Favre far from only reason for Jets’ success

SANTA CLARA — Receiver Laveranues Coles has grown tired of the questions.

After all, he says his role in the New York Jets’ offense has changed dramatically from previous seasons. As he sees it, he is no longer the main man of the offense.

“Now, we’re in a quarterback-driven offense where he is pretty much in control of everything,” said Coles, who is second on the Jets in receiving behind Jerricho Cotchery with 55 receptions for 615 yards and six touchdowns.

He, of course, is Brett Favre.

Favre declined to take part in the conference call Wednesday with the reporters who cover the 49ers. The Jets travel to face the 49ers at Candlestick Park on Sunday.

Coles was the No. 2 option. The first question during the call was predictably about Favre. The erstwhile Green Bay Packers leader walked past where Coles was stationed in the Jets locker room conducting the phone call. Coles called out to Favre, asking for his guess as to the subject matter of the first question lobbed Coles’ way.

“What’s it like to play with Brett Favre?” Favre could be heard saying in the background.

Not exactly, but it was not too far off the mark, either.

The perception around the league is Favre has made it possible for the Jets to go from a 4-12 record a year ago to 8-4 and leading the AFC East. That is certainly the way 49ers veteran linebacker Takeo Spikes sees it.

“Up to this point, everything they’ve accomplished is because of him being there with the Jets,” Spikes said. “His presence alone makes the team better.”

But Coles takes exception with that assessment. He said he blames fans and media for proliferating the myth that Favre — and Favre alone — is the reason the Jets have become a Super Bowl contender.

“That’s why people are people, and they’re not playing football,” Coles said. “They mostly just write about it and talk about it. But if you understand the game, you understand that it’s more than just Brett Favre when dealing with this ballclub.”

Coles has a point. After all, Favre is just one of several key players the Jets added in the offseason:

Left guard Alan Faneca, considered one of the top players at his position, signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Jets in the offseason after he played 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Right tackle Damien Woody, who won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, signed a five-year, $25 million contract.

Rookie tight end Dustin Keller, a first-round draft pick, is third on the Jets with 40 receptions for 460 yards and three touchdowns.

Fullback Tony Richardson, a 14-year veteran, has provided the lead-blocking for Thomas Jones, who leads the Jets with 1,088 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns. Richardson signed a one-year deal with the Jets in the offseason.

Nose tackle Kris Jenkins (6-foot-4, 349 pounds) was acquired from the Carolina Panthers for third- and fifth-round picks in the draft. Jenkins is having an outstanding season controlling the center of the Jets’ defense.

Outside linebacker Calvin Pace, signed as a free agent from the Arizona Cardinals, is fifth on the team with 47 tackles and is second with five quarterback sacks.

Jets coach Eric Mangini said he has tried to instill a mentality that what happened in the past has no significance on the present. The Jets put no limitations on their improvement this season after being one of the worst teams in the NFL a year ago.

“You see so many examples in the NFL of it every year with the teams that were down are up, or the teams that were up are down,” Mangini said. “It’s just history once the game’s in the book — once the season is in the book.”

For more on the 49ers, go to Instant 49ers at http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers. You can reach Staff Writer Matt Maiocco at 521-5492 or matt.maiocco@pressdemocrat.com.