EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Just after the ball landed halfway down the field, Chad Pennington looked over at his coach on the sideline.

Herman Edwards gave Pennington a soothing nod, knowing the New York quarterback's surgically repaired right shoulder had just passed its biggest test.

"I think he was just seeing if I was going to wince or shake my arm out or do something. I was just surprised," Pennington said with a laugh. "My eyes were probably pretty big because I didn't realize how far I let it go - with ease, really."

Pennington, playing his first game since undergoing offseason surgery on a torn rotator cuff, was 9-of-10 for 86 yards, including a touchdown to Laveranues Coles, in the Jets' 28-21 preseason victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night.

More important was the 45-yard pass to Justin McCareins that sailed just long to start the third offensive series for the Jets (2-0).

"That's the first time I've ever been able to throw a deep ball in about two years where I didn't feel any pain," Pennington said. "It feels really good to have that feeling back."

His teammates were happy just to have their field leader back.

"When you're a quarterback, I think that's the most important thing for you to get the opportunity to get out and not only show the world, but show yourself and prove to yourself that you still have everything," Coles said.

At Atlanta, rookie DeAndra Cobb scored on a 101-yard kickoff return and T.J. Duckett had a 72-yard touchdown run for the Falcons, but Shane Boyd threw a late touchdown pass to fellow rookie O.J. Small that gave the Titans the victory.Michael Vick played nearly the entire first half for the Falcons (2-1). On the opening series, he hooked up with fullback Justin Griffith on a 23-yard pass, then broke off a 21-yard run. After Warrick Dunn ran for 18 yards, Vick lobbed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brian Finneran.

At Landover, Md., Washington's Patrick Ramsey threw two interceptions and Cincinnati's Carson Palmer threw one, and the starting quarterbacks combined to complete just four of their first 16 passes.Palmer started 2-for-9 with an interception against the Redskins' first-string defense before putting together two scoring drives against Washington's backups. He finished 12-for-24 for 152 yards.Ramsey, 9-for-18 for 190 yards, is 17-for-30 for 267 yards and three interceptions in two preseason games.