Burress makes a good first impression

Sure, the circumstances were radically different, but it was impossible last night not to note the echo of another play, from a simpler time in Plaxico Burress' life and career.

The clock showed less than a minute left. The quarterback got rid of the ball quickly in the face of a blitz, launching it toward the end zone to his left, eager to exploit Burress against single coverage, which he soon outran.

Then: touchdown.

Once upon a time, Burress won a Super Bowl for the Giants precisely that way.

This time, it was a mere late first-half score in a preseason game against the lowly Bengals on a soggy night at the Meadowlands.

But in its own way, the catch -- a leaping, barely in-bounds, over-the-shoulder, rain-in-his-face beauty from 26 yards -- had as much meaning as the one that beat the Patriots in February 2008.

It announced that after a nearly three-year layoff, and with an iffy left ankle on a wet field, there is good reason to believe Burress could be a dynamic new weapon for the Jets.

Santonio Holmes rated the degree of difficulty a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10. Mark Sanchez called it a "big-time, veteran catch.''

Burress? He said it felt like he never left.

"To have that ball up there hanging in the air with the lights,'' he said, "I just trusted myself making the over-the-shoulder catch and trying to bring it in.'' (Cornerback Fred Bennett thought a push-off helped, too.)

Making assumptions based on three receptions for 66 yards in a practice game is dangerous, of course. But it's all we have to go on for now, and for now, it's enough.

Burress still must prove he can stay healthy over the long NFL grind, and that he can complement, Holmes, who also scored.

As first impressions go, though, this was about as good as it gets, right from the beginning. Another team might have eased Burress back into action. But this was not another team -- including his two previous employers, the Steelers and Giants, a pair of NFL pillars known for their conservatism.

These were Rex Ryan's Jets, who never met a dramatic possibility they did not want to explore. So on the offense's first play from scrimmage, Sanchez immediately looked to Burress.

After cutting inside cornerback Nate Clements, he found a hole in the defense and turned to catch a pass thrown a bit behind him for a 20-yard gain.

Burress said he was surprised by the call, expecting a running play.

His second catch was a textbook example of what the 6-5 receiver brings to the table. He brushed aside 5-11 cornerback Leon Hall then turned to Sanchez, using his body to leave Hall helpless to defend him. Sanchez found him for another 20 yards.

"He's got that mismatch every time he goes up,'' Ryan said. "You can be Willie Brown or Darrelle Revis out there; that's going to be tough.''

Burress said he felt like he was moving in slow motion all night, which he said was a sign he was up to speed despite the layoff. He also called his return to the field "an out-of-body experience, a surreal feeling.''

But he sought to keep expectations within reason, noting the several plays on which he and Sanchez did not connect, and anticipating the long season ahead. "It's just the tip of the iceberg,'' he said "I'm just getting started.''

There will be two more preseason games in which to fine tune, including Saturday against the Giants. Burress would love to play well again that night. The Giants and their fans know what that looks like.