ESPN NFL

Updated: August 6, 2009, 5:20 PM ET

Favre getting more efficient

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By Ron Jaworski
ESPN.com
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I've noticed that during the past two weeks that the Jets' offense has been very conservative in the passing game. In the past two games, it has 54 passes under 10 yards. And what I mean, exactly, is that the ball travelled less than 10 yards in the air from the line of scrimmage. Brett Favre has completed 44 of those 54 attempts (81 percent) for 330 yards and three touchdowns. So it's clearly been a much more efficient, high-percentage passing game over the past couple of weeks.

• Over the past four weeks, the Colts have run 258 offensive plays and 207 times they've had three wide receivers on the field, so that is clearly their favorite formation. And Anthony Gonzalez has really benefitted from that.

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• In the past four weeks, Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia has 14 completions for more than 20 yards. Seven of those completions have come after delivering the ball while he was still in the pocket and the other seven when he has run outside the pocket. Three of those were for touchdowns.

• Here's an interesting thing to note about Matt Cassel. In Week 11, Cassel was never put in the empty backfield formation. But the next week against Miami, he was in the empty formation 19 times, all of them from the shotgun. Those 19 snaps accounted for 27 percent of the Patriots' offensive snaps. Cassel was very effective against the Dolphins out of that formation, going 10-for-17 for 99 yards, throwing one touchdown and running another in while only being sacked once. So that empty formation was very effective for New England in their win over AFC East rival Miami.

• Carolina Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad has done an excellent job as a blocker. Carolina is a running team so its receivers are asked to block, and Muhammad does a great job at that.

• On his 108-yard interception return in Week 12, Baltimore's Ed Reed did a phenomenal job of baiting the route after he got a really good pre-snap indicator. It was second down and inches to go for a touchdown for the Eagles. Normally in that situation, they have another tight end or Hank Baskett in there, but this time Reggie Brown was on the wing. I think that was a strong indication that the Eagles were going to throw the football. Reed anticipated the play, did a great job of baiting Kevin Kolb into throwing and then picked it off and took it all the way back.