"Those are the people that hold me in their hearts,'' he said, "and I try to give them the ball as a token of my appreciation.''

He kept the second touchdown ball — a 34-yard strike down the left sideline — after jumping into an excited Favre's arms.

"I can tell my kids that I caught a touchdown from Brett Favre,'' Coles said. "My granddaddy tells me stories about himself all the time and I don't believe any of it, probably because he doesn't have anything to show for it. But when you actually have footballs, you can say, 'Look, this is what I really did.'''

Coles' third TD catch came from 2 yards, and he celebrated by giving the ball to the man who threw it to him.

"Not too many times in my career has someone given me the ball,'' Favre said after the game. "He said, 'I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I already have two today. This one is for you.' I'll keep it. I'll put it up in my trophy case.''

It was just one huge game for Favre and Coles, but the two are excited by the possibilities.

"When I say that this team has a lot of potential, I really believe it,'' Favre said. "The question is, can the chemistry come together pretty quickly? I think you're seeing flashes of it.''

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