Heatherthepackgirl
Cheesehead
By GREG A. BEDARD
[email protected]
Posted: Nov. 25, 2007
Green Bay - Mike McCarthy likes to use the first team meeting of the week to head off any storylines that might affect the mind-set of his team.
Mike McCarthy and Brett Favre will try to figure out how to snap the quarterback's eight-game losing streak at Texas Stadium.
So when McCarthy stood in front of the Green Bay Packers on Sunday morning, he told them not to worry about the fact that the Packers hadn't won at Texas Stadium, the site for Thursday's NFC showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, since 1989.
"All you guys were in Little League when they played down there," McCarthy said.
One hand went up in the back.
"Not all the guys," the man attached to the hand said.
That would be quarterback Brett Favre, who has lost all eight of his starts - including three post-season games - at the stadium in Irving, Texas.
Count Favre among those who will enjoy seeing it razed in favor of the Cowboys' new home in Arlington for the 2009 season.
"I was hoping that it would be gone before I got back there," Favre said. "I know we haven't had much success down there. (Former Cowboys quarterback) Troy (Aikman) and I talk about that every time he does one of our games. But there's always going to be the next time that you play that's going to be different."
And the way things have gone for Favre - this season and in his career - he might very well cross the star at midfield as the victor on Thursday.
There was a stretch in the mid 1990s when Favre and the Packers lost seven of eight regular-season games to the Lions in Detroit. That's ancient history, punctuated by last week's virtuoso performance in the Packers' 37-26 victory.
The Metrodome was unkind in the early part of Favre's career, but it has been home sweet dome in four of the past five visits against the Minnesota Vikings.
And this season, Favre crossed off both Denver and Kansas City - in back-to-back weeks - from the list of places he had never won. Fittingly, the victory at Arrowhead Stadium gave Favre wins over each of the NFL's other 31 teams.
So does his skid in Dallas bother Favre?
"Not anymore," he said. "It did when we lost every time, but it's just one of those things. We hope that changes this week."
Along with meetings in the regular season, the Packers and Cowboys also faced off in the playoffs in successive years from 1993-'95. At the time, Dallas was the NFC's reigning power, having won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1992 and '93. The Packers were ascending.
The present and future powers of the NFC collided in 1995. While the meeting happened in Week 5, both teams had one loss, as they do now (Cowboys were 3-1; Packers 4-1). Favre completed just 21 of 41 passes (51%) for 295 yards, one touchdown and one interception as Dallas prevailed, 34-24.
The Cowboys, after beating Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game, 38-27, won their third Super Bowl title in four years. The Packers went 13-3 the following season and won their first Super Bowl in 29 years.
"I will say this: I think every time that we played, for the most part, they've had a damn good football team," Favre said. "Most of the times we lost down there, it was in the playoffs. Good thing was they went on to win the Super Bowl in all those.
"Each year I thought we progressively got a little bit better and we kept saying, 'OK, next year this is not going to happen,' and it did until we won the Super Bowl. We held in there and a couple of those games were pretty darn close and I thought the Dallas Cowboys were unbeatable those years and they really were."
Unstoppable might be the word used to describe the Packers' offense lately under Favre. They've averaged nearly 34 points and 430 total yards - with Favre accounting for 327.5 yards - in the past four games.
Favre feels that his ability to know what his receivers - Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, specifically - will do on a particular play is the reason the Packers are clicking at such a high rate in the passing game.
"I know what Donald's going to do without even looking," Favre said. "I'm getting to the point where I know what Greg's going to do; I trust him. James (Jones) is evolving into that, and I think that makes as much difference as anything.
"How fast a guy runs, how high he jumps, is important. But not as important as being on the same page. And that, it takes time. How much? Who knows? But for us, up to this point, it hasn't taken as much time as you would think it would."
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said being in sync with your receivers is one thing. The way Favre has played is something different.
"You know a lot of people can put a lot of receivers (out there) and throw the ball," Phillips said. "To do it the way he's doing it is unbelievable. He's having a great year and one of his best years, I think."
According to McCarthy, Favre should be the league's most valuable player, no matter what Tom Brady is doing for the New England Patriots.
"He's my MVP," McCarthy said. "I make no bones about it. He's playing at an extremely high level."
Favre said the sentiments are nice, but Brady's the MVP.
"I think I'm playing as good football as I've ever played up to this point," Favre said. "But I've never seen numbers like what Tom Brady's putting up, most important being (that he's) undefeated. I think his play now, regardless of who he's throwing to, is as good as anybody who's ever played the game. I think I'm playing well, but Tom, it's just unbelievable."
Post-season awards can wait. Chances for Favre to win at Texas Stadium might not.
"I don't know if I'll be around to see the next stadium," he said. "I'd like to get one in this stadium."
[email protected]
Posted: Nov. 25, 2007
Green Bay - Mike McCarthy likes to use the first team meeting of the week to head off any storylines that might affect the mind-set of his team.
Mike McCarthy and Brett Favre will try to figure out how to snap the quarterback's eight-game losing streak at Texas Stadium.
So when McCarthy stood in front of the Green Bay Packers on Sunday morning, he told them not to worry about the fact that the Packers hadn't won at Texas Stadium, the site for Thursday's NFC showdown with the Dallas Cowboys, since 1989.
"All you guys were in Little League when they played down there," McCarthy said.
One hand went up in the back.
"Not all the guys," the man attached to the hand said.
That would be quarterback Brett Favre, who has lost all eight of his starts - including three post-season games - at the stadium in Irving, Texas.
Count Favre among those who will enjoy seeing it razed in favor of the Cowboys' new home in Arlington for the 2009 season.
"I was hoping that it would be gone before I got back there," Favre said. "I know we haven't had much success down there. (Former Cowboys quarterback) Troy (Aikman) and I talk about that every time he does one of our games. But there's always going to be the next time that you play that's going to be different."
And the way things have gone for Favre - this season and in his career - he might very well cross the star at midfield as the victor on Thursday.
There was a stretch in the mid 1990s when Favre and the Packers lost seven of eight regular-season games to the Lions in Detroit. That's ancient history, punctuated by last week's virtuoso performance in the Packers' 37-26 victory.
The Metrodome was unkind in the early part of Favre's career, but it has been home sweet dome in four of the past five visits against the Minnesota Vikings.
And this season, Favre crossed off both Denver and Kansas City - in back-to-back weeks - from the list of places he had never won. Fittingly, the victory at Arrowhead Stadium gave Favre wins over each of the NFL's other 31 teams.
So does his skid in Dallas bother Favre?
"Not anymore," he said. "It did when we lost every time, but it's just one of those things. We hope that changes this week."
Along with meetings in the regular season, the Packers and Cowboys also faced off in the playoffs in successive years from 1993-'95. At the time, Dallas was the NFC's reigning power, having won back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1992 and '93. The Packers were ascending.
The present and future powers of the NFC collided in 1995. While the meeting happened in Week 5, both teams had one loss, as they do now (Cowboys were 3-1; Packers 4-1). Favre completed just 21 of 41 passes (51%) for 295 yards, one touchdown and one interception as Dallas prevailed, 34-24.
The Cowboys, after beating Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game, 38-27, won their third Super Bowl title in four years. The Packers went 13-3 the following season and won their first Super Bowl in 29 years.
"I will say this: I think every time that we played, for the most part, they've had a damn good football team," Favre said. "Most of the times we lost down there, it was in the playoffs. Good thing was they went on to win the Super Bowl in all those.
"Each year I thought we progressively got a little bit better and we kept saying, 'OK, next year this is not going to happen,' and it did until we won the Super Bowl. We held in there and a couple of those games were pretty darn close and I thought the Dallas Cowboys were unbeatable those years and they really were."
Unstoppable might be the word used to describe the Packers' offense lately under Favre. They've averaged nearly 34 points and 430 total yards - with Favre accounting for 327.5 yards - in the past four games.
Favre feels that his ability to know what his receivers - Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, specifically - will do on a particular play is the reason the Packers are clicking at such a high rate in the passing game.
"I know what Donald's going to do without even looking," Favre said. "I'm getting to the point where I know what Greg's going to do; I trust him. James (Jones) is evolving into that, and I think that makes as much difference as anything.
"How fast a guy runs, how high he jumps, is important. But not as important as being on the same page. And that, it takes time. How much? Who knows? But for us, up to this point, it hasn't taken as much time as you would think it would."
Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said being in sync with your receivers is one thing. The way Favre has played is something different.
"You know a lot of people can put a lot of receivers (out there) and throw the ball," Phillips said. "To do it the way he's doing it is unbelievable. He's having a great year and one of his best years, I think."
According to McCarthy, Favre should be the league's most valuable player, no matter what Tom Brady is doing for the New England Patriots.
"He's my MVP," McCarthy said. "I make no bones about it. He's playing at an extremely high level."
Favre said the sentiments are nice, but Brady's the MVP.
"I think I'm playing as good football as I've ever played up to this point," Favre said. "But I've never seen numbers like what Tom Brady's putting up, most important being (that he's) undefeated. I think his play now, regardless of who he's throwing to, is as good as anybody who's ever played the game. I think I'm playing well, but Tom, it's just unbelievable."
Post-season awards can wait. Chances for Favre to win at Texas Stadium might not.
"I don't know if I'll be around to see the next stadium," he said. "I'd like to get one in this stadium."
ackbeer:
