ESPN's Kevin Seifert isn't so sure, but I think Brett Favre is done.
Yes, we likely won't know for sure until late August, but here is why I'm convinced Favre will retire and stay retired this time.
1. At the age of 40, he had perhaps the finest statistical season of his career.
2. His play was greatly responsible for the Vikings 12-4 record, NFC North divisional crown and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
3. By playing as well as he did, he removed the stain of his one, disappointing year with the New York Jets, a year that had many fans and experts claiming he was done.
4. He beat his old team, the Green Bay Packers, twice and played about as well as a quarterback could possibly play in both games.
In short, I think Favre accomplished just about all of that he set out to do when he unretired for a second time this summer – except for winning that Super Bowl championship.
So, ask yourself, where is the upside for Favre in coming back for another year? Could he possibly play any better? Could he help the Vikings beat the Packers twice again next year? Could he win that Super Bowl with a team that might not have Pat Williams, E.J. Henderson and Cedric Griffin next year?
No, I think Favre will walk away for good his time. He may have enjoyed his Viking teammates and he really seemed to enjoy slapping Jared Allen hard on the ass, but he's got nothing invested in the Vikings. They were a means to an end for him. A vessel he used to redeem himself and further buff up that bust for Canton.
I don't begrudge him for that – it certainly worked out pretty well for the Vikings. But what it does mean is that the Vikings are back to where they've been every year since Daunte Culpepper's knee was shredded in Carolina in 2005.
They are left looking for a long-term solution at the game's most important position. They are looking for their quarterback of the future. And they are looking for it in a division with Aaron Rodgers (a legit star), Jay Cutler (a fallen star, but one with a lot of talent who can't possibly play worse than he did in 2009) and Matt Stafford (who looks like a potential star.)
The Vikings still have a lot of talent. But can they reach the heights they did this season and seriously challenge for a Super Bowl with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels as their starting quarterback?
Probably not.
But we're Viking fans. So we'll trick ourselves into believing it.
R.I.P. PV
Geez, some people take these losses pretty hard.
Joe Fischer, the mastermind behind the wonderful Pacifist Viking blog claims he's done.
I hope it isn't true.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I could see it going either way, but I think the best point you made is #4: that Favre and the Vikings soundly beat Green Bay twice this year.
I think he's competitive enough to want to play again if he's not convinced he can't play at a high level. I also don't think he's worried about finishing with a season that's not his best(I think he believes he has nothing left to prove). And I think he wants another Super Bowl.
But the fear of losing once (or twice!) to the Packers may be a strong deterrant.
I'm not looking forward to 7 months of specualtion.
I don't know if PV will be back, but it would be foolish to not check on his blog every once in a while.
Of course he's gonna come back, but to who? Childress grow a sack and do not take the ?12? million option on Favre. He's not worth it. I'd much rather have a McNabb as our aging quaterback.
Peter:
I'm just assuming for now that Tarvaris is our starter for 2010. Say hello to 8-8 or 7-9.
Seawolves:
McNabb would be nice. But I don't think the Eagles are giving him up just yet.
I hope they are, there backup Kevin ?Kolb? looked very good when he got the call, of curse they got Vick, well Andy Reid finally listen to Philly fans and get rid of McNabb.
If Tavaris is truly our started I well belive that our team is cursed, I am a lifelong Red Sox fan, and my college hockey team always underperforms, so maybe all of my teams are cursed?
of course, I spelled it: of cursed *sigh*
Post a Comment