I don't know if Favre makes the Jets a playoff team. We've seen countless teams spend, spend, spend, then spend some more and go nowhere - in fact, it happens more often then not. Their defense is still shaky, their receivers are questionable, and Jones has a bit to prove at RB.

Will Favre make the Jets more exciting to watch? Definitely. Will he make them great? No.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Brett Favre got a standing ovation from an overflow crowd that went to great lengths to get a good look at the New York Jets' newest quarterback Saturday. He was cheered again when he completed his first pass of practice.

Those delirious fans won't have to wait long to see him in action against another team.

Jets coach Eric Mangini said Favre will start next Saturday against the Redskins in the team's preseason home opener. If Favre's first practice was any indication, get ready for a frenzied atmosphere for a largely meaningless game.

At a facility accustomed to drawing less than 1,500 fans for practice, more than 7,000 packed the club's venue in Long Island to catch a glimpse of the iconic QB in his first appearance on a field with New York.

Favre was acquired from Green Bay late Wednesday night, sending a jolt through the franchise and the rest of the NFL.

Favre sounded ready to move past the hype and get back to work on the field.

"The pressure is just building," he said Friday. "The attention I've gotten since I've been here has been overwhelming. The bottom line, as we all know, is to win games. That's what I'm here to do."

The Jets sent a conditional draft pick to the Packers for Favre, who joined his new team on the sidelines during a 24-20 preseason-opening victory at Cleveland on Thursday night.

"Time will tell, but I don't want to say be patient," Favre said during a City Hall news conference with the mayor. "I have to get a lot done in a short amount of time. They wouldn't have signed me if they didn't think I could do that."

Favre closed a summer of discontent and opened a new chapter in his storied career by joining the Jets, who outbid the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's also coming off one of his most productive seasons, passing for 4,155 yards, his most since 1998, with 28 TDs and 15 interceptions.