On the Jets' opening offensive play Sunday, wide receiver Plaxico Burress was the first player to break the huddle and head toward the line of scrimmage. Burress's hurry was understandable; it had been nearly 33 months since his last appearance in an NFL game, and he seemed determined not to wait any longer than absolutely necessary. Quarterback Mark Sanchez was only too happy to oblige Burress. Sanchez completed a 20-yard pass to Burress on that very first play to begin a successful return to game action for Burress, who signed with the Jets this off-season after completing a 20-month prison sentence on a gun-possession charge. The Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-7, in their second preseason game. “On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd probably give it a 15,” wide receiver Santonio Holmes said of Burress's touchdown catch. Burress's reception brought the biggest cheers from the tiny crowd at New Meadowlands Stadium, a hardy group that sat through consistently heavy rain. Burress ran past cornerback Fred Bennett, sprinting to get under Sanchez's lofted pass before stretching out, gathering in the ball and sliding across the slick turf through the end zone. Burress then stood and offered bows to two sides of the stadium as his teammates surrounded him in celebration. It was the last play of the game for Burress, who, like most of the Jets' top players, did not play in the second half. “It just felt good to get back what I love to do so much,” Burress said. “To be honest, it feels like I never left. The ball hanging up there in the lights — I just trusted myself.” Chargers 20, Cowboys 7: Philip Rivers led San Diego to scores on two of his three drives, then Norv Turner helped his club score another touchdown with two successful challenges on a single series in the Chargers' 20-7 preseason victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Rivers got better as he went along — from a three-and-out to a field goal on a drive that fizzled at the 7-yard line to going 5 for 5 on a 61-yard drive that ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Randy McMichael. Rivers finished 8 of 11 for 92 yards. Billy Volek took over on San Diego's next series and the Chargers (1-1) went 81 yards for another touchdown. Turner kept the drive going by getting an interception erased by video review — the right heel of Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh's narrowly landed on the sideline — and by getting a 15-yard touchdown run for Ryan Mathews on a play initially declared out of bounds inside the 1. Vincent Jackson caught three passes for 49 yards and McMichael had three receptions for 24 yards while starting in place of the injured Antonio Gates. Malcom Floyd caught one pass for 18 yards and suffered a concussion on the tackle. Mathews ran eight times for 43 yards. Nate Kaeding made field goals of 25 and 53 yards.
