A half-hour after the game, Wayne Chrebet of the Jets was wearing a Yankees jersey and his coach, Herman Edwards, was discussing Chrebet in terms of basketball.

Such was the playful mood after Chrebet, the veteran receiver who has overcome a career-threatening concussion, led his team in receptions and receiving yardage in a come-from-behind 16-14 victory over Buffalo on Sunday to help keep the Jets undefeated.

''He walked up to me after the third one, and he said 'I'm hot,''' Edwards said. ''And I said: 'I know. We're going to feed you.'''

It would be just like basketball, Edwards told Chrebet, when teammates find the man on a shooting streak.

Chrebet, in his 10th season with the team, caught 8 passes for 90 yards, including four on third downs to gain first downs.

Afterward, he wore a gray road shirt with ''New York'' on the front and No. 9 on the back in honor of Roger Maris.

It was a birthday gift from his sister, Jennifer, when Chrebet turned 31 last month.

''I'm an old man,'' said Chrebet, who grew up in Garfield, N.J., and went to college at Hofstra on Long Island. ''The other players call me the old man. That's O.K. I don't mind that. They look to me in a fatherly kind of role and I enjoy it. I try to help them become the best people on and off the field that I can.''

Nobody was quite sure Chrebet would be back this season.

An overachiever since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 1995, Chrebet sustained a concussion last season in a game against the Giants and was put on injured reserve with post-concussion syndrome on Nov. 12.

It was at least his fifth concussion and second case of post-traumatic migraines. The symptoms lasted until February and included blurred vision. When he returned to the team last summer, he was no longer listed as a starter.

Few pro football players perform even this long, and the Jets had drafted Jerricho Cotchery from North Carolina State in the fourth round to play the same position. On Sunday's depth chart, Chrebet was listed second at flanker, behind Santana Moss, with Cotchery third.

Cotchery is nine years younger, and he wondered what it would be like to play behind Chrebet.

''When you're a rookie, you hear rumors that there's no one to talk to, because you might take away their playing time,'' Cotchery said. ''He surprised me. I call him my tutor. The coach is the teacher, and he knows everything the teacher knows. He's always trying to give you advice to keep you from being knocked out by a cornerback or a safety, good advice to help you become a better player.''

Chrebet's longest gain Sunday was for 27 yards, on a pass from Chad Pennington in the third quarter.

But his most important might have been on the Jets' final drive, a third-and-2 play from their 28 that ended in a first down at the 31 and eventually led to Doug Brien's 38-yard field goal.

Referring to why he was so open so often, Chrebet said: ''The plays that were called were nothing too far down the field. A lot of holes were in there, and it was our job to get there and Chad would get it to us. It's like a chess game.''

He then reflected on his return.

''This is not something I knew I was going to experience again,'' and the catch in his voice betrayed the emotion of his calm tone. ''To me, it's extra special,'' he said. ''The young receivers tell me, 'You've still got it, old man,' and I appreciate that.''

Photo: Wayne Chrebet, grabbing a ball in heavy coverage by the Bills. He finished with 8 catches, including several to extend drives, for 90 yards. (Photo by Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times)