Favre Eats His Own Words And Returns to the NFL As a Viking…
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.–
Without even 100 hours passing after Michael Vick announced that he would sign and play for the Philadelphia Eagles after being released from prison, his home for the last twenty-three months, Brett Favre is rearing his ugly number 4… again.
After announcing for the third time thing he was definitely retiring, he has decided once again that he is going to be playing quarterback for another season in the NFL. This time, the Minnesota Vikings are taking the bait. Reportedly, Favre has signed a two-year deal worth $15 million.
Last month, Favre dabbled with the idea of playing one more year with the Vikings, but after a less than thrilling rehabilitation recovery, the former Green Bay Packer and New York Jets quarterback decided that he wasn’t fit enough to survive an NFL season. Favre has been recovering from rotator cuff surgery as well as arthroscopic surgery, on May 31, to repair a muscle near the bicep. After a six-week stint of rehabilitation after the surgery, Favre wasn’t happy with the rate of his recovery and opted to stay retired. Does anybody believe that? In an ESPN online poll, Not very many people surveyed believed that Brett Favre was done with football, 89% no 10% yes and 1% undecided. One thing about Brett Favre and perhaps the world’s worst kept secret; he hates training camp. This way, he can join the team after the hardest part of training camp is over and start to work with the first-team offensive line and wide receivers. Favre is no rookie and understands how to read defenses and how to lead an offense. Most passing routes are similar if not the same, so then it comes down to the playbook and terminology used to orchestrate an offense. By design, each team uses different terminology in their playbook. Timing will be probably the biggest issue for Favre as he is coming into a new program, with the wide receivers, tight ends and new running backs. At thirty-nine years old, the question is can he survive a seventeen week season? Brad Childress, the Vikings head coach made a statement last month that was perhaps disingenuous if not apathetic about the possibilities of signing Favre to a contract. “At this point, the Vikings will go our way and Brett will go his.” Said Childress. Did the Vikings head coach know something, but kept it close to the vest? We’ll never know, but people inside the story had to have known what was to come about as the story developed. If Childress was being evasive about the Vikings plans to sign Favre, it’s very possible that Childress handed Favre a playbook to study and then a plan for him to join the team at training camp a couple of weeks into the preseason preparation. That would make sense considering the complexities of each team’s offensive play calling and it doesn’t get any harder than quarterback on NFL football team. There is no more mentally demanding position in sports…period.
Favre is thirty-nine years old and doesn’t have the same zip on the football that he did when he was playing for the Green Bay Packers. Last year, the Jets were 8-3 and Favre was looking tired and had lost his ability to throw the long ball. He survived the season, but the Jets were forced to alter their playbook and utilize Favre’s ability to use intermediate passes and throwing the ball to the outside. Nobody throws the out patterns like Favre, and he has been doing it for nearly 20 years. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a strong arm to be able to utilize those routes to exploit the aggressive defensive schemes a lot of teams were using with Favre. That was the Favre of old, and now it’s up to Brad Childress and his assistant coaches to build an offensive scheme around this veteran quarterback. How will it change? How will this affect their blocking schemes and will they be able to utilize the speed of the Vikings wide receivers? I think a lot will be discovered over the next couple of weeks as the Vikings coaching staff works with Favre and determines just exactly what they have to deal with. Tavaris Jackson had a minor injury early in training camp, but after x-rays were negative for any tendon or ligament damage, he was still slated as the Vikings starter. How will this affect his relationship with the team? Jon David Booty, who wore the number 4 jersey (Favre’s jersey number), has yielded his jersey in exchange for the number 9. It was not reported whether it was voluntary or if Booty was simply told to yield to Favre’s retired number in Green Bay.
One thing is for certain, if Favre is healthy enough to play out the season, the Vikings just became a complete team. There’s no question that Favre knows how to inspire his teammates and can run an NFL offense with great efficiency. Another question is Favre’s arm. Does he have enough arm left to be able to utilize those Viking receivers that can flat out fly down the field. In New York, we saw how Favre struggled to meet the wide receivers in stride. If Favre’s is 80%, is he better than Tavaris Jackson at 100%? These are questions that Brad Childress and the Vikings front office will have to examine. They must put together a plan quickly, as this season is approaching quickly and the position of quarterback is not something you pick up over good weekend. There is precious little time and Childress is under the gun.
Favre has a literal Goldmine on his hands. He’s got one of the best running backs in football behind him in Adrian Peterson and arguably the best offensive line in football, period. The Vikings wide receivers are quick, but as far as a complete core of reliable receivers? Probably more like adequate. This won’t matter for the Vikings, because with a running game that they have, and the blocking from the offensive line, Favre won’t be sacked as much as he was in Green Bay or New York. In addition, because of the stellar ground game, linebackers and safeties will be required to come in for run support. This will put the split ends in man-to-man coverage. Favre will likely tear up teams that try to stop the run. You just can’t do it. With Steve Hutchinson (former Seahawks guard) leading a fantastic front five, the Vikings will be able to run to the left side at will. This was the same scenario for Seattle when Hutchinson anchored the left side of the offensive line and with all world Walter Jones at the left tackle position, the Seahawks could have telegraphed a running play to the left and no one could stop them. Shaun Alexander was the halfback when Seattle dominated the running game in the NFL, but now Hutchinson is a Viking and Adrian Peterson is a far superior running back than Alexander. The Vikings are going to be a super offensive juggernaut and unless the wheels fall from the wagon, I think the Vikings could be the team to beat in the NFC… perhaps the NFL.
To go with a dominant offensive football team, the Vikings also stop the run on defense better than any team in the NFL. They have some weaknesses in the defensive backfield, but the pressure they put on a quarterback with 6 to 8 in the box, should ease up the pressure put on the defensive backfield.
There’s no question about it, you may love Brett Favre or you may despise him, but he is a winner and he is a warrior. If he has any tools left his passing arsenal, he should create headaches for defensive coordinators around the NFL and make very long Sunday afternoons for defensive backfield and the defensive rush from opponents. However, that is a big IF. The Vikings are taking a big risk by upsetting the natural order of things on an NFL football team. Sure, many of the players from the Vikings roster have been constantly texting Favre and trying to coerce him to sign with the team. Reportedly, Steve Hutchinson and Adrian Peterson have been hounding Favre’s to choose Minnesota as his curtain call. This was in no small way a factor for Favre in choosing whether or not he wanted to come back for another season and specifically with the Vikings. There will be, however, some sour grapes along the way. Brad Childress is making a very important decision bringing Favre in. I already mentioned the Tavaris Jackson problem, but there will be others who are going to be left in obscurity, as the Favre’s story will dominate the Vikings news throughout the season… perhaps two. Quarterbacks in general, dominate football news and with the storied career of Brett Favre and his much-anticipated return to football, the Vikings fans are going to get a steady diet of Brett Favre news. Will there be dissension and resentment among the other Vikings players? Only time will tell, but if you look at it right now, the city of Minneapolis is all the buzz about this move and, with the addition of a Hall of Fame bound quarterback leading the team, they’ve got an immediate case of “Super Bowl fever”.
Favre’s return to football wasn’t exactly a huge surprise to anyone; It’s the team he chose which has become a hot button story in Green Bay. Fans are asking “If he had to come back, why did he have to play for a team in the same division, and a direct rival of the team Favre quarterbacked for seventeen seasons, including; two Super Bowl trips and one Super Bowl victory. Is this a mistake for Favre? We’ll see… one thing is for certain, his legacy in Green Bay is tarnished as of today, if it wasn’t already with that stunt in New York, obviously a spit in the eye of the Green Bay Packers front office. How much more he does to ruin his storybook career is up to him. Personally, I think he’s already become a questionable man of uncertain character. He’s become a selfish player who cares only about his own desires. This can’t be easy for Green Bay Packer fans to take. Favre has legendary status in Wisconsin. He is without a doubt the most famous athlete the state of Wisconsin has never produced. Why he has decided to go out this way to land a job with the division rivals is anyone’s guess, but he sure has changed his reputation around Lambeau Field.
Speaking of Lambeau Field, Brett Favre will play the Green Bay Packers twice this year. One of those will be on the road… and lo and behold, his first time back at Lambeau Field (in a uniform other than a Packer one) will be on Monday night football. On Monday night Favre will enter Lambeau Field in a purple uniform. This has got to leave a bad taste in the mouths of Packer fans. Will they cheer for him or will they boo him? I’m really curious to see what they will do. In any event, it will be interesting and I’ll be watching. How bad could it be? It’s a great story for writers and it’s a great story for NFL football fans. It just may not be a great story for Green Bay Packer fans. Well, the needs of the many will always outweigh the needs of the few.
Parting words that Packer fans could do without.
