Franks, Favre reunited with Jets

Franks, Favre reunited with Jets

The Associated Press
Tuesday, August 12, 2008

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.: Bubba Franks used to be one of Brett Favre's go-to guys in Green Bay.

Reunited with the New York Jets, the big tight end is reassuming that role.

"I'm here when he needs me," said Franks, who played with Favre for eight seasons with the Packers. "Our lockers are right next to each other. I'm here if he needs me. If he has any questions, he knows who to ask."

Favre called on Franks often when the two were in Green Bay, connecting 29 times for touchdowns.

"He's been the only guy who's ever thrown the ball to me for eight years," Franks said, "so go ahead and make it a ninth."

Franks signed with the Jets in March, so he has had lots of time to get familiar with his new surroundings. Favre, acquired from the Packers last Wednesday, is getting a crash course in life after Green Bay. The iconic quarterback might have recognized cornerback Ahmad Carroll, a former Packers first-rounder, and wide receiver David Clowney, a fifth-round pick by Green Bay last year, but it's Franks who gives Favre someone to lean on.

"My main job is to keep his smile on, keep him happy," Franks said. "Every now and then, you can come to a situation like this and lose your focus. Brett's handling it well. He's starting to have fun out there."

And, it's showing.

Through three days and four practices with the Jets, Favre has shown little signs of rust on his rocket right arm. He hit Jerricho Cotchery on a smooth 35-yard toss down the right sideline Sunday, and later that day, tossed a pretty spiral that hit Cotchery in stride down the left sideline for 75 yards, about 65 yards in the air.

On Monday, Favre connected with Laveranues Coles while running the 2-minute offense, hitting the receiver for 31 yards on a timing pattern in the end zone.

"I think the main thing is he finally understands the offense," Franks said. "He's only been here three days and guys are starting to realize why he's Brett Favre. He's done some good things in three days. I told them to just wait until he gets comfortable. Then they'll see."

The Jets received a break from practice Tuesday, and Favre was given two days off from speaking with the media after a whirlwind first few days after joining the Jets.

"He's just getting comfortable," Franks said. "He's starting to play around with the defense a little bit. Everyone wants to pick off Brett's ball. Now he's giving them a couple of different looks. There's a pump fake, sometimes there's two, and then he goes deep on them. Not many people realize how quick his release is and it's starting to show. The guy can still play football."

Franks is trying to prove the same of himself after a couple of subpar seasons. The 6-foot-6 tight end was a first-round pick in 2000 and quickly became a favorite target for Favre. Franks caught a career-high nine touchdown passes in his second season and earned the first of three straight Pro Bowl berths while establishing himself as one of the league's top red-zone threats.

He played in only 10 games in 2005 because of knee and neck injuries, had 25 catches the following season and was benched in favor of Donald Lee last year after injuries and inconsistency limited him to 18 catches in eight games.

"When you've been in only one system from college, then you come to a new system, it's a new system, it's new people, new coaches, everything is different," coach Eric Mangini said during minicamp. "He's been very good at studying. He's been very good at setting an example of how to work at practice."

Franks refused to get caught up in the speculation in the days leading up to the Jets' trade for Favre, but was thrilled when he heard it was a done deal.

"I'm one of those guys: I believe it when I see it," he said. "Now I believe it."

The two spoke shortly after they became teammates again.

"We were talking more about how it used to be in Green Bay," Franks said, "and how it would be a different adjustment for him, coming from a small town — Green Bay to the city New York. It's quite a change."

Franks won't have to make too many changes on the field this season. He knows exactly what to expect from his quarterback, and has warned his new teammates about Favre's arm strength and knack for improvising.

"It's just a matter of getting him comfortable with the offense, getting chemistry with the rest of the players," Franks said. "I've played with Brett for eight years, so it's not like our chemistry is going to change. It's a matter of him getting comfortable with the rest of the team. He's starting to get there, little by little."

http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=15219067

 

Newsday.com
For Favre, everyone's a target, so keep moving
BY ERIK BOLAND

erik.boland@newsday.com

August 12, 2008

Getting accustomed to the velocity of Brett Favre's passes is something the Jets' receivers are working on. But rookie tight end Dustin Keller said there's more involved in getting used to Favre than merely adjusting to ball speed.

"I've never played with a quarterback who has a no-look pass in his repertoire," Keller said.

That takes some explaining, although receivers who have played with Favre know exactly what Keller means.

"There is no such thing as a decoy route, not as long as you have Brett back there," said tight end Bubba Franks, who played the last eight seasons in Green Bay before signing as a free agent with the Jets. "I tell the guys, even when you're covered, you're not really covered. If you have two hands, two arms, you're not covered. He's going to hit one of them. As long as you can see him, he can see you."

In other words, never give up on a route. Receivers said they noticed how quickly Favre runs through his progressions before picking a target, sometimes coming back to his original read. Coach Eric Mangini called Favre a "full-field quarterback" and said receivers and defensive backs always have to be ready.

"Some guys will drop back, and they look one direction, and the other half of the field you can pretty much write off," Mangini said. "They're not going to come back to that side. With Brett, everybody has to play at all times. You just don't know when suddenly your number is going to be called. If you weren't anticipating it, you can end up with a Wilson between the facemask, or if it's a defensive back, it can be a 70-yard completion."

Favre threw one of those, a 75-yard touchdown to Jerricho Cotchery, on Sunday. There were a few highlights yesterday, such as a 31-yard scoring toss to Laveranues Coles that cornerback Justin Miller seemed to lose in the air, but also Favre's first pick as a Jet in an 11-on-11 drill. Kerry Rhodes intercepted a deep sideline pass intended for David Clowney by swooping in from the middle of the field and making a one-handed grab with his right hand.

"I made him think I was a post safety," Rhodes said. "He threw it and I was just able to get back and get a nice jump on it."

Cornerback Darrelle Revis earned two interference penalties, climbing on Coles and Brad Smith when they were in the path of Favre darts. Revis, of course, disputed the penalties on the field but said afterward that competing against Favre is unique.

"I don't know how he slings the ball like he does," Revis said. "I'm just happy to have him as a teammate."

Notes & quotes: Coles still has not talked publicly since Chad Pennington, one of his closest friends on the team, was released. "I spoke to Laveranues right after we made the decision that we made," Mangini said. "We have good, honest conversations. Laveranues and Chad were good friends. Each situation takes different people different amounts of time to work through. It's not a function of any sort of feeling toward Brett. He's been great in meetings and practices. There has been no real change with any of that stuff." ... WR Marcus Henry, who was sidelined the past week with a leg injury, started the afternoon back on the field but finished practice on an exercise bike. Still out: Shaun Ellis (hand) and Jason Trusnik (foot). Cotchery did not practice, but that was a reward for some of his offseason work ... A crowd of about 4,000 watched. Both practices today, at 8:45 a.m. and 5:45 p.m., are closed to the public.

Copyright ? 2008, Newsday Inc.


http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/ny-spjets125797786aug12,0,3186052.story

 

Jets receivers adjusting to rifle-armed Favre
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. ? 20 hours ago

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) ? Brett Favre's impact is already being felt by his new receivers' stinging hands. "Whatever route you have, you better run it hard because the ball could be coming," wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said Monday.

"If you're not looking, you may get hit in the head."

That hasn't happened yet, but Favre's new Jets teammates are doing all they can to get used to the high-speed throws from their rifle-armed quarterback.

"Not many people realize how quick his release is," tight end Bubba Franks said. "It's starting to show, the guy can still play football."

Cotchery is doing extra hand-strengthening exercises. Chris Baker and Dustin Keller are spending time after practice catching close-range passes from the JUGS machine, learning that they always need to be ready.

"As soon as you come out of your break, the ball's right here," Keller said. "You just have to have your hands up real quick."

The Jets haven't had a starting quarterback who could throw the ball like Favre perhaps since Vinny Testaverde was in his prime in the late-1990s. Chad Pennington was always praised for having terrific leadership skills, but was knocked for his weak arm and inability to spread the ball down the field consistently.

"When you have a guy who can pressure the defense in many ways, you know every route's available on the field," Cotchery said. "There's no clear out routes."

Backup Kellen Clemens, who started eight games last season, has an impressive arm. Favre, though, is simply on another level.

"I wouldn't only say it's just how fast the ball is coming," said Keller, a rookie tight end. "He's not going to wait for your eye contact. He expects you to be ready for the ball."

Favre, acquired late last Wednesday from Green Bay, has long been regarded as one of the game's true gunslingers. Even at 38 and only four practices into a new career with the Jets, the NFL's career leader in several passing categories has flashed the skills that have made him special.

"There's no such thing as a decoy route, not as long as you have Brett back there," said Franks, who played with Favre for eight years in Green Bay. "Like I tell the guys, even when you're covered, you're not really covered. If you have two hands and two arms, you're not covered because he's going to hit one of them, so just find a way. As long as you can see him, he can see you."

Favre, given a second straight day off from speaking with the media, has wowed the large crowds packing Hofstra University to catch a glimpse of their new quarterback with a few classic throws.

There was the pretty 35-yarder down the right sideline to Cotchery on Sunday, and later, a flawless spiral that hit Cotchery in stride down the left sideline for 75 yards, about 65 yards in the air. On Monday, Favre connected with Laveranues Coles while running the 2-minute offense, hitting the receiver for 31 yards on a timing pattern into the left corner of the end zone.

"He just threw it up in the air and let him get it, and you're like, 'Wow. He put it right where it needed to be,'" Keller said. "Laveranues could've closed his eyes and it was right there in his hands."

Some of the Jets players admit to being slightly awed by Favre's presence. That's certainly understandable. After all, Keller was only 6 when Favre began his career.

"Just growing up and watching him play and now him actually being my quarterback, I'd be lying to you if I told you it wasn't way different," Keller said. "I didn't ever think it was going to be like that, but I'm getting used to it every day."

Favre is coming off one of his most productive seasons, passing for 4,155 yards, his most since 1998, and had 28 TDs with 15 interceptions. While some rust remains, the zip is still there and so is the improvisation. All that adds up to a bit of adjusting for those on the other end of Favre's passes.

"I've never played with a quarterback who's had a no-look pass in their repertoire," Keller said after a few minutes of standing in front of a JUGS machine and catching footballs. "You would think it's a lot harder to catch because it's coming so fast, but his spiral is so tight that it's actually a lot easier to catch."

Favre immediately makes the Jets a potentially dangerous vertical offense, capable of getting into scoring shootouts with any team. That means good news for the entire receiving corps.

"He does like to spread the ball around a lot," Baker said. "He gets the ball to the tight ends a lot. I spoke to Bubba and he said 'Be ready.' He's right because at any time the ball can be coming your way. It makes it a little more fun because you get out there and you're running routes and you know you're a live option on every play."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iix6Qpw_Bqkdzf7cZOYNDF9bLmMwD92GCP9G0

 

Well Franks has had some injuries, but he's caught more passes in the endzone than I realized, 29. It was always just out of nowhere, but then you'd grin - Franks again. He rarely, if ever let Favre down either. If the ball was coming Franks' way, he'd catch it.

This should be a really interesting year. From the articles above, the team seems really jazzed, and that's a lot.

 

I can't STAND college football. I live in Alabama, and that's all they live for.

But I can tell you where Favre went, cause I went there too.

 

Is this a quiz? Are you making sure I'm worthy of your attention? Well, let me answer that - I'm not.

 

Thank you. Some men get weird about or threatened by women interested in football. I'm certain I could learn a heck of a lot from all of you, but I did grow up with 4 brothers, and Dad who played college ball at the Univ. of Wisconsin. Rooting for the Jets suddently got very easy when I saw how wonderfully the Jets and Jets fans treated Favre, and most here have been very welcoming as well.