Ball or Nuthin' » Brett Favre

Vikings Say Goodbye to Moss

T Lamont — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:36:48 +0000

On Sunday, Randy Moss was very nostalgic when asked about his New England teammates.

On Monday, he’s been given the green light to try and reunite with them.

After some bizarre – and at the same time routine – behavior and comments from Moss, he was released by the Minnesota Vikings earlier today.

Here’s what Moss said about his former team members after Sunday’s defeat at their hands:

“I don’t know how many more times I’m going to be up here in New England. But I’m going to leave the New England Patriots, Coach Belichick, man, with a salute, man. I love you guys, I miss you, I’m out.”

Moss also criticized the Vikings concerning some play-calling in the later stages of the first half. With the game knotted and 7 and a little over one minute to go before halftime, Minnesota faced a 4th down and goal at the New England 1 yard line. Instead of putting three points on the board, Vikings coach Brad Childress elected to try for a touchdown. Of course, Adrian Peterson was stuffed on a play that could easily be referred to as momentum-changing. The Patriots went on the score two touchdowns in the third quarter in route to a 28-18 decision on Sunday afternoon.

San Diego's Philip Rivers is already leading the NFL in passing yards - without the threat of a talented receiver like Moss.

While Moss’ inclination to put points on the board early in the game may have been on point, his attitude has not. Randy seems to be up to his old tricks – not running hard or finishing out routes, and he appears not to be motivated to use the tools that propelled him to be great in his first stint with Minnesota and during his tenure with New England (up until this season).

Who’ll take a stab at signing Moss?

With parity at an all-time high in the NFL – particularly in the NFC – the race for playoff spots is wide open. That means that Moss could be targeted by a myriad of teams looking to get an edge as the season progresses. But as always, the price is steep with Moss – and his suitors will risk the possibility of a player with game-changing potential becoming complacent or even disgruntled if he fails to get touches or the team is unsuccessful.

So much for the highly-hyped duo of Brett Favre and Randy Moss that lasted all of four games – with lackluster highlights and numbers generated.

No Wonder Favre Won’t Retire

T Lamont — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:00:16 +0000

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For years the media has been wondering when the grey-haired one was finally going to step down and out of the NFL.

Well, now, at least we have a reason as to why he hasn’t. He loves to throw passes, and in his career he has been known for throwing ill-advised one…so the latest rumors involving Brett Favre seem to be fitting.

Allegations have surfaced linking the 41 year-old quarterback to two New York Jets message therapists. But linking is probably not the most precise description for what Favre is being accused of. It would be much closer to being a perverted old man than making an actual pass.

Favre may have a similar look on his face if he hasn't yet explained this to his wife.

The women claim that Favre, who has been married for 14 years, sent lewd text messages and that he invited them both to his hotel room. The alleged incident occurred during the Jets training camp prior to the 2008 season.

Favre played for one season with New York, and afterward began his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. With the details of this still under investigation by the NFL, it appears to be no coincidence that Favre’s Jets tenure was a short as it was. After the Ines Sainz debacle that transpired earlier this summer, the New York organization has developed a stereotype that it quickly becoming cemented with each passing day.

As for Favre, he’ll have to make sure that his future pass attempts go only to open receivers.

Moss to Vikings – A Dream Come True For Favre

T Lamont — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:58:06 +0000

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Despite having one of the all-time great quarterbacks in NFL history at the helm, the Minnesota Vikings’ passing game was on life support.

Enter Randy Moss. A third round pick was the price that Minnesota had to pay to inject life into their offense.

That’s seemingly not much of a price for a 7-time Pro Bowl selection, and a player selected to the NFL’s 2000 All-Decade Team.

The scoop was that Moss and the Patriots fell out of love with one another. Translation – Moss wasn’t enjoying not being the primary playmaker this season. The disdain on his face was clear – even during a blowout New England win at Miami in which he didn’t catch one pass (the first time that has happened in his tenure with the Patriots). So far in 2010 (4 games), Moss has only 9 receptions for 153 yards. While his three touchdowns put him in good company, the receptions and yardage are what we might expect in a single game for Moss.

Of course, the media and fans are up to their usual banter about how Moss is a ticking time bomb – and that eventually he was going to blow up. But what we have witnesses over the last few years – Moss’ ‘rebirth’ in New England – was enabled by a team that was enamored to have him. What’s going on this year is what happens when the love fades away. The extra effort to incorporate Randy into the game plan has not been there, and frankly, there’s no excuse for that. Game after game, coordinators are challenged to manage their resources in a manner that yields the best predictable shot at winning. It’s not uncommon knowledge that Moss is a guy who wants the ball in his hands. And why shouldn’t he? He is one of the most physically gifted receivers (along with the Johnson’s – Andre and Calvin) in the league.

So who’s to blame?

The Vikings' addition of Randy Moss will help both of these guys in a big way.

Placing blame is not always critical – but if you are New England, you just let your ego (as an organization) get in the way of smart decision-making. You basically just let your vertical passing game walk out the window. And Moss probably took your chances to stay atop the division with him. The Patriots need not let their recent Monday night win go to their heads – they are not going to make a lasting imprint in the playoffs (if they get there) without a player like Moss. The bottom line is that they lost Moss because they didn’t want to succumb to his competitive nature and give him the amounts of reps that his talent justifies.

Just think about that. The most competitive players are traditionally the most suuccessful, because they want to do more than just win…they want to dominate. For example, football is certainly more of a team sport than basketball…but could you imagine the Lakers telling Kobe Bryant – the one player on their roster who can consistently create mismatches every game – to cut his field goal attempts by 75%? How well would Los Angeles fare in that scenario?

Regardless, Moss will be welcomed with open arms in Minnesota, who now boast a complete set of offensively skilled players in Favre (QB), Moss (WR), Adrian Peterson (RB) and Visanthe Shiancoe (TE). Even more importantly, the re-orders the receiver depth chart for the Vikings and gives them a true #1 receiver. Wideouts like Percy Harvin, Greg Camarillo and Bernard Berrian will become more dangerous will a lessened degree of dependency on their productivity.

Favre has go on record to say that he has “admired” Moss from afar, and is understandably elated to have the league’s premier deep threat on his side. Although they got out to a slow start, Minnesota is looking to heat up.

As for New England, this fall and winter could be both very long and cold.

Vikings, Cowboys Fall To 0-2

T Lamont — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:54:25 +0000

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Fans in Minnesota and Dallas didn’t expect it to be this way.

After meeting in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs last season, both teams were picked as favorites to sit atop their respective divisions once again. But with the early set of Sunday games coming to a close, they are facing 0-2 starts to the new campaign.

Minnesota looks like a team that has lost their mojo. Everything fell brilliantly in place in 2009, and the offense and defense just clicked to perfection. The anticipated combination of a powerful running game and an explosive passing game worked to perfection as the Vikes soared to a 12-4 regular season record.

But the first two games of the 2010 season has been marred by an inconsistent air attack. At New Orleans, Brett Favre was never able to get into a rhythm. Adrian Peterson has a modest 87 yards rushing on 19 carries, and the overall offensive production was simply anemic. In today’s contest at home versus the Dolphins, Favre didn’t have any excuses. Peterson put up a whale of a game, carrying the rock 28 times for 145 yards and a touch. This time around Favre did himself in by throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble. 19 points in two games usually results in two losses. And that exactly where Minnesota is at despite a couple of above average performances by their defensive unit.

Dallas head coach Wade Phillips needs to mix up the play calling to take some pressure off of quarterback Tony Romo.

As for the Cowboys, turnovers have been costly. At Fedex Field last Sunday night, their opponent’s sole touchdown came on a fumble return (after an ill-advised play call) for a touchdown. Today, Dallas committed three turnovers, which was three more than the Bears in their 27-20 loss. While the Cowboys have outgained their foes by over 100 yards in each of their first two match-ups, their giveaways have negated their offensive advantage.

Dallas has also become notably pass happy. Their play distribution thus far in 2010 has been 70% pass – 30% run. This doesn’t sound like a happy medium, and getting no production on the ground will eventually make things even harder than they already appear to be on Tony Romo’s efficiency.

There’s still ample time for both teams to turn it around. The Vikings seem to have a gift waiting for them next week, as they face the Detroit Lions at home. The Cowboys, on the other hand, could be in serious jeopardy of starting the season with three losses as they prepare for an in-state battle against the upstart Houston Texans, who are coming off on a come-from-behind overtime win over the Redskins in Washington.

It’s early, but both teams have more work to do…much, much earlier than expected.

NFC Powerhouses Struggle in Season-Opener

T Lamont — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 04:38:34 +0000

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Prior to kickoff, the New Orleans Saints figured that their home debut would be a tough one – after all, they were battling the team that they faced in the NFC Championship, the Minnesota Vikings.

After their first possession, things appeared that they would be much easier than they anticipated. The home team gave their fans what they were looking for, driving down the field in 2009 Saints’ fashion. The drive totaled plays for yards, and ended with a shocked Viking defense yielding a touchdown on a 29-yard connection between Drew Brees and Devery Henderson.

But the Minnesota defense stiffened, stopping the Saints on their next possession. And the Vikings began to use their All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson to take the air out of the ball. Peterson pounded New Orleans on a long, 66-yard drive that culminated in a Ryan Longwell 41-yard field goal for the visitors.

The Minnesota ground game slowed the pace of the battle, and actually shifted the momentum of the contest into the Vikings favor. There weren’t any points scored, but the lack of offensive dominance gave Minnesota a chance to get back into the game – which they did. Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre got into a bit of a rhythm with tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. Shiancoe made two catches with his hands (the latter being a 20-yard touchdown) that sparked the Minnesota offense, temporary potting them into the lead going into the half, 9-7.

The third quarter saw New Orleans regain the advantage after an 11-play, 74-yard march down the gridiron. The drive saw the Saints run the ball seven times, ending with Pierre Thomas crossing the goal line on a 1-yard scamper to put the Saints ahead 14-9.

Adrian Peterson was looking for some help from the Minnesota passing game.

In the fourth quarter, Drew Brees was poised to put the game on ice for the Saints. After a 40-plus yard drive, the Saints were presented with a key third down situation. Leading 14-9, a touchdown would have given the Vikings a tough deficit to overcome. Brees uncorked a pass into the end zone – over a couple of Viking defenders – and into the hands wide receiver Robert Meachem. Meachem jumped and extended for the pass (which hit him in the hands), but could not hold on to the ball as his body came into contact with the turf. The missed opportunity turned even more dreadful when New Orleans kicker Garrett Hartley shanked a 32-yard field goal attempt, keeping the game within 5 points for the Vikings.

However, Favre and company were unable to capitalize and punted the ball back away to the Saints. The Saints constructed a drive that took minutes off of the game clock. New Orleans effectively mixed up its offensive playcalling, inserting some key running plays that caught the Vikings off guard. The home team keep churning out the first downs to keep the game clock moving, and the Vikings were unable to get another chance to score the football.

Tonight’s game was competitive, however, in a way that most did not expect. Two of last season’s most prolific quarterbacks – Brees and Favre – were far from spectacular. Brees completed 26 of 37 passes for 237 yards including one touchdown. Favre never really established the Minnesota passing game (he was 15-27, 171 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), and in the end, Peterson’s first half surge could not be supported by an air attack.

Favre’s rustiness will most certainly be attributed to his abrupt decision to join Minnesota in the middle of the preseason. The Super Bowl champion Saints were also not efficient as usual. But the bottom line is that Favre wasn’t sharp, and the Vikings lost this game because of it.