Mike Celizic

That was no gunslinger wearing No. 4 for the New York Jets. That was a surgeon.

On Thursday night in New England, in the biggest game the Jets have played in a long time, quarterback Brett Favre justified the blizzard of hype, hope and headlines he generated when he came to the Jets during training camp. He also justified to himself his decision not to revoke his retirement after the 2007 season.

“This is what I came back for,” he said after driving his team down the field on the first possession of overtime for the 34-yard field goal by Jay Feely that ran the Jets' record to 7-3 and gave them the AFC East lead.

Thursday night in New England is why the Jets got Favre. It is also the first time this year we can start to think about the Jets as one of the league's better teams. And if they can beat the Tennessee Titans in 10 days, we can start thinking about an Exit 16W Super Bowl.

This was a game worthy of what was at stake. If it had taken place in the playoffs, we'd be talking about it forever. It was the Patriots, who have dominated the division and the game for years, against the Jets, who have authored more heartbreak for their fans than any team in sports this side of Wrigley Field. It was Favre, the 39-year-old legend, against Matt Cassel, the 26-year-old career backup who, before Tom Brady went down in the season's first game, hadn’t started a game since high school.

It was not a mismatch. The kid and the Pats fell behind 24-6 before coming back to tie it at 24. Favre consumed half the fourth quarter putting the Jets ahead 31-24 with three minutes to go. Cassel tied it with a brilliant drive in the final minute that ended with a great throw on the run and a brilliant catch by Randy Moss in the end zone with a scant second to spare.

Cassel finished with 400 passing yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Favre had 258 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. But this wasn’t about yards. In the NFL, it never is. It was about winning the game.

That’s what was most impressive about Favre. The gunslinger threw just one pass that went for more than 20 yards, and that was a 46-yarder to Jericho Cotchery that could just as easily have been intercepted. For the rest of the game, he took every underneath throw the Patriots gave him, picking apart the defense with Joe Montana-like efficiency.

When you think of Favre, you think of the big throws downfield. That's what he has built his legend on. It's why fans get excited just at the mention of his name.

But that Favre was also the guy who threw the big interceptions at the worst times. The guy who spent Thursday night throwing little passes underneath and finding seams in the coverage may not have been as exciting, but he was a lot more dangerous. This was a Favre who would win the big game and not throw it away.

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One throw was bigger than any of the others. Starting from their own 20 after winning the coin toss and the ball to start overtime, Favre took a sack for a 5-yard loss, then threw an incompletion. The Jets could not afford to punt, not with Cassel hitting every big throw he faced and the Jets defense utterly gassed. Thanks to Favre, they didn't have to.

He looked as cool as a career diplomat on a social call, but, he told reporters afterward, "I was nervous as heck." Facing third-and-15, "I'm thinking, my god, why can't we make this easier? Believe me, there was no one more nervous in the building than me."

He had the presence of mind to glance at the Pats sideline, where coach Bill Belichick was waving his defensive back to protect against a deep throw. So he told his receivers to break straight downfield and he hit rookie tight end — and Favre’s new best friend — Dustin Keller with about a 10-yarder that Keller took the rest of the way past the first-down sticks.

Keller had a big game — eight catches, most of them in critical situations. Leon Washington, the Jets' returner and situation back, was equally huge. In the first quarter, he gave the Jets great field position to start two drives. In the second, he took a kick back 92 yards for a touchdown without anyone laying so much as a fingernail on him.

Thomas Jones also had a big game — more than 100 yards rushing. So it wasn’t just Favre, Favre and Favre for the Jets. It was a team effort.

In the past, though, the Jets have found ways to lose these games. So in explaining why they won, there’s no alternative but to look to Favre. He came in the gunslinger. He left the Surgeon General.

For the Jets — the first-place Jets.

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