Tag Archives: Brett Favre

2009 Vikings make a return, but without Favre

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Sidney Rice hauling in highlight-reel catches. Jared Allen putting the QB into the turf. Adrian Peterson juking linebackers out of their cleats. This was the Minnesota Vikings of 2009.

Favre

The Vikings looked like the 2009 squad. And they did that without Brett Favre (4). Associated Press photo

The Buffalo Bills – the two-win Buffalo Bills – have a way of making teams look good. There’s no question about that.

But the Vikings looked an awful lot like the team that a year ago went to the NFC championship game and nearly to the Super Bowl. The only thing missing in Sunday’s 38-14 win was the Silver Fox himself – Brett Favre.

Favre sustained an injury to his throwing shoulder in the first series Sunday, so Tarvaris Jackson took over. Jackson tossed three interceptions, but thanks to great field position afforded him by the defense, he also kept the offense moving.

Rice caught two touchdowns, looking fully recovered from the hip surgery that robbed the Vikings of his services for the first half of the season.

And the defense completely shut down the Bills’ offensive attack, if you could call it that. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick looked more like the journeyman he was considered to be coming into the season, rather than the “franchise quarterback” that Bills head coach Chan Gailey suggested he could be earlier this season. But it wasn’t all Fitzpatrick’s fault. Nothing was working. Running game was stale. Stevie Johnson had the dropsies again. And so on. And so on.

The Vikings face some tough tests coming up, with games against the New York Giants (8-4), Chicago Bears (9-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (8-4).

Any talk of the playoffs is crazy talk. Six teams in the NFC have at least eight wins and none of them are in the NFC West, which means those six teams are fighting for five playoff spots. The Vikings would have to pass two of them – plus teams like seven-win Tampa – to get a wild-card berth.

And I’m pretty sure the Vikings were eliminated from the NFC North race today. If Bears lost out and Vikings won out, they’d both be 9-7 and even in the head-to-head race. But the Bears can do no worse than 4-2 in the division, while the Vikings can do no better than 3-3. So that’s over with.

The Vikings now need to focus on the future. The franchise would be best-served if Favre didn’t play the rest of the season so coaches can determine whether or not Jackson is worth considering as a potential starter in 2011.

But we all know Favre will be back. At least more games like Sunday’s will help fans get over what seems like a lost season.

Packers fans get one last look … maybe? … at Favre, plus NFL picks

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The Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers game might not be drawing quite the headlines that it did, say, a year ago. But it’s still Vikings-Packers, and once again, Brett Favre is playing in it.

Brett Favre

Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre faces his former team again Sunday. Associated Press photo

It’s been a difficult season for Favre. He’s injured his ankle, his shoulder, his ego … you name it! He’s already more than doubled his interception total (16 this year, 7 last year) from a year ago, despite having played in just nine games.

And his Vikings find themselves on the brink of falling out of playoff contention.

But Sidney Rice will be back on Sunday. He was activated by the Vikings on Saturday and should play against Green Bay.

Week 11 NFL picks

Rough week last week, going 1-4. That puts me at 21-19 for the season. Here’s hoping for the rebound this week:

Titans by 6 1/2 over Redskins. Titans

Cowboys by 7 over Lions. Cowboys

Steelers by 8 1/2 over Raiders. Raiders

Falcons by 3 over Rams. Falcons

Eagles by 3 over Giants. Eagles

Moss fiasco will probably spell end to Childress era eventually

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There’s no way to sugarcoat it. The Randy Moss trade and eventual release was an embarrassing four weeks for the Minnesota Vikings franchise.

Vikings head coach Brad Childress took the blame for what happened with Moss, and rightfully so. But an admission of guilt probably won’t be enough to help Chilly save his job unless the Vikings can turn things around this season.

From Brett Favre being coaxed up here by three teammates to the early season flop and now with Moss, it’s been a humiliating year for the Vikings organizaton and its ownership.

Pretty wild poll on the Minneapolis Star Tribune site in the last couple of days about the future of Childress. More than 90 percent of fans feel Childress should be fired either right now or after the season. Although from what I’ve seen from Vikings fans on Facebook, I guess I’m not surprised by a number like that.

Weekly NFL picks update

Scored another 3-2 week again this past week picking the spread with NFL games. Got the Packers, Rams and Lions right. That puts me at 17-13 this season.

Vikings’ leadership void leads to team in disarray

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NOTE: Randy Moss was waived a couple hours after I wrote this. I’ll leave the post up, but readers should be made aware of the move.

After being fined $25,000 from the NFL for not talking to the media, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss had plenty to say after Sunday’s loss to the team he was traded from a few weeks ago, the New England Patriots.

He told the media that he won’t be doing any more interviews for the rest of the season. And if he does do one, Moss will ask questions to himself, then answer them himself.

This is just the latest chapter in a somewhat bizarre story that is Moss’ career. There’s the mooning, the “Straight cash, homey,” the traffic cop, and next is the self-interview.

But this is what the Vikings signed up for with Moss when they traded for the receiver a few weeks ago with hopes of bolstering their passing game.

It’s the same as saying Brett Favre playing with fractures in his ankle and a busted-up chin – and I have no doubt he will play in their next game – is what the Vikings signed up for when they flew three players to Mississippi to drag him back here.

This isn’t going to end well for the Vikings. It’s so blatantly obviously that head coach Brad Childress has ceded control of this team, and now the inmates are running the asylum.

Moss is spouting off to reporters about the coach’s decision-making. Favre breaks his ankle but refuses medical attention the week before. And how many times has Childress been quoted as saying he would pull or sit Favre? Everyone knows he isn’t going to do that. They didn’t bring Favre back to have him sit and watch.

It’s safe to say – barring a turnaround that seems unlikely but still possible in the beleaguered NFC North – that this will be Favre’s last year in purple. And it will be Moss’ last year, too.

But I’m not sure if getting rid of those two alone would be enough to change a locker-room culture that has seen the head coach be disrespected by two of the team’s key veteran players. I think Childress’ seat is getting red-hot, and it could be white-hot after a few more losses.

I’m just left wondering if the Vikings get through 13 games with a record of 4-9 or 5-8, what will happen? Will Favre keep playing if they’re out of the playoff chase? And what about Moss? We saw in Oakland how things can go if a team is struggling around him.

Childress hitched his wagon to Favre. For better or worse.

Favre, Childress could put end to consecutive games streak

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Brett Favre‘s consecutive games played streak of 291 is one of the craziest records in pro sports. In the hard-hitting world of the NFL, it seems hard to believe that a quarterback could survive that many seasons without missing a game. Few QBs last a whole season, let alone 18 of them.

But Favre and his ability to play through pain will be really put to the test this week, with the Minnesota Vikings preparing to face the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Favre has two different fractures in his left ankle, which were sustained during Sunday’s loss to Green Bay. When medical staff wanted to take a look at Favre after the play that is believed to be the cause of the fractures, he refused to be examined.

There’s not too many QBs in the NFL that would get away with that either. But Favre is a special case.

The question now becomes whether or not he or head coach Brad Childress will be able to end that consecutive games streak this week. Seems hard to believe that Favre should play Sunday, but crazier things have happened.

Childress said during his Monday news conference that sometimes you have to protect a player from himself. That is very true. The concussion issue in pro sports is a prime example of how coaches and medical personnel should be doing just that.

But I didn’t see anyone protecting Favre from himself after he suffered those fractures on Sunday, yet continued to play. I have a hard time believing anyone but Favre will step in now and stop him from playing again.

Childress can say what he’s supposed to say. But we all know that Favre isn’t your average quarterback, and this isn’t your average quarterback-coach relationship.

Vikings win, and Brewster canned

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Sunday’s slate of NFL games couldn’t have worked out better for the Minnesota Vikings. Then, after watching all three of the other NFC North teams lose during the noon games, the Vikings defeated the Dallas Cowboys in a battle of 1-3 teams that have fallen well short of expectations.

Brett Favre

Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre posted his best QB rating of the season Sunday. Associated Press photo

But Sunday’s win puts the Vikings just a game back in the loss column from the first-place Chicago Bears, who lost at home to Seattle. The Green Bay Packers sit in second place after dropping an overtime decision to Miami at Lambeau Field.

All week long we heard about Brett Favre and the off-the-field “sexting” allegations. But hardcore Vikings fans were probably more consumed with the elbow tendinitis that Favre was battling. He was listed as questionable on the team’s injury report, though most everybody believed he was going to start for the 290th consecutive time.

Favre was more game manager and less gunslinger on Sunday, going an efficient 14-for-19 passing for 118 yards and a touchdown for a tidy 106.9 quarterback rating.

Percy Harvin, in particular, looked pretty explosive.

But a lot of the credit should go to the defense and special teams. UND hockey beat writer Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald pointed out on a social networking site that all four of the Vikings touchdowns came when they started the possession in Dallas territory. And the now healthy E.J. Henderson had two interceptions to help the cause.

All told, a solid win for the Vikes, with a big prime-time game against Green Bay looming next week.

Brewster bites the dust

I’m sure there will be no shortage of opinion pieces written about Tim Brewster, who was fired as the University of Minnesota football coach Sunday. Brewster’s Gophers were on a six-game losing streak, and his career mark at Minnesota is just 15-30. AP sports writer Jon Krawczynski notes that he was 0-10 in trophy games. Yeesh!

Columnists turned into sharks upon hearing the news. Blood was in the water. I wrote something for Monday’s papers, taking a North Dakota/South Dakota angle to the dismissal. The Star Tribune’s Patrick Reusse gives his take, too.

Not very often do college football coaches get fired in midseason. But ultimately, it had to be done. And as Minnesota AD Joel Maturi pointed out, with two home games ahead, it probably had to be done now for the sake of the fan base. Attendance in the second season of TCF Bank Stadium has been disappointing, especially in the student section. This is a business, after all.

The Gophers – notably Maturi – took a chance on Brewster after parting ways with Glen Mason prior to the 2007 season. Brewster had never been a head coach in college or the professional ranks. But he had a track record as a recruiter. That track record just didn’t convert to victories.

So, what next? Check out this column from Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press, who mentions Houston’s Kevin Sumlin as a possible replacement.

Favre and the media coverage

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Heard an interesting conversation on talk radio today regarding the Brett Favre “sexting” scandal and how the media has covered it.

Brett Favre

Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre loves playing the media game in the offseason. Right now, he probably wishes he could avoid the media. Associated Press photo

It’s one of those topics where people seem really torn on the subject. I’ve heard compelling cases from people saying it’s been over-covered, and I’ve heard just as many say it hasn’t been covered enough.

As for my take? I don’t know. I think I’m leaning toward it being under-covered, only because the Minnesota Vikings quarterback is such a big name in the NFL.

I would say there hasn’t been as much coverage of this as there was of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the sexual assault allegations against him. But that’s comparing apples and oranges to some degree. Sexual assault and sexting are too very, VERY different things.

It’s impossible to know what’s true and what’s now with the Favre allegations. But that’s not for the media to decide. It’s more of a, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” and you report what can be reported if it’s noteworthy to readers.

It’s interesting how Favre has spent much of the last three offseasons toying with the media, doing the whole “Well I retire, or won’t I?” dance that he does. And the media – notably ESPN – eats it up.

I’m sure right now, though, he wouldn’t mind hiding from that spotlight he used to embrace so much.

Vikings reaction, NFL picks and a radio teaser

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Through four games, the Minnesota Vikings have one win. If that doesn’t make Vikings fans shake in their boots, the way they lost Monday probably does.

Brett Favre

Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre really seems to be struggling with that throwing arm of his. Associated Press photo

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Brett Favre is starting to look his age. But it’s not just that he’s 41 years old. The problems he’s having with that throwing arm of his are pretty obvious, notably on that fourth-quarter pass that went well above the outstretched arms of a wide-open Percy Harvin on what could have been a game-winning drive.

I know there’s at least one colleague of mine whose been officially eliminated from the Vikings record pool with his gutsy – yet misguided – 14-2 prediction.

I fear it will be a long season for the Purple Faithful, unless Favre magically gets that arm healthy again. The guy had a career year last season and it still wasn’t enough. What record will the Vikings finish with if he continues to play at this pace?

But one good note for all of you: At least your starting QB is active. I watched Todd Collins – who looked more like a never-will-be than a has-been – nearly throw away the Chicago Bears’ victory Sunday with four interceptions. Where have you gone, Jay Cutler?

The Vikings are the only team in the NFC North whose starting QB is still playing. Cutler and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers are both recovering from concussions, and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford injured his shoulder in Week 1 and hasn’t played since.

Reviewing the NFL picks

Not a bad week for the weekly NFL picks. Third time this season I went 3-2, and this time I took the favorite against the spread in all of my picks. I got the Bears, Lions and Falcons right. But the Cards and Raiders ruined my picks of the Saints and Chargers.

Overall this season against the spread I am 11-9.

Radio teaser

Tom Mix and I will be joining WDAY’s Dom Izzo on “Dizzo’s Den” from 6:30 to 7 p.m. tonight on 970-AM WDAY radio. This will be the first radio appearance for either Tom or myself since the cancellation of “Sports Talk” so it should be fun.

We had planned to talk Twins the whole 30 minutes, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we have some Vikings reaction too.

My hope is to reveal to the world my thoughts on what the Twins need to do to shake their playoff doldrums.

I assume you take part in the show the same way as you did on “Sports Talk” and that’s by calling 293-9000 or (800) 279-9329 or e-mailing talk@wday.com

Has Thome caught Favre as Minnesota’s best athlete at 40?

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It’s an interesting question. With Jim Thome leading the Minnesota Twins in home runs, does he have more left in the tank at the age of 40 than Brett Favre does with the Minnesota Vikings?

It’s too much of a leap this early in the NFL season to say that he does. But if Favre keeps putting up so-so efforts like he did on Thursday, then it’s safe to say Thome is the premier 40-year-old athlete.

Coming into the season, what would you have thought if someone told you Thome would lead the Twins in homers in 2010? It’s probably not good news. Either that, or Thome must have hit like 40 homers.

Just another one of the surprises on this year’s Twins team.

Saints-Vikings: Not at all what I expected

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Vikings vs. Saints

New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem (17) drops a pass in the endzone next to Minnesota Vikings defender Asher Allen (21) at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. The Saints won 14-9. AP photo

So much for that shootout between two quarterbacks who dominated defenses last season.

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and Minnesota Vikings QB Brett Favre combined for a little more than 400 yards passing as the Saints pulled out a 14-9 victory, preventing the Vikings from “avenging” last season’s NFC championship game loss.

I put “avenge” in quotation marks because, well, could the Vikings really get revenge for losing out on a berth in the Super Bowl by winning a Week 1 regular-season game? I would argue “no,” though I’m sure a victory Thursday would have made a lot of fans feel better.

There were a few things that left me puzzled. Most notably, I can’t believe that in a five-point game Adrian Peterson wouldn’t get a single carry in the fourth quarter. He was running the ball well when I was able to watch the game, which wasn’t too terribly often considering I was cranking out a few things at work. But I did watch enough NFL in the last few years to know that AP is the workhorse on that team, and he needs the ball.

The Vikings are a much better team when they keep defenses guessing. Having Brett Favre attempt pass after pass after pass is not exactly going to have Sean Payton on the sidelines wondering what Minnesota will call next.

The Vikings have the opportunity to get healthy against the likes of the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins in the next two weeks before an early Week 4 bye week. So the road should get a little easier.

So, Vikings fans and non-Vikings fans: What did you take out of Thursday’s Saints-Vikings game?