Mike Celizic

All great passing days are not created equal. That truth was in ample evidence Sunday. Five quarterbacks threw for 300 or more yards. Four of them lost their games.

Meanwhile, the old gunslinger whom the Jets hired to revive their flagging fortunes put up six touchdowns. The six scores were a record for Brett Favre and tied the franchise record set by a fellow named Joe Namath. Yet he didn’t top 300 yards.

Jets fans don’t care how many yards Favre threw for. (It was 289.) For that matter, Cardinals fans don’t care that Kurt Warner led all passers Sunday with a career-high 472 yards, and Denver fans are no more comforted by the 361 yards Jay Cutler put up than Cowboys fans are celebrating Tony Romo’s 300-yard passing day.

The only player with more than 300 yards and a win was the Saints’ Drew Brees, who put up 363 yards on 23 completions in 35 attempts. He had one interception but also threw for three touchdowns. In the process, Brees continued to add to the evidence that he is one of a handful of quarterbacks who deserve to be called elite.

Meanwhile, in addition to Romo, Cutler and Warner, two other celebrated quarterbacks also lost. One was the veteran Donovan McNabb, whose Eagles were crushed by the Bears' great defense and the questionable goal-line play calling of the Philadelphia coaching staff. The other was Favre’s replacement in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, who also injured his shoulder. If Rodgers’ injury is serious, it could be over for the Pack.

But if Sunday showed anything, it’s that there’s more to a great passing day than your yardage total. You also have to have balance in your offense, and, most important, you have to take care of the ball.

The Jets-Cardinals game was a perfect example. Favre had a personal record for touchdowns and Warner one for yards. But Favre turned it over just once and Warner lost it six times — three on fumbles and three on interceptions. Add in the mere 42 yards that the Cardinals gained on the ground and they didn’t have a chance.

Video   FNIA Roundtable: Week 4 The crew discusses Terrell Owens' complaints after the Cowboys' first loss of the season. NBC Sports

Fans want to see big-name quarterbacks air it out. In New York, fans had been begging coach Eric Mangini to take the leash off Favre and let him do what he does — drop back and drill it. The fans had a point. In the Jets’ first three games, Mangini sometimes seemed to forget that he had a hall-of-famer calling signals. Instead of letting Favre take command, Mangini and his offensive brain trust kept handing the ball to running back Thomas Jones for two- and three-yard gains. It wasn’t a winning strategy.

After one win in two games, the Jets adjusted their approach. They still ran the ball 26 times against the Cardinals, gaining a modest but important 89 yards. But they also let Favre throw 34 times. One of those throws ended up in the arms of a Cardinal. Six ended up in as Jets scores in a 56-35 win.

It was the first time in a season that is still young that Favre was allowed to be Favre. But before Jets fans get too giddy, the game story was as much Warner’s six turnovers are Favre’s six scores. Thanks to Warner’s charity, the Jets started seven of 12 drives on Arizona’s side of the field, including two inside the Arizona 20 and another inside the 30.

Romo’s 300-yard day in a 26-24 loss to Washington is another case in point. Romo threw 47 times to get that number, and anytime you throw it up that often, you’re probably in trouble. The Cowboys thrive on a balanced offense, but they got caught up in a passing mentality and ran just 11 times for 44 yards. The final factor was Romo’s one interception, which was one more turnover than the Redskins committed.

Then there’s Cutler, the man who hadn’t thrown an interception as the Broncos won their first three games. When winless Kansas City jumped out to a lead, Denver got pass-happy. Cutler would up with 49 pass attempts — way too many. Two were intercepted and the Broncos also lost two fumbles — one by Cutler.

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