Favre trades six-shooter for pea-shooter

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
By Mike Woods

It's an admission he won't publicly admit to, for it flies in the face of everything he has said and the image he has created.

You remember when Packers quarterback Brett Favre decided to return after setting a Guinness World Record for soul searching amid a torrent of offseason criticism that said he needed to take a right-wing approach to quarterbacking.

The first thing he told the world upon his return was, "I ain't changing a thing, I am who I am, so why don't you all go find another nit to pick,'' or words to that effect.

But the gunslinger no longer is carrying just a six-shooter. He also has a pea-shooter, and he's finding it can be equally potent. He's starting to feel more comfortable with it, starting to understand the merits of its worth. Just don't expect him to admit it.

Yet the actions, as is always the case, carry more weight then the words. The gunslinger looks to be evolving into a game manager.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Granted, Sunday was just one game. But if you've been paying attention, it's been a slow progression since the opener. True, he threw a couple of picks against the Bears in the opener, but it came at a point in the game when the Packers were hopelessly behind, and it's hard to find fault in him taking chances at that juncture.

True, he threw a crucial pick against the Saints, but he insists he was trying to toss it away but was hit as he threw, and video evidence supports that.

Quizzed Sunday following the Packers' initial success of the year against the Lions about how often he passed on taking a long shot and settled for the sure thing, Favre was quick to downplay the truth, saying it was something not to get worked up over. Though later it was interesting to note he lamented that he threw downfield on a couple of occasions rather than taking the check-down.

You understand his reluctance to be referred to anything else than he always has been, for to play the position he does and enjoy the career he has, to suddenly be labeled as a game manager is to infer his skills are no longer five-star quality. You know he believes differently.

That said, Favre seems to be more at peace with the situation that surrounds him. Don't misunderstand, he wants to win as much as he always has. But let's just say he has gained a different perspective.

"There's nothing like winning, but there's nothing like playing, period,'' he said.

"There nothing like throwing touchdowns and making plays. I wish I could describe that to you, but there's nothing like it.''

That's a 60-yard heave from his offseason threat that the Packers needed to surround him with more talent in order to guarantee his return, the direct inference that he didn't want to suffer the indignity of another 4-12 death march.

But that remains a possibility.

"I've grown to appreciate how hard it is to win and I'm going to just enjoy this,'' he said Sunday. "And I know they (his younger mates) can't think the way I do, but appreciate this win, because I know it's going to get tougher.''

For the team and for him. Against better competition, those dump-offs will not transform into big gains, or certainly not as many. He will be tempted to try and take everything upon his shoulders, and you know what will happen if he does.

But if he can stay the course, he will have a better chance of experiencing more successes than failures, even though they may not translate into wins.

For when it comes to the risk-reward of playing quarterback on a team with a limited amount of weapons, it's far better to be rewarded than to take risks.

The only risk he faces is folks may start referring to him as an excellent game manager. But hopefully he'll get comfortable with the idea that there's nothing wrong with that.
 

majikman

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
255
Reaction score
0
Favre never had the weapons at WR...

If TT would have gotten him better weapons at WR, he'd be able to play differently..more like Manning.

So, if he plays conservatively and the Packers don't win...

It's all on TT and MM...no excuses.
 

packerfanfourever

Cheesehead
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
82
Reaction score
0
Location
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.465151+-
who do you think TT should of signed? This is TT second year as GM last year he sure didn't know JW was going to be hurt in the first game.

This year he drafted Jenning's who looks like he will become a good weapon for Favre, than picked up Koren Robinson (who might not be here all season)

why does every thread have to turn in to a TT and MM hate fest
 
OP
OP
Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
majikman said:
Favre never had the weapons at WR...

If TT would have gotten him better weapons at WR, he'd be able to play differently..more like Manning.

So, if he plays conservatively and the Packers don't win...

It's all on TT and MM...no excuses.


I think he's had some good WR. Sterling Sharpe, Robert Brooks, Antiono Freeman, Terry Glenn, Javon Walker and Donald Driver were all good. Brooks and Freeman I think were a lot better because of Brett though.

If Brett plays conservitately and thats what Mike is calling, then its on Mike. Ted can be blamed for losses but I don't see how he can be blamed equally as much as Mike.
Not sure why so many are so quick to put so much blame on Ted. He's not on the field nor is he making the calls for the plays. He assembled the team, for sure. IF they suck an he doesn't do anything then he's at fault, but if he makes changes then I would think he's doing his job.

Thats just my take though.
 
OP
OP
Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
packerfanfourever said:
who do you think TT should of signed? This is TT second year as GM last year he sure didn't know JW was going to be hurt in the first game.

This year he drafted Jenning's who looks like he will become a good weapon for Favre, than picked up Koren Robinson (who might not be here all season)

why does every thread have to turn in to a TT and MM hate fest


Good points. People want to bash Ted for things they don't know. For insance, we don't know who Ted was striving to get or wanted to get and the player simply decided elsewhere. That's not Ted's fault.
One thing I didn't like about Ted was how they pushed off interviewing Free Agents for a week and gave other teams the oppurtunity to snag them up. This was done because something with the draft. They were scouting apparently and no one was in house to interview the players. Sepcifically this happened to I think Ben Taylor. I'm not 100% on that it was Ben, but pretty sure.
 

GakkofNorway

Cheesehead
Joined
Jan 31, 2005
Messages
2,249
Reaction score
0
Location
the Northpole
majikman said:
Favre never had the weapons at WR...

If TT would have gotten him better weapons at WR, he'd be able to play differently..more like Manning.

So, if he plays conservatively and the Packers don't win...

It's all on TT and MM...no excuses.

No, the Colts doesn't play a neo-conservative westcoast offense, therefore if Favre played like Manning he would be playing the wrong playbook lol.
 

Zombieslayer

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
4,338
Reaction score
0
Location
CA
majikman said:
Favre never had the weapons at WR...

Well, Sharpe was really good. It's a shame he got hurt. He would be in the Hall of Fame had he not had that injury.

Brooks and Freeman were good.

Driver and Walker were really good together.

Next year, Driver and Jennings will be seen as one of the top receiving tandems in the league. And yes, Favre will come back for at least one more year when he sees the potential in this year.
 

pack_in_black

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 16, 2006
Messages
1,876
Reaction score
0
Location
Colorado Springs
Zombieslayer said:
Next year, Driver and Jennings will be seen as one of the top receiving tandems in the league. And yes, Favre will come back for at least one more year when he sees the potential in this year.

Couldn't agree with this more. After seeing Brett jumping aroud last Sunday after #400 (thanks Zero for the highlight vid), I was all fired up. Now, as the article pointed out, Brett's kinda changed his game. This tells me he can make it work this year, and make it ROCK next year!
 

kmac

Cheesehead
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
849
Reaction score
0
Location
Milwaukee
People rip on TT for the lack of WR talent, but we never had anything special. Brooks and Freeman were never more than solid recievers. The O-Line and QB just made them look like stars. Favre in his prime even made Corey Bradford and Bill Schroeder look like superstars briefly.

I'm not a big TT fan, but ripping him for not signing/trading for great WR talent is unfair.
 

pyledriver80

Cheesehead
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
2,391
Reaction score
0
kmac said:
People rip on TT for the lack of WR talent, but we never had anything special. Brooks and Freeman were never more than solid recievers. The O-Line and QB just made them look like stars. Favre in his prime even made Corey Bradford and Bill Schroeder look like superstars briefly.

I'm not a big TT fan, but ripping him for not signing/trading for great WR talent is unfair.


You summed it up well Kmac. Brett made average guys look great because of the.......O-Line!!!


If you are not going to have a solid O-line than you better give Brett some experienced NFL WR's to throw to.

I've said it 100 times.......you CANNOT rebuild an offensive line and a WR core at the same time. You can do one at a time as long as you have a smart capable QB, and we do.
 

majikman

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
255
Reaction score
0
kmac said:
People rip on TT for the lack of WR talent, but we never had anything special. Brooks and Freeman were never more than solid recievers. The O-Line and QB just made them look like stars. Favre in his prime even made Corey Bradford and Bill Schroeder look like superstars briefly.

I'm not a big TT fan, but ripping him for not signing/trading for great WR talent is unfair.

Why not Kmac?

Think of how awesome the Pack would be if he had 2-3 top level WR's to throw to like Manning and Warner, etc. do.

If Walker had stayed, the Packers would be alot more dangerous right now. That's on TT. He is not very pro-active. It seems as if he sits back and lets **** happen. Wolf never would have allowed that, imo.

Favre had Walker and Driver for ONE year only, and who was the third guy..oh yeah..Ferguson. And the Packers had a very poor defense that year. It took Walker a couple of years to develop because he was a rookie. That has been my biggest knock on Sherman, not getting Favre high quality, veteran receivers.

Why the Packer's GM's never said "I am going to surround Brett Favre with some awsome, veteran talent at WR so he can go out and light it up at Lambeau", I'll never know....
 

kmac

Cheesehead
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
849
Reaction score
0
Location
Milwaukee
Walker blew out his knee, had only 1 good year, and wanted a buttload of money. Sure, he's very good, but I understand not taking the chance on him. My point was that there were no top quality FAs or rookies this year, and that Favre has done it without top talent before.
 

majikman

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
255
Reaction score
0
I know.

But I've been waiting for some top talent receivers to be signed for years now, and it's never happened.

Would've been nice though.
 
OP
OP
Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
majikman said:
I know.

But I've been waiting for some top talent receivers to be signed for years now, and it's never happened.

Would've been nice though.


Donald Driver isn't talented? Or do you mean since him? Cuz the impression I get from your post is that we never have had a talented WR which is false beyond any imagination. I can name off a half dozen who were talented that Brett had as a WR. He had a couple good TE's too and RB's along with a solid receiving FB.
 

majikman

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
255
Reaction score
0
In addition to him.

Brett has not had at least 2 top receivers on the field since Walker's breakout year, and longer before that.

Driver is a #2 receiver in the NFL. It would be nice if Brett was surrounded by some horses...
 
OP
OP
Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
majikman said:
In addition to him.

Brett has not had at least 2 top receivers on the field since Walker's breakout year, and longer before that.

Driver is a #2 receiver in the NFL. It would be nice if Brett was surrounded by some horses...


How many QB's have had two top receivers at the same time? Dan Marino had the Marks bros. Who else?


Donald Driver is a #1, don't even try to go there. You know damn well how foolish that is lol geez
 

Zombieslayer

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
4,338
Reaction score
0
Location
CA
majikman said:
In addition to him.

Brett has not had at least 2 top receivers on the field since Walker's breakout year, and longer before that.

Driver is a #2 receiver in the NFL. It would be nice if Brett was surrounded by some horses...

Driver is a #2 receiver?
Disagree. Some stats from www.pro-football-reference.com:
Yr Tm GP R Yrds Ave TDs Rcpts Yrds Ave TDs
| 2002 gnb | 16 | 8 70 8.8 0 | 70 1064 15.2 9 |
| 2003 gnb | 15 | 5 51 10.2 0 | 52 621 11.9 2 |
| 2004 gnb | 16 | 3 4 1.3 0 | 84 1208 14.4 9 |
| 2005 gnb | 16 | 2 13 6.5 0 | 86 1221 14.2 5 |

Keep in mind, 2003 was our rushing year when we dominated the ground and passed very little. Also, in 2002, he made the Pro Bowl. I'll take DD over any #2 receiver in the league, and over more than half the #1 receivers. He barely misses my top ten for WRs in the NFL, but as a person, he's #1. 8)
 

Zombieslayer

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
4,338
Reaction score
0
Location
CA
Zero2Cool said:
How many QB's have had two top receivers at the same time? Dan Marino had the Marks bros. Who else?

Lynn ****ey for a short spell had both Lofton and Jefferson. And even Paul Coffman as his TE. Now, that was fun to watch. Unfortunately, he had the worst OL and the worst D in the league.

But yes, it's rare that a #2 receiver is really good.
 
OP
OP
Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
Zombieslayer said:
majikman said:
In addition to him.

Brett has not had at least 2 top receivers on the field since Walker's breakout year, and longer before that.

Driver is a #2 receiver in the NFL. It would be nice if Brett was surrounded by some horses...

Driver is a #2 receiver?
Disagree. Some stats from www.pro-football-reference.com:
Yr Tm GP R Yrds Ave TDs Rcpts Yrds Ave TDs
| 2002 gnb | 16 | 8 70 8.8 0 | 70 1064 15.2 9 |
| 2003 gnb | 15 | 5 51 10.2 0 | 52 621 11.9 2 |
| 2004 gnb | 16 | 3 4 1.3 0 | 84 1208 14.4 9 |
| 2005 gnb | 16 | 2 13 6.5 0 | 86 1221 14.2 5 |

Keep in mind, 2003 was our rushing year when we dominated the ground and passed very little. Also, in 2002, he made the Pro Bowl. I'll take DD over any #2 receiver in the league, and over more than half the #1 receivers. He barely misses my top ten for WRs in the NFL, but as a person, he's #1. 8)

Thats over 70 catchs a year isn't it? That's one helluva stud #2 we got there! :roll:
 

majikman

Cheesehead
Joined
Sep 12, 2006
Messages
255
Reaction score
0
That's because the GM hasn't signed a "legitimate" #1 WR yet.

Those numbers seem similar to Eric Moulds, who was roundly criticized here.

2000 Buffalo 16 94 1326 82.9 14.1 52 3.8 62 5
2001 Buffalo 16 67 904 56.5 13.5 80 5.4 43 5
2002 Buffalo 16 100 1292 80.8 12.9 70 3.8 64 10
2003 Buffalo 13 64 780 60.0 12.2 49 4.2 35 1
2004 Buffalo 16 88 1043 65.2 11.9 49 3.8 53 5
2005 Buffalo 15 81 816 54.4 10.1 55 3.1

And that was with a terrible QB situation in Buffalo for the last several years!
 
OP
OP
Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
majikman said:
That's because the GM hasn't signed a "legitimate" #1 WR yet.

Those numbers seem similar to Eric Moulds, who was roundly criticized here.

2000 Buffalo 16 94 1326 82.9 14.1 52 3.8 62 5
2001 Buffalo 16 67 904 56.5 13.5 80 5.4 43 5
2002 Buffalo 16 100 1292 80.8 12.9 70 3.8 64 10
2003 Buffalo 13 64 780 60.0 12.2 49 4.2 35 1
2004 Buffalo 16 88 1043 65.2 11.9 49 3.8 53 5
2005 Buffalo 15 81 816 54.4 10.1 55 3.1

And that was with a terrible QB situation in Buffalo for the last several years!

He gave an extension to the Packers legitimate #1 WR, Donald Driver.

Eric Moulds wasn't worth losing two 1st rd picks for. He is a #1 WR. But hes not worth losing two high draft picks for him.
 

Zombieslayer

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
4,338
Reaction score
0
Location
CA
I honestly don't know why people are so ******* Driver. 2005, Walker goes down in the first game of the season. So Driver's forced into #1 position. Here's how he handles it:

Receptions

L Fitzgerald 103
S Smith 103
A Boldin 102
T Holt 102
C Johnson 97
A Gates 89
D Mason 86
D Driver 86

(tie for 7th)

Receiving yards

S Smith 1563
S Moss 1483
C Johnson 1432
L Fitzgerald 1409
A Boldin 1402
T Holt 1331
J Galloway 1287
D Driver 1221

(8th place)

That's out of 32 teams. Tied for 7th in receptions, eighth in yards. With 32 teams, there are 32 #1 receivers. He beat out most of them statistically.

What more does Driver have to prove to show he's a #1 receiver?
 
OP
OP
Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

I own a website
Joined
Dec 12, 2004
Messages
11,903
Reaction score
4
Location
Green Bay, WI
Zombieslayer said:
What more does Driver have to prove to show he's a #1 receiver?

He doesn't have to prove anything anymore. He's done proved himself as a valid #1 WR. Some people just need to see it more often because maybe they take him for granted? Or maybe because he isn't a malcontent? Or because he isn't flamboyant?

I think thats why a lot of people overlook Marvin Harrison. The guy is phenomal, yet he's not including in the top two WR talk in the league. That's held up by Owens and Moss.

Marvin had four years in a row catching over 100 catchs, posting more than 1400 yards and averaged 13 TD's during that span. Stats that are just as good if not better than Moss and Owens yet he's dropped from the elite WR talk.

I think Driver is overlooked for similar reasons as Marvin is. I'm not saying Driver is one of the top 3 best WR in the NFL. He's definetely one of the top ten though.
 

cyoung

Cheesehead
Joined
Aug 4, 2006
Messages
1,276
Reaction score
2
Location
Iowa
Donald Driver is definatley a #1 Wide Receiver but he doesn't have all the people buzzing about him like they would for Chad Johnson or Steve Smith
 

Members online

Latest posts

Top