I remember a couple weeks ago, after Favre played poorly in a loss to Denver, my friend Zach and I discussed the success of Brett Favre over his career. Zach told me, "My dad and I both agree that Brett Favre has always been a horrible quarterback. He just throws it up there and sees what happens. That's why he's thrown so many interceptions. You'll never convince me he's a good quarterback." Despite the fact that Zach was a recruited quarterback and his dad was a former NFL wideout (who once caught 554 yards in a season and went to the Super Bowl), I thought my opinion was surely correct. Surely Brett Favre, the 7-time All-Pro, 3-time MVP, and Super Bowl champion, was one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Unfortunately, Favre's play in recent weeks has fuelled his doubters and saddened his fans. As a general football fan, it also saddens me to see one of the game's legendary figures possibly leave the league playing so poorly. In the last 4 games, Favre has hardly looked like an NFL quarterback, much less a great NFL quarterback.
It seems like ages ago that Favre threw for 6 touchdowns against Arizona in week 4. After that game, he had thrown for 12 tds on the season compared to 4 interceptions. Brett was the same Brett as always, even at age 39. He was still firing bullets and bombs downfield, still grinning as if he was a rookie.
5 weeks ago, the Jets were 8-3, seemed primed for a Super Bowl run after upsetting the undefeated Tennessee Titans, and Favre was receiving consideration as a possible MVP candidate. 5 games later, the Jets, at 9-6, seem primed for an offseason of disappointment, and Favre deserves much of the blame.
Even in the Jets win against the Bills, Favre struggled to lead his team down the field to win the game at the end of the 4th quarter, missing wide open receivers all over the place. Luckily, bone-headed JP Losman eventually bailed Favre out with a miracle fumble. Yesterday against the woeful Seahawks, there was no such luck, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to stand up for the lovable Favre. In the past 4 games, Favre has posted qb ratings of 60.9, 60.8, 61.4, 48.7. He has thrown 6 inteceptions to 1 touchdown, and has now thrown an NFL-high 19 interceptions. If this is how Brett Favre is going to go out, it's a shame for everyone. He would go out as the player who destroyed his team and took them out of the playoff picture.
His doubters would have the final say. They would point to his record 300+ career interceptions rather than his 450+ career passing touchdowns. They would point to his 5 (possibly 6 after this season) seasons of 20+ interceptions rather than his 8 seasons of 30+ touchdowns. They would say his risks, such as his across-body, across-field interception yesterday, show who he really is. The last image of Favre would be of a quarterback who can no longer lead a team to important victories. It wouldn't be of a youthful 39-year-old, but instead of an aging 39-year-old. It wouldn't be of bullets, but instead of consistently underthrown balls. Favre would go out looking tired, weary, gray, and defeated.I'm hoping that won't happen next Sunday. I hope that Favre will come out Sunday firing bullets, throwing touchdown passes, and leading the Jets to a final victory. As a Patriots fan, it would excite me to see my team win its division. However, it would mean more than that to the league. It would help restore Favre, and give his past greatness and supporters the final say. It would show us that even at 39 years old, Favre is still an exciting, excited player. His risks down the field can be approached with an "Ohh that's just Brett being Brett attitude" in a tone similar to "Let boys be boys." Brett Favre is a great person and deserves to be remembered as the ageless, rather than the aged.
12/31/08-It seems that Brett will be remembered as the aged. Despite his injuries, the decision-making he showed in Sunday's loss to the Dolphins (3 atrocious interceptions, no other way to say it) was hard to watch. It's time to retire.
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