There is going to be a natural tendency to panic and say "OMG the Eagles lost to the Vikings starting Joe Webb this team is not worthy of the UFL!," but take a step back from the cliff for a second. And even though I may highlight a few players who had a good game tonight (and there were), that does not and will not change the fact that this was a complete and utter turd of a football performance from the Eagles. Absolutely lackluster. Andy Reid's idiocy made things worse. A turd is a turd and that was a turd and I will not pretend otherwise. This was a shit show. But, look at the big picture here. If the Eagles were going to have a shit show, this was the week to do it. And here's why.
I delineated the playoff scenarios earlier and while they are all moot now for the Eagles, there is something to be said. Every scenario that involved the Eagles moving up included in some way, shape, or form, getting help from other teams. You can say you like the odds of Green Bay beating Chicago, but many people liked the odds of the Eagles beating the Vikings by two touchdowns. Yeah, that did not happen, now did it. But there was no guarantee of the bye. Thanks to the blizzard, this game was postponed two days and the Eagles were looking at the prospect at playing 3 games in 12 days if the Bears beat the Packers and the crazy 3-way tie scenario did not shake out. For any team, that is a lot. But for an Eagles team as banged up as this one is, that may have been the death nail. Now the Eagles can rest Vick, Jackson, and Samuel, all of whom seem to be bothered by injury, and the rest all of their starters in preparation for the playoffs. So essentially, the Eagles starters have a bye after all. But the trade off is the Eagles have to field a team of bodies (hello starting safety Colt Anderson!) against the Cowboys and will have to play on wildcard weekend. If given the option of losing this game, resting starters Week 17, and getting the 3 seed or going all out and winning the last 2 games, not getting the necessary help, end up with the 3 seed, and play a 3rd game in 12 days with this being an elimination game, I'd take the scenario that unfolded tonight. Of course, a bye in the playoffs is the ultimate goal, but if you can't have that, this really is the next best thing. 3 seed in the playoffs and you can rest your starters Week 17. Not entirely awful, folks.
The Eagles had 12 penalties against them tonight. Yikes.
DeSean Jackson was a non-factor in this game.
Andy Reid made an awful decision to punt the ball on a 4th and 18 with 4:30 left, down by 10 points, and carrying only 2 timeouts. Yeah, 4th and 18 is a longshot, but by punting the ball you essentially concede the game. You can't expect incredibleness like that The Miracle At The New Meadowlands to happen every game. It's a long shot, but the Eagles are a big play offense. You have to be aggressive at some point when you are trailing, and Andy Reid showed no aggressiveness at all. On the contrary, the Eagles were plenty aggressive against the Giants on Sunday. But at the same token, the Eagles were not faced with one 4th down on their scoring drives in the 4th quarter of that game, so who knows how aggressive the Eagles would have been there. But regardless, the onside kick when they that Cooper recovered was absolutely aggressive and going at it. Same with the play-calling. This performance, on the other hand, was lackadaisical.
The Eagles defense yielded only 17 points. Even though it is not great against a team starting Joe Webb, it still should have been enough against the Vikings. But too many offensive mistakes cost the Eagles in this one.
Joe Webb was not great, but he did not screw up, which given what happened Monday Night against the Bears, is quite the feat for him.
After all the delays and postponements the Vikings have faced this year, no one would have been surprised if they tucked their tail for this game, just wanting to get out of this season. Credit to them, they played a darn good football game. If Leslie Frazier is not hired as the Minnesota Vikings head coach, they are seriously very dumb.
Eagles who had decent games: Kurt Coleman (despite 1 missed tackle that set up the game-clinching drive), LeSean McCoy, Jamar Chaney (despite 1 missed coverage that hurt the Eagles, as a 7th round rookie and a back-up who has not played a lot until Bradley got hurt, I was impressed), Brent Celek.
Eagles who had bad games: Everyone else.
Andy Reid just said at his press conference that his team did not deserve to rest against Dallas. They may not deserve it, but they damn well need it. If the 1st team offense (and defense for that matter) sees more than 2 series on Sunday against Dallas, it will be a crime against football.
The Minnesota Vikings have just defeated the Eagles for the first time in the Andy Reid era. A team with Brett Favre on it has defeated the Eagles in Philadelphia for the first time ever. So there's those meaningless records we can be ashamed of losing.
Andy Reid is lashing out at a reporter, the Eagles played like shit (and angered fans) the Flyers played like shit (and angered fans), Jody Shelley is getting his goon on and cheap shotting people, commenters on Broad Street Hockey and Bleeding Green Nation are getting into fights and arguments. I think what everyone needs is a night's sleep. So with that, the win probability graph (advancednflstats.com) is posted below and on that note, I bid you good night.
This is without a doubt the most embarrassing graphic ESPN has put up since the Brett Favre 500th touchdown party graphic. How someone let this graphic get onto the ESPN broadcast will forever be a mystery.
It is no secret that everyone at ESPN wants some time alone with Brett Favre for a few minutes of happy time, but just because Brett Favre is on the Vikings does not mean the Vikings are in playoff contention. They are mathematically eliminated. And they are not even 5-7. Their record coming into Tuesday Night's game with the Eagles is 5-9.
But yet, my favorite part of this has to be that "Team Name" and "Team Name," both with records of 0-0 are still vying for a playoff spot. With players like "Quarterback," "Hard-Hitting Linebacker," and "Prima Donna Wide Receiver," "Team Name" is a threat to win the Super Bowl this year.
The initial plan for me was to take the day off and not live blog this week. But things changed, namely, the weather. In a period of 24 hours, today's forecast for here went from dry weather to a foot of snow with blizzard like conditions starting in the morning and getting stronger throughout the day and going all the way into the night. Enjoy the games, leave comments, and don't be a troll or you will face the wrath of the banhammer!
What better way to spend your Christmas weekend than by listening to Joe Theismann try to analyze two games instead of one! Isn't this the most exciting news you've heard since the announcement of The Marriage Ref? Onto the schedule now. (all times ET; no games are bolded because I am home with NFL Sunday Ticket and the Sunday Ticket RedZone Channel)
Thursday Night Football
Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 8:20 (NFL Network - Bob Papa, Matt Millen, and Joe Theismann)
Christmas Night Special
Dallas Cowboys vs. Arizona Cardinals 7:30 (NFL Network - Bob Papa, Matt Millen, and Joe Theismann)
New York Jets vs. Chicago Bears 1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns 1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills 1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)
Tennessee Titans vs. Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon)
Indianapolis Colts vs. Oakland Raiders 4:05 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
San Diego Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals 4:05 (CBS - Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker)
Houston Texans vs. Denver Broncos 4:05 (CBS - Don Criqui and Steve Beuerlein)
San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams 1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa)
Detroit Lions vs. Miami Dolphins 1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and Charles Davis)
Washington Redskins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan)
New York Giants vs. Green Bay Packers 4:15 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman)
Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4:15 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick)
Monday Night Football
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons 8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden)
Tuesday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles 8:00 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth)
For all the criticism rightfully laid upon Fox Sports and their coverage of the NFL, this may be one of the most awesome things in the history of football journalism. Fox knew the situation that the Metrodome roof was collapsing, knew what could happen, stuck a video camera in the corner of the Metrodome, and gave us one of the most awesome pieces of raw video I have ever seen.
It's been 28 hours now since this video first aired, and this URL alone has nearly 2,000,000 page views. The Giants-Vikings game that was originally scheduled to be played in the Metrodome has been moved to Ford Field in Detroit for convenience of Fox production purposes where apparently they have already sold out. Next week the Vikings are scheduled to play the Bears in the Metrodome on Monday Night Football. While officials remain confident the roof will be repaired in time for that game, it is a good idea to have a back up plan in place. In this game, it would be TCF Bank Stadium on campus at the University of Minnesota. Yes, it's an outdoor stadium. Yes, a Monday Night Football game in frigid temperatures between the Bears and the Vikings would be awesome to see.
Because what good is a close OT title game if you don't get to hear all of the funny moments from the TV and radio booths!
I know I will take a lot of heat for saying this, but personally, I don't mind Joe Buck. In fact there are times that I quite like him. Talk to any fan anywhere and they will say that he hates their team. Isn't that the mark of a fair announcer? Regardless, while I thought that his dramatic calls of the game (Favre's final INT, Hartley's game-winning FG) were spot on, he did have his moments of slurping Favre. So much so that perhaps it gave us the biggest announcer jinx of the game. We all caught this during the live blog and I even put up an audio of it there that was quickly found, but here it is one for time for shits and giggles.
Yeah, I don't think that Favre was too giddy after that play. And as Dan Levy pointed it out in his column today, how on earth did Buck even know that Favre was smiling then? Did they have a secret Favre Cam just for him?
However, that was not the best of the best. Here are the Vikings radio announcers mourning the interception of Favre. Note the agony.
Whoa! That got a little intense at the end, didn't it?
I have to disagree with Paul, while the throw and the ultimate decision from Favre was curious, the Saints just stuffed you twice running the ball, if you go back to that and go nowhere for the 3rd straight play, Brad Childress is once again an idiot. That 12-man in the huddle penalty certainly put the Vikings in a no win situation where the play call would be criticized no matter went if the play went wrong, and it certainly did there and that is what is happening the day after. But hindsight is 50-50 here people, the best thing to do would have been to try the draw on 1st down, run some sort of quick slant or screen pass on 2nd down, a run on 3rd down to control the clock and kick the FG with as little time left on the clock as possible (Saints had no timeouts in the last minute).
However, we are not done. Here are Saints announcers Jim Henderson and Hokie Gajon calling Favre's 3rd down the same INT you just heard Paul Allen call along with all of the big plays in overtime that led to the Saints beating the Vikings and advancing to the Super Bowl. Prepare for what has to be without a doubt the single greatest call in the history of New Orleans sports.
"Pigs have flown. Hell has frozen over. The Saints are on their way to the Super Bowl!" - Jim Henderson
That may have been one of the most thrilling championship games I have ever seen. From the "Legend of Brett Favre" to the Legend of New Orleans and what that city has been through for the past 4 and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, this game had all the drama you could ever ask for. And oh yeah, the game itself was a mistake-laden thriller. My heart was in my throat for a good part of that 4th quarter and all of OT. It was that good.
So what went down? The Vikings had a chance. Brett Favre. The 2-minute drill. He has made his career of being a hero during this part of the game. But in the 2008 NFC title game, he threw an INT that cost himself the game. Surely with this chance, he would get the job done, right?
It started out right. The Vikes got to the Saints 33 with the Saints out of timeouts and a minute on the clock. Inexplicably they called not one but 2 running plays that went absolutely nowhere. Followed that up with a 5-yard, too many men in the huddle penalty, and all of a sudden, they were out of Longwell's range. With no choice but to throw it on 3rd and long just to get back to field goal range and 18 seconds left on the clock, the unthinkable happened.
Picked off! Are you kidding me?? Brett Favre did it again!
But that only sent the game into OT. The Vikings were idiots and called heads, which allowed the Saints to receive the ball and after several somewhat controversial replays and a bad pass interference call, it all came down to Garrett Hartley. Historically snakebitten football team. The Aints. Hurricane Katrina. Here's the payoff:
Right down the middle! The New Orleans Saints are going to Super Bowl XLIV.
And as a result, for the first time ever, a former Bloomsburg University Husky will be playing in the Super Bowl. Congratulations Jahri Evans, Pro Bowl right guard for the New Orleans Saints! I will have a lot more on that tomorrow, as will I also have a breakdown of scheduling for the next couple of weeks.
As far as the Saints opponent goes, it is the Indianapolis Colts who took care of the Jets 30-17 in what was a very good game for 3 quarters. But the loss of Donald Strickland early and Shonn Greene at the start of the 2nd half proved too much for the Jets to overcome and the Colts put the final clamp down in the 4th quarter. The Jets hung in there and gave it a heck of a ride for 45 minutes, but the team that kept it up for 60 minutes, the Colts, earned the trip back to Miami where they will play in their 4th ever Super Bowl, all of which just so happened to be played in Miami (Super Bowls III, V, XLI, and XLIV all in Miami).
My way too early prognostication is the Colts will take it in a high scoring game, but before I make a final prediction I want time for the stories to start unfolding, injuries becoming more clear, and more time for match-ups to develop.
Today proved once again why the Conference Championships are my favorite day of the NFL, now let's hope we cap it off with a fun Super Bowl! Manning vs. Brees. Colts vs. Saints. In Miami, trick.
What: Brett Favre's return to the NFC Championship! Who: Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints Where: Louisiana Superdome When: 6:40 PM ET What Channel: Fox Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers
We saw him 2 years ago in this game in this time slot throw what many thought would be his last pass: an interception into the hands of Corey Webster that ultimately resulted in the Giants kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime sending them to the Super Bowl. But after contemplating retirement and retiring and unretiring 33 times, he is back in the NFC and he is back in the championship game, only this time, Brett Favre is a Viking.
From Undefeated To Not Undefeated: As the year went on and on, the Saints had become the favorite to go a perfect 16-0 in the regular season. However, after a 13-0 start, they would go on to drop their next 3 games and they went from the team to beat, to the team everyone was questioning heading into the postseason. The New Orleans Saints dispatched of the Arizona Cardinals last week, turning it into a romp the second that Kurt Warner got hurt. That Cardinal defense was not meant to defend the kind of offense the Saints use (come to think of it...is the Cardinals defense designed to stop any offense?) and they took advantage of it. The scored at will, Reggie Bush was on FIYAH!, and the final score indicated the ugliness of the blowout, but the question is, was that game a product of Saints resurgency, or a product of dreadful Cardinal defense combined with no offense when Warner got hurt?
OMGWTF Favre!: I brought it up earlier, but in case you have not heard yet, Brett Favre is back in the NFC Championship game! He will get what will most likely be his last and best shot at returning to the Super Bowl. However, the big key to the game for the Vikings may not be Favre, but rather, the running game. The Vikings easily dispatched of the Cowboys last week, but one fact remains and that is they did most of it without the benefit of Adrian Peterson tearing up the Cowboys. If the Saints can continue the streak and force a bad game on Peterson and thus force Favre to throw passes in a championship game, you can expect ye olde gun slinger to be making throws to guys in black jerseys.
Defense wins championships: And in a game that is sure to be filled with offense, the winner of this game will come down to the team that can play the best defense. It sounds cliche and rather basic, but if you think about it, that is what this game really could come down to. Who can make that final defensive stop? Just like you can expect special teams to make a big difference in Indy, the team that makes the most big plays on defense in this offensive game, will be going to Sun Life Stadium and will be playing in Super Bowl XLIV.
Prediction: With no drama shortage in this game, you can expect an offensive shootout with lots of points scored and teams seemingly scoring at will. However, I like the match-up of Brees and his WRs versus the Vikings secondary then I do Favre and his WRs versus the Saints secondary. Basically what I am saying is that Brees will heave and connect on deep bombs at will and while the Vikings will get quite a few points themselves this game, the defense of the Saints will step up when they need them the most and give the Saints and the fans of New Orleans something to celebrate 4 and a half years after Hurricane Katrina. 38-27 Saints
The NFL's version of the final 4 and my personal favorite day of the NFL. 2 championship games in the amount of time that you can see one two weeks from that day. The drama is always high, the pressure is always on, and memorable moments are bound to happen. So what does the schedule look like? Well, here ya go. (all times eastern)
2010 AFC Championship Game: #5 New York Jets @ #1 Indianapolis Colts 3:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, SR: Steve Tasker)
2010 NFC Championship Game: #2 Minnesota Vikings @ #1 New Orleans Saints 6:40 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)
If changes are made, I'll be sure to update them here.
Who will be going to Miami to play for professional football's greatest prize?
I'll have more elaborate previews of these games later in the week.
If that look from The Plastic mean does not scream "You fucking pussy! You have embarrassed me once again in a big game and have made me, The Great Jerry Jones, look like a complete imbecile, when really you are the retarded imbecile that is fucking me up and fucking my team up and you and your fucking piece of shit coaching team can go rot in an eternal hell of 10,000 degrees", then I don't know what does.
is over at The O Files. So come join us, won't you? Unless of course you are Nathan Brice, Captain Cocktacular, Big Dick Johnson, "someone with diarrhea", a "Journalist" who mocks us, a Jim who hates his tiny thingy, a Michael who hates his tiny thingy and wants us to make it bigger for him (the answer is still No, by the way), or any other random troll. We've seen the cream of the crop this year.....and I damn sure don't want to see anymore!
Moving on.....here is today's schedule.
#3 Dallas Cowboys @ #2 Minnesota Vikings 1:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver and Chris Myers)
#5 New York Jets @ #2 San Diego Chargers 4:40 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Last year, the Eagles needed to help to achieve something they wanted. Last year they wanted a playoff spot. They needed outside help. Michael Bush provided that help as he was instrumental in the Raiders beating the Buccaneers which helped to allow the Cowboys-Eagles game later that day to be a game to advance to the playoffs. This year, the Eagles are in the playoffs, but could really use a 1st round bye as their bye week this season was Week 4. Enter Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears. If the Bears win, then all the Eagles need to do is beat the Cowboys on Sunday in order to secure a first round bye (more on this tomorrow).
The Bears jumped out to a 17-point lead but Brett Favre did his Brett Favre thing and clawed the Vikings back in the game and tied it at 23. Immediately following that, Danieal Manning returned the kick to the Viking 20. Cutler followed that up with a TD pass to give the Bears a 30-23 lead with over 4 minutes left in regulation. Brett Favre once again did his Brett Favre thing and methodically drove down the field throwing a game-tying TD pass to Sidney Rice with 11 seconds left.
The Bears elect to take a knee following the kickoff and we go to overtime. Bears win the toss and receive. They drive down the field and set up Robbie Gould for a 48-yard field goal only to see him just miss it wide right. The Bears defense would step up afterwards and force a three and out. Bears get the ball back again but they go three and out themselves. Next Vikings possession, Favre throws a pass to Peterson who makes the catch out of the backfield and runs down the sidelines but he has the ball punched out of his hands by Hunter Hillenmeyer and it's recovered by the Bears. The first play after that, this happened. Take it away, Jay Cutler!
PHILLY LOVES YOU JAY CUTLER!!!!!!!!!!
Now all the Eagles have to do is beat Dallas and they will be the #2 seed in the NFC. Thank you Jay Cutler. Regardless of what happens in the near and not-so-near future, you can be sure that I won't soon forget this.
You can never fully trust the word of a doctor commenting on the injury of someone that he has never seen or evaluated, but if what Dr. David Thorson says is true, then we may be seeing E.J. Henderson back by training camp. No, that's not in a wheelchair maybe walking and saying hi to his old teammates back, I'm talking about putting on pads and helmet and actually hitting people back. Via the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
"Assuming everything is as it should be, my guess is he'll be participating in training camp," said David Thorson, a physician who works with the St. Paul Saints, Twin Cities Marathon and the U.S. ski team. "The bone heals fast, and he's a healthy guy."
Thorson said the femur — the longest and strongest bone in the body — should heal in six to eight weeks and that Henderson could resume running in eight to 12 weeks.
Athletes, though, typically need about nine months to fully recover from the fractured femur.
"There's a physical recovery and a psychological recovery," Thorson said. "Sometimes, the psychological takes longer."
Thorson said he has worked with six professional athletes — most of them skiers — who suffered fractured femurs and all of them returned to competition the next season. Thorson noted that skiers put much more stress on the leg than a football player because of the centrifugal force.
"Every athlete I've had was competing at a high level after (successful surgery) and competing at a high level a year later," Thorson said. " "They're not 100 percent back, but they're back doing what they need to do."
Thorson watched the Vikings' 30-17 loss Sunday to the Arizona Cardinals and saw Henderson's injury.
Like many fans and teammates, Thorson was horrified by the unnatural bend of Henderson's left leg.
"I said this isn't good the way the knee went," Thorson said.
But after learning that Henderson had a fractured femur, Thorson said the player should feel fortunate that he didn't suffer a serious knee injury.
"In some respects, this may be better news than other injuries," Thorson said. "(Major knee injuries) can be more difficult to recover from."
Okay, that is disgusting on so many levels. And here I was thinking he would be lucky if he could ever walk right again.
While it is certainly good for the Vikings that Henderson will be back by training camp, him being done for the year certainly puts them in a bit of a bind defensively as Jared Allen cannot be playing 12 positions at once and the Williams can't be on the field for more than half the game. Yes, they really do spend 30 minutes of game time devouring cheeseburgers. That secondary is susceptible to the passing attack if Kurt Warner showed us anything at all on Sunday and the Vikings would be in big time trouble if they have to go against the Saints in the playoffs. Message to Andy Reid: just because a team is susceptible to the pass does not mean you can throw it on literally every play of the game!!! If you try to do that Andrew Walter Reid, Pat Williams will be picking off 30-yard deep balls in no time.
But going back to E.J. Henderson, if you have been living under a rock and have not seen this video yet, I would advise you to see it just so that you can appreciate how amazing it is that this guy can be back by training camp. Then again, if you are at all squeamish to odd contortions of the human leg, I would advise you to not to watch it and just take my word that this would be an incredible recovery.
Greg Fucking Lewis!!!!! Yes, that's the same Greg Lewis that's a former Eagle! Yes, that's the same Greg Lewis that despite his amazing ability to drop every football thrown to him, found his way into the starting rotation for the Eagles a few years ago. Yes, that's the same Greg Lewis who was cut by the Patriots earlier this year. Yes, that's the guy who just caught that game-winning touchdown. GREG FUCKING LEWIS!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy Hell. What in the name of Davy Jones' Locker is going on this week?
Let's reset here. On Thursday at 7:30 PM ET, the big story in the NFL was that Tom Brady was making his NFL return after suffering a season-ending knee injury Week 1 of the regular season. Everyone knew about it. By the end of that night, if you told them that Brady returned that night most people would have been like, "What?? Tom Brady returned as well? Damn, what a night!"
The story that was alluded to above was the fact that Vick joined the Eagles. Well now, by the end of the night, I think when told of the fact that Vick is now an Eagle, people will be like "What??? Vick joined the Eagles????? When???? I need to protest!" (that last line pertains to animal lovers and PETA members, and angry Eagles fans only). So what story is it? As 49er16 talked about below, Brett Favre was flying to Minnesota to sign with the contracts, well now it is done and Brett Favre is now once again out of retirement. Who saw this one coming? Oh, wait, I, and I think every other person who has been watching the end of Favre's career over the past few years. Via NFL.com
The Minnesota Vikings have signed three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre, the team announced on its website Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Sporting a red No. 4 practice jersey, Favre joined his new teammates on the field. John David Booty, who formerly wore No. 4 for the Vikings, had changed to jersey No. 9.
"We believe adding a player such as Brett Favre to our mix will be a strong positive for this football team," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "As we have conveyed before, his unique knowledge of our system, the NFC North and his innate skills make this a rare opportunity. We felt there was a brief window to reconsider the possibility and we owed it to the organization to evaluate our options. After thorough discussion, the same variables that made this a unique and positive situation previously, still exist. Now, our attention turns to getting to work as a team, our next practice and preparing for the season."
Entering his 19th year in the NFL, Favre has started 269 consecutive games (291 including playoffs) for the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets, the longest stretch ever by an NFL quarterback and the second-longest streak in NFL history, behind only former Minnesota Viking Jim Marshall (270). The 10-time Pro Bowler is the league's all-time leader in touchdown passes (464), completions (5,720), attempts (9,280), yards (65,127) and victories as a starting QB (169).
"I am excited about the opportunity to join this football team," Favre said. "From ownership, to coaching to the players, it is evident that everyone in the Vikings organization is committed to bringing the fans of Minnesota a Championship. I am eager to join my new teammates and get to work towards that goal."
Ugh. Just ugh. I actually have a unique perspective of this as my brother is pretty much a die-hard Vikings fan (I have yet to figure out to this day how that came about). Back when Favre was a Packer, and even last year as a Jet, he HATED him more than any NFL player. But now that he has signed with the Vikings, although he is not happy about all of his contradictions and the way it went down, he is happy that Favre is with the Vikings. And I think the same can be said for most Viking fans out there. 3 years ago, who would have thought that this would have been the case. To sum my thoughts up best: Despite the retirement announcement a few weeks ago, I still knew that this day was coming, but at the same time, I never thought I would see the day when Brett Favre would put on a Vikings helmet and jersey.
The circus has just left Philadelphia and is currently stationed right outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Update: Holy crap! It just dawned on me that Week 1 will now feature a match-up between Brett Favre and Eric Mangini. Seeing as Brennaman/Billick is the highest team on the depth chart to not have a game assigned, they would seem like a lock to call that game over Rosen/Ryan unless there is a line-up shuffling. I'll keep you posted when more is revealed.
(Guest posted by 49ers16 from Keith's Sports Journal)
Oh crap, here we go again. Brett Favre is on an airplane headed to Minnesota. He's expected to sign a contract with the Vikings and begin practice by this afternoon. Of course this is Brett Favre and he could do a million things from now till the end of the day. Good luck Minnesota. We've seen this guy's act before. And good luck Brett, your going to need it for that Monday Night game in Green Bay.
Report: Favre is expected to sign with Vikings today (PFT)
So anything exciting happen in Minnesota over the off season in Minnesota? Oh yeah, Brett Favre once again waffled on whether or not he would come out of retirement. But this time he wanted to play for the team he wanted the Green Bay Packers to originally trade him to. Brad Childress completely threw his quarterbacks under the bus, in his pursuit of Favre.
Well Favre said no to Minnesota, and Childress and the Vikings have to start over again. They brought in Sage Rosenfels to compete with Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson was benched last season in favor of Gus Frerotte. Frerotte was eventually hurt and Jackson started for Minnesota in the playoffs. And of course having T-Jack start in a playoff team against a world-class defense, Philadelphia, was a disaster. So where does Minnesota go from here?
Rosenfels or Jackson?: Sage Rosenfels is a 31-year old journeyman who has the penchant for committing a turnover during a key moments of the game. While Rosenfels is certainly an improvement over Frerotte, he's not exactly a barn burner.
Jackson on the other hand is just under-whelming. He won't kill you with interceptions, he only threw two last season, but he won't help you with his arm. He's a decent throwing quarterback who can run exceptionally. Right now both quarterbacks have had an inconsistent summer. So who wins the starting job, will be any body's guess.
They still have Adrian Peterson: Adrian Peterson has been a beast for Minnesota since arriving. And last year was even better than his rookie season. Peterson lead the league in rushing yards last season, 1,760, which was the most yards rushed by a sophomore running back since Eric Dickerson. So while Minnesota is searching for a quarterback, they still have a strong running back and offensive line.
Tempers: I think you can say that tempers fly at every training camp. And they eventually flied on the last day of training camp for Minnesota. After rookie receiver Percy Harvin was tackled and hurt, during a drill in which there was not suppose to be any tackling, Brad Childress called off the practice and told the team to go inside to watch film. One of the most overrated arguments is whether or not training camp fights hurt or help a team. It doesn't effect a team at all, tempers are just high because these guys are practicing in hot weather.
Percy Harvin: The Vikings first draft choice was Florida receiver Percy Harvin. And Minnesota has plenty of work for him. Harvin right now looks great as a returner for the special teams. But that's not all what he will do. Apparently Minnesota sees Harvin as their Wildcat specialist. Harvin was one of the most dangerous players in the open field at Florida and he could fit in right away at the wildcat position.
More Rookies: Besides Harvin looking good in his first training camp, the other Vikings rookies have looked great. Rookie offensive tackle Phil Loadholt has filled in nicely at the right tackle position. The right tackle position was a weak spot last year for Minnesota and Loadholt looks to be a vast improvement over Ryan Cook. The Vikings have also added depth in their already great defense with rookie cornerback Asher Allen and rookie linebacker Jasper Brinkley.
Awkward?: Minnesota drafted Boise State running back Ian Johnson. Johnson of course is the player who scored the game-winning two-point conversion in the dramatic 2007 Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. And of course Minnesota's starting running back Adrian Peterson played for Oklahoma in the 07 Fiesta Bowl. He even scored two touchdowns. I wonder if these guys have had conversations about that game?
Schedule: Minnesota starts the season with two road games against Cleveland and Detroit then go home for two road games. The Vikings have to play the tough AFC North and the soft NFC West so the schedule is particularly tough for them.
Video: A look at Adrian Peterson's incredible two seasons in the NFL.
UPDATE!, VIDEO PART 2: JFein brought to my attention something I forgot about. Remember in the playoff game against Philadelphia when Tarvaris Jackson was body slammed by Eagles player Chris Clemons during an interception return?
Prediction: 10-6, 2nd NFC North, Despite their problems at the quarterback, the Vikings do field a playoff team. Their defense is one of the best in the league, especially their defensive line. Also they field one of the best offensive lines in the league to go along with Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. They are a playoff team that will once again loose in the first round.
Phew.......that was a close one. You all know what this means, don't you? Brett Favre having surgery means that he won't return to the NFL and he will retire once and for all. Wait, hold on, what??!?!? What are you saying?? He's still considering the Vikings?????? Even though he said that if he had surgery he would not return to the NFL?? Are you effing kidding me?? This guy is more two-faced than a man who actually has 2 faces!!! From ESPN.com
Brett Favre will meet with renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday in Alabama to discuss surgery on his throwing shoulder expected to be performed later this week, the St. Paul Pioneer Press has reported.
Rehabilitation from the surgery, which will release a partially torn biceps tendon in Favre's right arm, would be six to eight weeks, the report said.
Favre, 39, consulted with Andrews last week, a source told ESPN. According to the Pioneer Press, Favre missed another scheduled appointment with Andrews.
The report further indicates Favre's intent to consider signing with the Minnesota Vikings despite announcing his retirement with the New York Jets after last season.
