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Surprising Jets visit Packers

Nov 28, 2006 - 11:19 PM NY Jets (6-5) at Green Bay (4-7) Sunday 1:00 pm EST

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- The New York Jets are a playoff contender under rookie coach Eric Mangini. The Green Bay Packers have not proved to be one under their first-year coach Mike McCarthy.

The teams meet in an interconference contest on Sunday.

The Jets are two games behind the first-place New England Patriots in the AFC East, but just one game behind wild-card leaders Denver and Kansas City.

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Jets with two rookie starters - tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and center Nick Mangold - on the offensive line and a makeshift trio of running backs - Kevan Barlow, Cedric Houston and rookie Leon Washington.

But the Jets do not play a team that currently has a winning record in their last five games, starting with Sunday's contest at Lambeau Field, where the Packers are just 1-4 this season.

Green Bay is also in rebuilding mode with two rookies on the offensive line - guards Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz - and two rookies starting at linebacker - A.J. Hawk and Abdul Hodge.

But with three-time MVP Brett Favre at quarterback, the Packers would have liked to make a playoff run this season.

On a snowy Monday night in Seattle, Favre was intercepted three times and the Packers yielded 201 rushing yards to Shaun Alexander in a 34-24 loss to the Seahawks.

Favre has 410 touchdown passes, 10 behind all-time leader Dan Marino.

New York's Chad Pennington won his only previous duel with Favre, passing for four touchdowns in a 42-17 rout of the Packers in December 2002.

Pennington has undergone shoulder surgery each of the last two seasons, but has not missed a game this year.

Last week, Pennington completed 24-of-31 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown in a 26-11 win over Houston.

Laveranues Coles had nine catches for 111 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, and Jerricho Cotchery caught seven passes for 110 yards. They will match up against Packer cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris.

The Jets have been unable to run the ball effectively over the last four games, rushing for a total of 340 yards on 112 carries. Last week, they were held to 27 yards on 26 carries in the win over Houston.