Favre guides Jets to win at Dolphins on debut

By Simon Evans

MIAMI (Reuters) - Record-breaking quarterback Brett Favre threw for two touchdowns on his debut for the New York Jets on Sunday as he guided them to a 20-14 win at the Miami Dolphins.

Nine-times Pro Bowler Favre, who holds a host of NFL records, retired at the end of last term, after 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, but changed his mind and - after a tricky and prolonged split with the Packers - came back at the age of 38 for a new challenge with the Jets.

Favre made the perfect start to life with the Jets when he threw a 56-yard touchdown to Jerricho Cotchery in the ninth minute of the first quarter.

After the Dolphins had fought back to level through an Anthony Fasano touchdown, Favre showed his class again as he threw 22 yards to Chansi Stuckey inside the end-zone, producing the touchdown pass just as two Dolphins closed in to sack him.

From then on, it was a gritty display from the Jets against a new-look Dolphins team playing their first regular season game since two-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Parcells took over football operations and appointed Tony Sparano as coach.

The Jets survived some late scares after David Martin had collected on an 11-yard pass from Chad Pennington, the new Miami quarterback making his debut after moving from the Jets in the wake of Favre's arrival.

"It was ugly at times but a win is a win," Favre told reporters. "We made some mistakes that were a result of the new-ness," he added.

Favre, who passed for 194 yards, celebrated his touchdowns with real enthusiasm but said there had not been any particular emotion in pulling on a new jersey after so long as a Packer.

"I didn't dwell on it too much. At one point I looked up at the scoreboard and saw that it said Vikings-Packers playing Monday and I didn't think, 'I should be there'," he said.

"I had a great career in Green Bay but it is over now and I'm proud to be a Jet," added Favre.

"I know I made the right decision. There are no guarantees for the rest of the season but we are one and zero and I am excited about the opportunities here," he said.

Pennington made a shaky start to his debut, completing just one of his first seven passes resulting in jeers by the crowd but he recovered to end with 251 yards.

(Editing by Miles Evans)