ESPN NFL

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Brett Favre is dialing it back.

The New York Jets quarterback established the NFL's most prolific passing numbers with his rocket launcher. In Sunday's 26-17 road victory over the Buffalo Bills, he threw daggers.

Favre made quick decisions and zipped shorter throws. Of his 201 passing yards, 119 were yards after the catch.

ESPN Stats & Analysis found that through Favre's first seven games as a Jet, 29.4 percent of his passes traveled 11 yards or farther in the air beyond the line of scrimmage. Against the Bills, only 14.3 percent of his attempts were that long.

The quick decisions could help Favre cut down on costly interceptions, although the Bills did return another one for a touchdown. Since his six-touchdown game against the Arizona Cardinals he has thrown three touchdowns and eight interceptions.

"It was one of those games I am sure if you are watching you are going, 'Man, this is boring.' If you are a fan of the game you have to appreciate the way it was played on both sides," Favre said.

"I would love to throw 70-yard bombs every play, throw caution to the wind, but that's not the way you win football games. That's not the way we were going to win that game."

On passes in which the ball traveled through the air 10 yards or shorter from scrimmage, Favre completed 16 of 24 attempts for 160 yards and an interception.

He threw at least 11 yards only four times, completing three for 41 yards.

He completed only nine passes to wide receivers, Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles grabbing them all. Favre's other 10 completions were to running backs Thomas Jones and Leon Washington and tight end Dustin Keller.

"We tried to play the percentages game, and for me in a game like this one, this might be a game where you have high completions," Favre said. "If you have touchdowns, great. But it is moving the chains. ... It is control the clock, manage the game, whatever. But at some point you have to make plays. We made enough to win."