Admit it Packer fans, Favre dominant this year

Brett Favre looks incredibly good so far this year. In fact, if I had to decide on NFL MVP right now, Favre would be in the mix (along with Charles Woodson, Manning, Chris Johnson). I don’t like to admit this because I’m still bothered by his role in the GB divorce and I hate anyone who has anything to do with the Vikings. I’ve heard the counter-arguments: that he’s played against mostly weak teams/defenses, or that he has Adrian Peterson behind him, or that the Vikes’ have a strong offensive line, or that their defense helps the team keep leads, or that the Vikes are just a very talented team overall. Those things are all true and yes they help. But I have seen him play enough this year to say confidently, Brett Favre might be playing at least close to this well just about anywhere right now. His passes are crisp, his timing is phenomenal, his pocket awareness is special, he’s shown he can still make any throw (and the MN offense hasn’t been shy about letting him let it fly), he’s not hiding behind AP and the run game and perhaps most curiously, his playcalling has been top-notch. (There have been rumors alleging that most of the offense’s success is due to Favre finally getting  the green light to call some of his own plays. Together with Bevell and possibly Childress, they are making tremendous play calls game after game.) Favre’s stats this year speak volumes: 24TDs, 3 picks, #2 in completion percentage at 69.3 and #1 in QB rating at 112.

I can’t say this surprises me though. As soon as the Vikes’ rumored interest in Favre surfaced earlier this year, I went on record saying he’d improve their record to at least 12-4. At that time, my 12-4 claim was mostly met with “Andy’s on crack again” comments. But I mostly held to it. I think it’s now safe to say the doubters were wrong. He has played extremely well this year. The offense is so smooth and very difficult to defend due largely to Favre’s performance. Heading into this season, the popular comment was “who’s he going to throw to?” Now it’s “man, look at all the weapons he has”. I think it’s fair to give some credit to Favre for making superstars out of guys who otherwise may have languished in mediocrity. He did it in Green Bay and he’s doing it in MN.

As well as Favre has played though, a question keeps popping up in my mind: did both the Packers and the Vikings end up winning in this divorce situation? I’m not saying this like the kid who says (pouting) “I didn’t want the most expensive brand new football that all of my friends got for Christmas anyway” here. I really am beginning to believe that this has worked out well for both the Pack and the Vikes. They got their franchise QB who could come in and provide competent quarterbacking while importantly bringing a strong sense of confidence to a position that had been a negative focus for years. The Packers, meanwhile, got a high quality young QB better suited to dealing with (and more willing to deal with) the ups and downs of leading a young team. The Vikings are dominating the division, but the Packers are slowly creeping back into the race – largely because of the efforts of Aaron Rodgers.

Wouldn’t it be something if these two teams squared off again this season, in the playoffs…and the Pack snatched the one that counts most!

Detainees taunting WI troops w/Favre talk

Read this article from Jay Sorgi at WTMJ’s website. Feel bad for these guys.

Hopefully the final Favre links this year

I’m ready to move on from yesterday’s game now – in fact I’m looking forward to it. But there are two links I think readers may find quite interesting. Jsonline also linked to these articles. They are written by the former VP of the Packers Andrew Brandt over at NationalFootballPost.com. Brandt writes from the unique perspective of having had relationships with both TT and Favre (though I believe his not-so-good relationship with TT may have resulted in his dismissal – so there is likely a bias). Like I said, I’m Favred out but I just thought this was as interesting a perspective I’ve read on this whole thing in a while.

Read here for last Friday’s article and here for today’s article.

 

Would you boo or cheer for Favre at Lambeau?

It’s been made pretty clear over time now how Brother Steve and I both feel about the Favre situation. We will be booing (I actually just typed in boozing accidentally right there…that will probably happen too). But I am interested in knowing what you would do if you were in attendance. And why. I recognize that not everyone who reads this website feels the way we do, so I’m interested in getting a good discussion going here.

Have at.

William Henderson to boo Favre at Lambeau

Joshy – thanks for pointing this out. William Henderson apparently said on NFL Live he would be booing Favre. Henderson electing to boo is a big deal. He is one of the classiest guys in Packer history – on and off the field. He also played with Favre almost as long as any other player – sharing a backfield with him as the teams’ FB for 12 years. And, imterestingly, Henderson himself was let go before he wanted to stop playing by the TT/MM regime. And he’s still planning to boo.

Packergeeks on Favre at National Review Online

Please take a minute to read this article Brother Steve and I wrote for National Review Online on the Favre matter. When Favre retired for the first time in 2008, Steve wrote a glowing tribute to Favre for the National Review. So, we’ve sent this piece to National Review as a sort of correction. The goal was to articulate a fuller account of what happened especially in light of the fact that lately, it seems many national broadcasters/writers have been simplifying the whole thing by saying the Packers just wanted to move on. So we go through the chronology while arguing that really, this is not what happened.

As always, let us know what you think.

Favre calls this Vikings team best team he’s been on

I too thought Favre’s comment about this Vikings team being the best team he’s been on was something that might draw the ire of fans/ex-Packers. But then I remembered that he’s said the same thing several times in the last decade heading into seasons with the Packers. I believe one of those years the Pack went 4-12, so I’ve learned take these comments lightly. Anyway, of these Lori Nickel interviews, I think Mark Chmura comes closest to describing how I feel about the whole Favre situation. He says:

“I’m still green and gold all the way. I hate Minnesota; I can’t stand Minnesota. I don’t care if Brett is playing there. It didn’t bother me, him with the Jets. But Minnesota I know personally I could never do it. I would just retire.”

While I became frustrated with his role in the divorce last year and seeing him play elsewhere was difficult, it was Favre joining the Vikings that completed my turn against the guy.

Check out this picture – Favre not playing for revenge?

Check out this photo and the nice write-up by onmilwaukee.com’s Drew Olsen.

Longwell situation different

Though I’m frustrated Ryan Longwell ended up picking the Vikings a few years ago (and frustrated more recently by his apparent role in recruiting Favre), if I recall, his situation was a bit more of the “business decision” some claim the Favre decision was. As I remember, the Pack simply wasn’t willing to pay Longwell what the market was willing to pay when he was an unrestricted free agent. So he took the highest offer.

(Actually, now that I think of it, there may in fact be at least one Favre/Longwell similarity: selfish motives. I remember reading a rumor a few years ago that Longwell actually wanted out of Green Bay because he wanted to kick indoors so that he could improve his stats. Now, I can’t remember if this was ever confirmed but…anyone else ever hear this or am I on my own here just roiling in my hatred for the Vikings?)

Packergeek: “Favre’s a tool”

Quoting myself here – I just said this to myself out loud so I figured I could go ahead now and put it in quotes and post it. I wanted to write something profound and thoughtful about this whole situation today, but frankly, I’m tired of putting much thought into it anymore. So, I’ll simply leave you with the thoughts that seem to occur to me most often:

1. Brett Favre is a tool for playing on the Vikings.
2. For the last year and a half, I have felt like you do when you puke inside your mouth a little bit. I haven’t felt like you do when you all-out puke, but, you know, just a mini-puke. But ever since Favre cemented his anti-Packer stance by joining the Vikings, that bad taste has gone away. Thanks for your advice Brent, I have moved on.