A lot has been said about what Brett Favre will mean to the Minnesota Vikings. Certainly, I think it’s fair to say the Vikings are now the favorite to win the division.
Some pundits have tapped them as the favorite to win the Super Bowl.
But hold the phone. The Vikings were going to be in the conversation to win the NFC North regardless of Favre. They have the best running back in the league in Adrian Peterson. They also have a solid, and at times dominant defense. Those two factors alone put the Vikings in the conversation as the best of the NFC North.
While the Chicago Bears also belong in the conversation, I still like the Green Bay Packers chances. The reason, other than the Packers own improvement, is Brett Favre.
Favre initially said he would remain retired this season because he didn’t think his body could withstand the rigors of a full NFL season. The evidence says Favre is right.
Favre has experienced a fade over his last eight games each of the past two seasons, after starting very strong in each campaign.
Here are Favre’s 2008 stats with the New York Jets.
| Situation | G | QBRat | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/G | Y/A | TD | Int |
| Games 1-8 | 8 | 87.8 | 180 | 263 | 68.4 | 1812 | 226.5 | 6.9 | 15 | 12 |
| Games 9-16 | 8 | 74.2 | 163 | 259 | 62.9 | 1660 | 207.5 | 6.4 | 7 | 10 |
Here are Favre’s 2007 stats with the Packers
| Situation | G | QBRat | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/G | Y/A | TD | Int |
| Games 1-8 | 8 | 93.3 | 205 | 308 | 66.6 | 2406 | 300.8 | 7.8 | 13 | 8 |
| Games 9-16 | 8 | 98.8 | 151 | 227 | 66.5 | 1749 | 218.6 | 7.7 | 15 | 7 |
First things first. Favre’s body broke down in the second half of the 2008 campaign, when a torn biceps tendon in his throwing shoulder affected his performance. However, as CBS Sports’ Clark Judge pointed out, that’s what happens to old quarterbacks.
Secondly, Favre’s final season with the Packers looks fairly even. That is, until you look at two things. First, Favre threw for 657 fewer yards in the second half of the 2007 season than he did in the first half.
Second, is the breakdown of Favre’s final nine games, where you’ll see a noticeable drop off in production after Dec. 1.
| Situation | G | QBRat | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/G | Y/A | TD | Int |
| November | 5 | 106.8 | 115 | 165 | 69.7 | 1366 | 273.2 | 8.3 | 11 | 4 |
| December | 4 | 85.5 | 60 | 96 | 62.5 | 743 | 185.8 | 7.7 | 6 | 5 |
Packers fans will remember that trend carrying into the playoffs as well, when Favre’s last pass was an interception that set up the New York Giants’ winning drive in the NFC Championship game.
Teams that make it to the Super Bowl typically ride hot quarterbacks – see Arizona and Pittsburgh last year, the Giants and Patriots in 2008, etc. Brett Favre doesn’t have enough left in the tank to be that guy. The NFL is just too competitive these days, and I don’t care how well the Vikings defense and Adrian Peterson is playing at the end of the season, the Vikings need Favre to take them to the Super Bowl.
You can mark this down: it won’t happen.
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Last updated on March 31st, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Good point. And Mr. Favre is now officially booted from my man harem. OUT!
Great post Monty
Monty, keep up the great work. It’s disheartening to hear some Packer ‘fans’ saying they will back the queens when they face the Pack this year…
god, i hope your right.
I honestly can’t think of anything worse, than you know who, going to the Super Bowl, with those we do not speak of
What a wonderful day in the neighborhood. I’m liking the look of this. All it’s going to take is a win by favre over mr. rogers to get the fans all worked up. Oh it will be a wonderful day. Aaron Rogers better not have any mishaps. Green Bay fans will want blood. Ted Thompson better think of changing his residence to another state. Oh this is better than I could ever imagine.
Fans that flip their team to an arch enemy are r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s! I wouldn’t become a viking or packer fan even if walter payton went to their team. Oh yea, Jim McMahon did. Heck he was a puzzle piece in our Super Bowl Year. Now if Rex Grossman ever ended up on the Vikings…I’d celebrate even more. hahahahahahahahahahahaha. It’s gonna be a wild season.
Well, unlike what Mr. Favre said, Robb, Packers fans will always be Packers fans first. And I think all of us Packers fans are just fine with Aaron Rodgers as our quarterback. We’ll see you and the Queens in October, and I think I will like the outcome better than King Brett will.