Ball or Nuthin' » Brett Favre

Vikings Hand NFC Championship to Saints

T Lamont — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:39:14 +0000

Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson are each, arguably, the best player at the respective positions in the NFL.

But on Sunday night, both of them committed critical turnovers that enabled the New Orleans Saints to defeat the Minnesota Vikings in overtime, 31-28, in the NFC Championship Game.

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson rushed the football 25 times for 122 yards – and he had 3 touchdowns. However, AP fumbled the ball twice – somewhat disrupting the continuity of the Vikings offense.

Legendary QB Brett Favre completed 28 passes for 310 yards – but he also threw two interceptions. The costliest of those interceptions occurred with under 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 28, Minnesota had moved the ball inside the New Orleans’ 40 – with a 3rd down and 15 to go. Only needing the position the ball close enough to attempt a field goal, Minnesota designed a rollout pass to the right. Favre, as he’s done many times throughout his career, attempted to throw a pass across his body into the middle of the field. His attempt was intercepted by Tracy Porter and effectively sent the game into a sudden death overtime period.

The Saints won the coin toss in overtime, and systematically moved the football down the field. They received help from a couple of Vikings’ penalties – including a defensive holding and a defensive pass interference. New Orleans end up with a 4th down and 2 on the Minnesota 22 when they decided to send out kicker Garrett Hartley for a 40-yard field goal attempt. Hartley split the uprights perfectly to send the Saints to their first Super Bowl.

Tracy Porter made another opportunistic play that saved the game for the Saints.

The loss was especially bitter for the Vikings. From a statistical standpoint, they dominated the game. Minnesota outrushed New Orleans, 165 to 68. They outpassed them, 310 to 189. The Vikes won the first down battle, 31 to 15.

Unfortunately, Minnesota cmmitted five turnovers – three lost fumbles and two interceptions. Two of the fumbles and one of the interceptions occurred deep in New Orleans’ territory and, at the very least, one of them could have put the game winning points on the board for the Vikings.

Saints QB Drew Brees was efficient (17-31, 197 yards, 3 TD), but his team seemed to lack all of the offensive explosiveness that we are used to seeing from it. Instead, it was the opportunistic New Orleans defense which turned the game in its favor.

The Saints will face AFC Champions Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in the 2010 Super Bowl to weeks from Sunday.

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Minnesota Cruises Into Conference Championship Game

T Lamont — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:06:22 +0000

40-year old Brett Favre had a first during the 2010 NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Favre threw 4 touchdowns (for the first time in his playoff career) and the Minnesota Vikings manhandled the Dallas Cowboys, 34-3. Sidney Rice was on the receiving end of three of those touchdowns as the Vikings scored 17 fourth-quarter points to seal the victory.

There was a little bit of controversy near the end of the game. On a 4th-and-3 with 1:55 remaining in the game, Brett Favrethrew a 11-yard TD pass which ran the score to 34-3. Members of the Cowboys felt that the final score was uncalled for…particularly when Minnesota had the game well in hand. Dallas linebacker Keith Brooking called it “totally classless and disrespectful”.

Tony Romo was under pressure all game long.

Regardless of the late-game situation, the Vikings dominated the game from start to finish. Three Dallas turnovers stunted their offensive momentum and kept them out of rhythm. Tony Romo struggled (including his two lost fumbles) and was unable to get any big yardage on his pass plays. He was sack six times by Viking defenders.

The Vikings kept their play-callinghonest – running 26 times with superstar back Adrian Peterson and passing 24 times with Favre. The mix helped them to move the ball effectively through the air. Favre completed 15 passes for 234 yards.

The Minnesota win sets the stage for a dynamic NFC conference championship which will features the two teams with the best records in the conference. The Vikings will square off against the Saints in a much anticipated showdown next weekend.

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Favre and the Wildcat Don’t Mix

T Lamont — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:46:38 +0000

Brett Favre is a gun-slinger. That’s what he’s done for the greater part of two decades of professional football.

But some trends are hard to resist. I guess that’s how you end up with the 39-year-old on the active side of a Wildcat formation play.

Now I understand that from a fundamental perspective of surprising the defense, you should keep your primary quarterback in the game. But sometimes you just have to stop at the yellow light.

To make it plain – some players are just too feisty to play passively…even if they are in an unfamiliar position. Such was the case on Monday night. Brett Farve plays hard – as hard as his physical attributes will allow. So to see him throw a block on All-Pro safety Eugene Wilson shouldn’t have shocked anyone.

This was undoubtedly a cruddy play. But do I think that this was an intentional move by Favre to injure a player? No way. This is not much different from a hook slide to prevent a double play, or a hard foul to stop an easy basket. Injuries sometimes occur during those situations as well.

The Vikings are fortunate that two people didn’t get injured on that play. Favre could have easily hurt a shoulder or arm, and that could have been the end of his season.

But unfortunately for the Texans, an injured starting safety was the evidence that proved Brett Farve and the Wildcat don’t mix.

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Why Brett Favre Won’t Retire

T Lamont — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:55:45 +0000

Each NFL offseason, it has been the same deal for the past few years. And I think most of us have turned a deaf ear to it by now.

Brett Favre goes through his seemingly annual ritual of seeing what media attention he can draw by stringing out his career plans. Is he hanging up his cleats? Is he playing one more season? Is he going to try to stick it to the Packers this time? He is indeed a big draw at the gate, and his appearance on a roster can edge it that much closer to respectability and a possible playoff birth. But in the process, he has appeared selfish, inconsiderate and high-maintenance. With a career as storied as his, he’s certainly just scratching an itch, right? He just can’t let go of the game he loves, eh?

Well, I think there’s something more to it than that. He seems desperate to achieve something, which at the surface would seem to be unnecessary.

Looking at his career, he is a man who has many accolades. Here is just a sampling of them:

- 3-time AP NFL MVP

- 10-time Pro Bowl selection

- 1-time Super Bowl champion

- most career TD passes, pass completions and passing yards

Favre's latest stint with the Jets showed that he was up to his old tricks again.

From a statistical standpoint he has just about done it all.

But where does he register on the list of all-time great quarterbacks? How about on the list of the best QBs of the past 30 years?

I’m not even going to attempt to tackle the first question…but let’s just think about the second one.

The quarterback position is the premier position within football. These are the players that traditionally receive the majority of the glory for victories, as well as a significant portion of the blame in defeats. Successful quarterbacks are successful game managers. They know how to get the most out of every possession. But a difference in philosophy exists between the truly great quarterbacks and Brett Favre.

If it’s 3rd and 25 (of course depending on the nature of the situation), the game managing quarterback that has the ‘green light’ will probably take what the defense gives. More than likely that means a 15-yard completion. This will instill confidence in the other facets of your team – special teams and defense. It’s a team approach to getting the job done.

Brett Favre has been, and seemingly will always be, a gambler. It’s certainly no coincidence that he also holds the career mark for interceptions (310). Favre is that quarterback who will always try to make a 30-yard play on 3rd and 25. This is precisely how possessions are lost, and how defenses inherit bad game situations.

Because of his penchant for attempting risky passes, his game managing skills can only be considered mediocre at best. This is the precise reason that he has not, and will not, be mentioned in the same breath as recent top-flight game changers like Joe Montana, Tom Brady and John Elway.

Each of these guys have a nack for knowing how to get the most out of their team. They are consumate leaders who allow their teammates to add to the success of the organization. Their actions clearly deomnstrate that they are not intimidated by the achievements of their peers, and they sacrifice personal accolades for the greater good of the team. And as we have seen time and time again, the leading men end up receiving the lion’s share of the credit anyway.

The Gulfport, Mississippi native has not been able to be that type of leader throughout his career. He has built his career on moments of unbelievable play – both good and bad. With his reckless mentality, he continues to knock at the door of the fraternity of the sport’s greatest quarterbacks.

Year by year, he chases legacies that exceed his grasp. Greatness shouldn’t define why you play the game, but it should define how you play the game. Favre needs to step back and be grateful for his 17 years of NFL accomplishments.

As John Elway so elegantly put it:

A guy as great as Brett Favre has been for the length of time he’s been, you would hope that he would be able to leave the game with a positive flavor in his mouth.

Well, if Favre’s recent actions could be adequately described as a flavor, the description would be old, stale and tired.

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Old Guys Sit Down…Please

T Lamont — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:06:01 +0000

: Is he a senior PGA member?

Brett Favre. Tom Glavine. A couple of guys who exemplified excellence at the peak of their careers. A couple of guys who gave their heart, body and soul to successful franchise throughout the stay. A couple of guys who let their actions speak louder than they ever did. A couple of guys who need to realize when it’s time to step down.

These guys peaked in the 90′s, and we are entering a time when many of the participants in their respective sports will have been born in the 90′s (that’s right – they won’t even know what cassette tapes are).

But yet and still, here’s Brett Favre. Initially, he starts out by holding the Packers hostage. And in the process, he might have even mustered up some general public support for his campaign to return to the team after announcing his retirement. Favre knew he put the organization in a lose-lose situation – but did he care? Nope.

So he took his wreckless style of play to the Jets. And while they were close to making the playoffs – there was still no cigar. Now he’s chomping at the bit to play for the Vikings – yes, the Minnesota Vikings that play in the same division as the Green Bay Packers. I know it’s hard to resist the ticket and merchandising sales that the old man will bolster, but I really wish someone would put this old man in his place.

Then, there’s Mr. Glavine. Now regardless of what the Braves GM says, there was definite a financial element to his decision. Glavine would have been due a $1 million bonus for being on the Braves major league roster this season. And the timing was absolutely gut-wrenching. After receiving shoulder and elbow surgery, Glavine was allowed to rehab through the minors and work his way back up to the Braves. He did so – - only to be cut.

But Glavine did give up his highest opponent batting averages in the last two years…as well as the highest ERAs of his career. He is a 43 year old, finesse pitcher. It’s tough enough to be a young finesse pitcher. Based on this, I think it is finally obvious that his best years are behind him. Why not give those young fireballers more work to develop them into the winning staff that Glavine was a big part of in the 90′s? Surely Glavine could relate to that, right? Nope.

Both of these guys need wake-up calls. Instead of trying to get one last payday, or attempting to scratch an itch, they need to be playing catch in the backyard with their grandkids.

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