Winners, losers and other thoughts: Week 2
By James C. Black, Yahoo! Sports
September 16, 2007
I hate jumping to quick conclusions two weeks into the NFL season, but have we been just a tad bit premature in trying to force retirement on Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre? I know, the season still is young; the offense did next to nothing in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles; and the New York Giants as a whole might be even more bruised and beaten up than Eli Manning's shoulder.
Still, Green Bay is reminding us that parity is as prominent in the league as commissioner Roger Goodell's tendency to hand out punishments. And on any given Sunday, Favre easily looks like one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league.
Favre, who hadn't thrown three touchdown passes in a game since Week 3 of last season, tossed three scoring passes in the win over New York to pull within four of breaking Dan Marino's career record (420). But it's not just records – he surpassed John Elway for most wins by a quarterback by getting his 149th on Sunday – or the 2-0 start that's making me believe the Packers are better off that he opted to return for his 17th season.
The Packers have the longest winning streak (six) in the NFC going back to last season. And whether it’s a veteran such as Donald Driver (73 yards, one touchdown against the Giants) or a rookie like Mason Crosby (three field goals against the Eagles), folks other than No. 4 are making an impact.
But again, the season is incredibly early and the Packers will be tested over the next five contests – including home games against the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears, and a road trip to face the Denver Broncos. At this stage, I'll probably hold off on planning for Favre's retirement until he actually makes the announcement.
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