already two games behind the 3-0 Bills in the AFC East, and they have the improved 2-1 Cardinals coming to Giants Stadium on Sunday in what truly is a must-win.

Should they stagger into the bye week at 1-3, the Jets would be putting their playoff hopes in early peril.

It all started so well for the Jets, who were given an early gift by Charger QB Phillip Rivers when he was picked off by David BarrettDavid Barrett , who returned it 25 yards for a TD and a quick 7-0 Jets' lead.

As quickly as the Jets struck, though, the Chargers unleashed a series of counterpunches and turned the game ugly.

The Chargers (1-2) answered the Barrett pick with a 36-yard Nate Kaeding FG to cut it to 7-3 on their next possession.

Then Jones, who contended after the game that he thought he was down on the play despite no whistle being blown, was stripped by Chargers' LB Tim Dobbins.

Five plays later, Rivers connected with FB Mike Tolbert on a 1-yard scoring pass to give the Chargers a 10-7 lead.

The Jets' next possession ended when Favre was picked off by Antonio Cromartie, who returned it 52 yards for a 17-7 lead just 12 seconds into the second.

Seconds later, Washington returned the kickoff 94 yards to the San Diego five-yard line, leading to a three-yard Favre scoring pass to Laveranues Coles to cut the San Diego lead to 17-14.

The next play was a risky onsides kickoff attempt by the Jets that failed when Wallace Wright couldn't handle the ball and it bounced right into the arms of San Diego's Marques Harris.

That gave the potent Chargers' offense the ball at the Jets' 40.

From there, they made short work of the short field and the sagging Jet defense, taking a 24-14 lead on a 27-yard Rivers scoring pass to Chris Chambers with 11:17 still remaining in the first half.

On the play, the nearest Jet CB appeared to be somewhere in Tijuana. Want more?

Favre, on the Jets' next possession, threw a pass about 10 yards over Jerricho Cotchery's reach and into the arms of Chargers' S Eric Weddle.

That - the Jets' third turnover of the half - led to a six-yard Rivers scoring pass to Gates, who beat rookie CB Dwight Lowery for a 31-14 lead.

That capped a mercurial 31-7 scoring run by the Chargers that made that Barrett INT return for a TD seem like it took place sometime last week.

"I stressed to the team that you can't play this way, with turnovers and the self-inflicted wounds, and expect to win games - especially on the road," coach Eric Mangini said.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

Chargers 48 Jets 29

[Kentucky Jet]

SAN DIEGO - The night started out pretty well defensively for the JetsNew York Jets , who weren't giving Chargers prolific running back LaDainian Tomlinson anything.

Then the Jets lost starting nose tackle Kris Jenkins for the rest of the game to what was described by the team as a back injury, and the Chargers' offense had its way on the ground during the rest of their 48-29 victory.

The degree of Jenkins' injury was not announced by the Jets, but his absence gave stark evidence as to how important he is to the defense.

*

[Kentucky Jet]

BRETT'S LOW POINT? TAKE YOUR 'PICK'

September 23, 2008

HE was brought here amidst Empire State-sized fanfare, the Win Now quarterback joining the Win Now team.

He was brought here to learn a new offense, learn about his new teammates, and get the JetsNew York Jets to the playoffs, no questions asked.

Today there are plenty of questions to ask about Brett Favre's Jets.

On this Tuesday "mourning," the first and foremost is this: Will this season be remembered as "Regret Favre?"

Because right now, Favre looks like he needs months before he gets comfortable when he doesn't even have weeks.

The Jets, 48-29 losers last night to the Chargers, are 1-2 and Favre's offense is a helter-skelter operation sabotaged by an alarming lack of communication between him and his receivers, and a troubling disconnect between him and his coaches.

Favre was intercepted twice and was lucky he didn't get picked a third time.

It was a night to 4-get.

For the running game; for the defense, which couldn't muster any pass rush or slow LaDainian Tomlinson enough when nose tackle Kris Jenkins (back) left for a stretch; for coach Eric Mangini; but mostly for Favre.

"There's no excuses from my end tonight to say that I'm still learning the offense," Favre said.

New York was spoiling for a shootout, but, alas, the old gunslinger wasn't quick enough on the draw against Philip Rivers, the young gunslinger who idolized him growing up.

When it was over, a battered Favre (30-42, 271 yards, three TDs, two interceptions) limped to the visiting locker room.

"Rolled my

ankle up, so I probably looked like I [had] been shot in the leg, or something," Favre said.

When did that happen?

"Early third quarter," Favre said. "We just did some X-rays and I think they're OK. . . . aside from old ankles."

The Chargers wouldn't let Favre throw deep and yet the graybeard quarterback couldn't even take what they gave him until garbage time, when he found Chansi Stuckey with a 4-yard TD pass and Dustin Keller with a 13-yarder.

"They did some things that disrupted us a little bit protection-wise," Favre said.

A third-quarter drive ended on fourth-and-4 from the Charger 9 when Clinton Hart dropped an interception in the end zone on a pass underneath Keller.

"He may have ran a little deeper than I thought. . . . We gotta get on the same page," Favre said. "I made numerous, numerous mistakes."

Favre, up 7-3 thanks to a 25-yard interception return by David BarrettDavid Barrett , watched Thomas JonesThomas Jones zig down the sideline when Favre thought he would zag. It would have been a pick-six but Antonio Cromartie dropped the pass.

Favre, second-and-11 at midfield, threw off-balance with pressure in his face for Laveranues Coles in the left flat, and watched in horror as Cromartie leaped over Coles' back, tipped the ball to himself, and raced 52 yards to make it 17-7 in the opening seconds of the second quarter.

How ironic that Favre soon found himself set up first-and-goal at the 4 following an electric 94-yard kickoff return by explosive Leon Washington. This time, on second down, there was Favre in the shotgun. Hallelujah! He promptly found Coles with a 3-yard TD pass.

Down only 17-14, Mangini inexplicably transformed from the football Reagan to the football Obama. He called an onside kick. "Felt really good about it being successful," Mangini said. It wasn't. Rivers soon found Chris Chambers wide open over the middle with a 27-yard TD strike to make it 24-14.

Favre, from the shotgun on third-and-9 at his 30, looked right for Jerricho Cotchery (10-76). Cotchery went inside. Favre's throw went high and outside. Eric Weddle made a diving interception.

"That one falls on me," Favre said. "That was a bad play on my part."

A night to 4-get.

steve.serby@nypost.com