Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings / Photo: Newscom

I couldn’t be more impressed with the way Brett has handled the pressure and difficulty of both these games. Not only are the Packers an excellent football team, the situation Brett was faced with made winning both these games seem darn near impossible. He not only stood up to these two challenges, he thrived in the face of both of them. Seven touchdowns and no interceptions in two games against the NFL’s third best defense (before this game) is impressive.

Afterward, Brett talked about being booed by the Lambeau faithful:

“Packer fans cheer for the Packers first. I know that. But I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, ‘I sure hate those jokers on the other side, but he does play the way he’s always played.’”

With both of these Packers games behind Brett—and as long as he stays healthy—the Vikings have to be considered among the elite in the NFC. The Vikes do have some difficulty in holding leads of two or more touchdowns and playing top notch defense for four quarters. And they’re not running the football as well as they would like. But the Vikings are certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Source: NFL.com

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Brett Favre Beats Packers at Lambeau Field

Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings / Image: Zuma Press

I’m sure it’s partly due to the fact Brett has already played the Packers this season (albeit in Minnesota). That game set a record for cable television viewership. And Brett shook off some pre-game jitters to go 24-of-31 passing for 271 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Vikes to a 30-23 victory. But this is Lambeau Field, where Brett championed the Green Bay Packers for 17 seasons. This is unlike any other homecoming in the history of professional football. It’s Brett Favre at Lambeau Field—in the visiting locker room and on the opponents’ sideline. It’s so wrong. And that’s what makes it so interesting.

The fact remains, however, that this is still one of 16 games on the Vikings’ and Packers’ NFL schedule. And one Brett is looking at as an important game in the NFC North race rather than his own personal homecoming to a place he is still, by-and-large, considered an icon. Being relaxed and having some control about him will be paramount and Brett admitted as much:

“To me, being able to focus, being relaxed, kind of seeing things clearly as they’re happening is a much better and more productive way to play. Being nervous and having anxiety and things like that, I don’t think can be a plus when you’re in a decision-making role.”

Brett is saying and doing all the right things. He says there are “no sentiments other than we need to win this football game.” But you know when he signed that contract with the Vikings, there were two games he circled on the 2009 schedule, games he wanted to win more than any of the others. One has been successfully completed. The other—the most important of the two (and most rewarding if he wins)—is this Sunday.

Source: Vikings.com

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Brett Favre Returns to Lambeau Field

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Brett Favre returned to Lambeau Field today to honor former center Frank Winters’ induction into the Green Bay Packers’ Hall of Fame today. I wonder how uncomfortable that was for Brett? And Ted Thompson? And Mike McCarthy? And others? Brett declined to answer any questions about his “unretirement” out of respect for the event and the individuals being honored. I wonder what the coming weeks will bring in regards to Brett’s possible return to the game?

I think former Packers defensive back LeRoy Butler made a very sensible statement. He feels Brett wavered in his retirement plans and should return to the team and compete for a starting spot just like any other player. And may the best man win the role of starting quarterback. I agree. Brett did go back on his retirement announcement. Ok, so he was rightfully pressured into making a decision back in March and at the time he felt burned out and not ready to go through the rigors of another season. But time healed that. Nevertheless, Brett is not bigger than the Packers (contrary to what some believe) and if he wants to return to the game, I think he should do so in an open competition (which he’ll win) with a restructured contract.

Source: ESPN.com

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Brett Favre Returns to Lambeau Field

There’s a Manning in the Super Bowl again this year. But this time, it’s younger brother Eli’s turn as he led his N.Y. Giants to a 23-20 overtime win against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game. Yes, Eli Manning led them. It was the Giants’ 10th straight road win and once again, Eli took charge by managing the football game and not making mistakes. He was 21 of 40 for 254 yards with no touchdowns, but also no interceptions. There is so much to be said for not turning the football over. Fumbles or interceptions in games of this magnitude are season-enders as the Packers found out. Eli doesn’t need to be spectacular for the Giants to be successful. He really doesn’t. That being said, I don’t want to downplay his excellence. Eli did make some big-time throws today. He is a much different quarterback than earlier this season, looking more in-control and more confident than I have ever seen him. He’s easily playing the best football of his young career.

Eli had help. The Giants O-line paved the way for RBs Brandon Jacobs (67 yards, one TD) and Ahmad Bradshaw (63 yards, one TD). They had the ball almost twice as long as Green Bay. It was ridiculous. And WR Plaxico Burress put on a clinic against All-Pro CB Al Harris, catching 11 balls for 154 yards. I really think Plaxico can be as good as he wants to be. I’m not sure he’s always been the most motivated player. But with an ankle injury that has hobbled him most of this season, I give him a lot of credit for stepping up in the biggest game of the season. He made Al Harris look like just another corner.

And what can I say about Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes? The guy missed two field goal attempts, one of which would’ve won the game in regulation for N.Y. When given a third chance from the longest distance of the evening, he nails it to send the Giants to the Super Bowl. Ahh, the life of a kicker. You’re the hero or the goat. Lawrence was both today but the misses matter not as long as you make the one to win the game.

Brett Favre’s dream season came crashing down around him. In the second half, I thought he made a bunch of ill-advised throws, two of which were intercepted. His O-line gave him ample time to throw. Michael Strahan had just two tackles and Osi Umenyiora had nothing statistically. But Brett had a hard time finding open receivers and he forced some throws, as he has been known to do from time-to-time. I had no confidence that the Packers had any chance to take this game the way things were going in the 4th quarter. Even after they won the coin toss in overtime, I didn’t think they would be able to move the ball. And they didn’t. Credit the Giants’ defense for holding former teammate Ryan Grant to 29 yards on a mere 13 carries, far from the game plan the Packers had in mind for their top running back.

This was a great football game that came down to the Giants making one more play than the Packers. I thought both teams played their hearts out. Bottom line, the Giants went out and won this football game in extremely difficult weather conditions (temps at Lambeau Field were below zero the entire game) against a very good team. They truly earned their way to Super Bowl XLII as the first NFC team ever to win three road games and advance to the Super Bowl. The Giants peaked at exactly the right time this season and have to be considered as a legit contender to beat the Patriots in two weeks. Technically, it’s a road game, so why not?

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Giants Beat Packers for NFC Championship, Eli Manning Leads N.Y. to Super Bowl XLII

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

It’s a one-game season for the teams in this weekend’s Conference Championship games. Win and you’re on your way to sunny Glendale, AZ for Super Bowl XLII on February 3. Lose and it’s the sudden beginning of a long offseason. “Our whole season is at stake and so is theirs,” says New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in describing his AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers. The same can be said for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.

• Both games are rematches of Week 2 meetings this season (it is the 16th time since 1970 that both championship games were rematches). But both winning coaches, Bill Belichick (Patriots) and Mike McCarthy (Packers) say that their opponents are different teams now.
• The clubs combined for an .800 regular/postseason winning percentage (56-14).
• The teams are hot, no matter what streak you look at. New England is scalding, continuing on an unbeaten season at 17-0. San Diego has won eight in a row. New York is 10-1 on the road (no road team has ever played in a championship game with that road record). Green Bay has won eight of its nine home games this year.
• In action this Sunday will be the NFL’s career leader in quarterback wins and touchdown passes (Brett Favre), the season TD-pass record-holder (Tom Brady), the season sack leader (Michael Strahan), and the running back who has led the league in rushing the past two years (LaDainian Tomlinson).

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (13-5) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (17-0)
The players and personalities on these teams can exert their own game-changing influence on the matchup, but the bottom line to the meeting could be turnovers. San Diego led the league in takeaways (48; with a league-leading 30 interceptions), while New England had only 15 giveaways, best in the league (and only nine interceptions, third-best). That said, San Diego will face an offense seldom seen in the NFL. The Patriots set the season record this year for points (589) and touchdowns (75) and scored at least 24 points in 16 of their 17 games. Led by the 2007 NFL MVP, QB Tom Brady, New England seems capable of adjusting to anything defenses throw at it. Limit the pass (if that can be done) and they go to the run, or vice versa. Perhaps nothing illustrates this ability more than the Patriots’ Divisional Playoff game against Jacksonville. The Jags double- and sometimes triple-teamed WR Randy Moss, who set the NFL season TD-reception record (23) this year. What did Tom Brady do? He completed 26 of 28 attempts (for an NFL record 92.9 completion percentage) to eight different receivers for 262 yards – with only one pass going to Randy. The Chargers will come in to their rematch with the Patriots (they lost at New England 38-14 on September 16) somewhat limited. But that concerns Coach Belichick. RB LaDainian Tomlinson (knee), QB Phillip Rivers (knee) and TE Antonio Gates (toe) are hurting. Phillip would be replaced by veteran Billy Volek, who led San Diego to the winning score in the Divisionals. MY PICK: How can I go against the undefeated Patriots, a team I’ve been touting as the eventual Super Bowl champion since before training camp started? I can’t. I won’t.

NEW YORK GIANTS (12-6) at GREEN BAY PACKERS (14-3)
If anyone exhibits how teams can change during a season, it’s these two. Back in Week 2 (a 35-13 Green Bay win in New York), the Packers were worried about their running game, and even Brett Favre (who would become the NFL’s winningest QB ever in that game) was saying the Pack needed to be able to mix the run with the pass. The Giants? Their concern — a big one — was their defense, with new packages put in under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. By the end of the Green Bay game, the Giants had surrendered 80 points in the season’s first two games. Going into the NFC Championship, how things have changed. It took five more games for Green Bay to find its running game — in Ryan Grant, who grew up 20 miles from Giants Stadium (Ramsey, NJ). Ryan was a practice squad player/injured for the Giants for two years before Green Bay traded for him right before the season. All Ryan did since Week 8 was run for 1,130 yards and 11 TDs, including a Packers’ playoff record last Saturday with 201 rushing yards. Meanwhile, from a gritty goal-line stand against Washington in Week 3, the Giants’ defense began to take form, Spagnuolo’s shifting schemes and player rotation up front began to mesh, and New York has allowed only 18.9 points-per-game through the Divisionals since the Green Bay game. So how will this all pan out Sunday in what is expected to be sub-freezing temperatures at Lambeau Field? You have to think the running game will be a big factor. The Giants can match Ryan Grant’s production with their own RBs – Brandon Jacobs, the 6-4, 264-pound freight train who usually needs a good two or three guys to bring him down, and elusive Ahmad Bradshaw, one of the team’s two seventh-round draft picks this year. Giants QB Eli Manning — looking to become the second consecutive Manning to win a Super Bowl after brother Peyton did it last season — has a 100 passer rating in each of his last three games, along with eight TDs and one interception. He will go against one of the best corner tandems in the league in Al Harris and Charles Woodson, who excel in man-to-man. And Brett Favre, who also became the career TD leader this year — who knows what he’ll pull this week, from last-ditch shovel passes that set up scores to out-and-out bombs to the Pack’s “Big Five” alignment of five wides and an empty backfield. Brett has a strong O-line in front of him. He was sacked the third fewest times in the league (19, tie), but faces a defense that led the NFL in sacks (53) this season. MY PICK: I believe the Giants’ road win streak ends here at Lambeau. Brett Favre in the NFC Championship on the frozen tundra? Yeah, I like the Pack.

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AFC & NFC Conference Championships: Patriots vs. Chargers, Packers vs. Giants