BRETT'S PC: FRUSTRATIONS & PATIENCE
http://packers.scout.com/2/668409.html
Favre facing big challenge. Veteran quarterback trying, but struggling to mesh with young receivers.
The challenge that Brett Favre and the offense faces is clear. It has to develop a much better chemistry between now and the start of the regular season, or else. Thus far in training camp there have been flashes of progress with the team’s offense, but lately, including four straight three-and-out series at Pittsburgh Saturday, the results have been less than promising. Favre said today that he walked off Heinz Field as frustrated “as I’ve ever been in the preseason. I just expect more from myself, but the offense in general. It wasn’t so much what they did, but what we did or didn’t do.” Fortunately for Favre and the Packers, the offense has about half of training camp to build some momentum heading into the season, but Favre will need as many snaps in practice as possible if the Packers are going to score points when the regular season begins.
For now, the chemistry is far from just right, according to Favre, but there is still time for the veteran quarterback and his core of young receivers and running backs to get to know each other a little better. It began with this morning’s practice when Favre took the majority of the snaps with the offense. The coaching staff has been giving Favre the morning of two-a-days off, along with other veterans, in an effort to keep them fresh. But after a stinker of a showing in the preseason opener and a rough practice on Monday, Favre was under center this morning as the team practiced in the Don Hutson Center. “It’s an ongoing process,” said offensive coordinator Joe Philbin of the offense and Favre. “This is a practice when you’re 37 years old some guys can take off. I think him being here, he probably got 25 quality snaps today and I’d say 17 or 18 were passes. We’re cognizant of the fact that this is going to take him a little time for him to gel, and that’s why he’s continuing to work at it.”
Favre says this offense is lightyears away the offenses of the mid-1990s when the team played in three straight NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls. The Packers offense of 2007 currently has no established running back or fullback, one established wide receiver, a first-year starter in Donald Lee at tight end, and another veteran tight end in Bubba Franks, whose confidence has taken a beating in recent seasons. “Last year and this year, we’re constantly trying to find chemistry and constantly trying to find something to hang our hat on,” said Favre. “As a play-caller you’re calling stuff that you think will work, but will fit our guys and our style of play?” Favre lobbied for the Packers to trade for veteran wide receiver Randy Moss in the off-season, but it never happened. Favre says he has put that behind him, and publicly he has been nothing but supportive of general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy. However, it sure seems at times he is thinking about what could have been with Moss and Donald Driver in the fold, rather than Driver and a handful of unproven receivers.
“They (Thompson and McCarthy) and you know as well as I do what we’re up against offensively, what we’re facing,” Favre said. “It’s a lot different now than it was five years ago, six years ago, and so on. It is what it is. We have to find and build chemistry every day and each week. Find what plays works and fit the guys that we have running them. “It makes it more difficult. You’d like to go into a season, like Indy is now and New England and even the Bears, like we were in years past. The Saints … I consider San Diego in that position. These guys have not only played in this league, but have played together, or know the game itself. We know what plays work. We know Indy is going to run the same plays, but it’s hard to stop them because they’ve been running them so long and so well. We were the same way. You knew I was going to throw a screen pass to Edgar Bennett, but you didn’t know when it was coming, but it worked. Right now, we’re trying to run some of those plays and one guy might be in this position, and one guy might be in that position, and another guy is in the wrong position. It’s frustrating for me, but I understand. It’s frustrating because I’ve been there. I’m having to anticipate, or as I said before, be a little apprehensive or reluctant. It’s hard to anticipate a throw down the field when I’m a little unsure if he’s going to break it off when I think he is. It’s hard to play that way, but that’s the way it is.
“At some point, I have to play the game and I’ve tried to focus on that coming into this training camp. I focus only on what I do. In years past I have tried to coach everybody up on the fly. It’s hard enough to play my position when I focus on me. If I have to focus on everyone else, I can’t do that.” It’s almost as if Favre has to start thinking like a player in the early stages of his career and try to put himself on the same page. As training camp moves on and the practice schedule is trimmed, the challenge will be greater. Look for McCarthy to give Favre more playing time than normal in the next three preseason games in order for him to adjust to his receivers, and vice-versa. It is for that reason that the Packers came out throwing in their first two series at Pittsburgh. “Most of the guys haven’t experienced the success that we’ve had in the past, or what it takes,” said Favre. “Talent alone does not get you championships, chemistry does.”
The Packers offense is far from hitting on the right chemistry. Until that happens, it could be rough sledding. It will be up to Favre and his young teammates to make it happen as quickly as possible. If at some point in the regular season it appears that Favre and the offense isn’t clicking, the Packers may turn to Aaron Rodgers. Until that happens, Favre will be working to conquer perhaps the biggest preseason challenge of his career.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://packers.scout.com/2/668733.html
Staying in control key for Favre: Young receivers, Favre need to make best of each situation in camp.
Preseason games were always a nuisance for Brett Favre. A rhythm was established. The offense was fortified in the spring and in sync by the summer. In 15 seasons, the passing game has ranked in the top ten 12 times under Favre. The exhibition season was nothing more than four games of verification. This year’s team needs a revolution. The talent is there. The 2007 receiving unit is better than some of Favre’s past corps, such as the late-90s trio of Freeman-Schroeder-Bradford. While raw talent isn’t an issue, chemistry is for the Packers offense. According to Favre, the offense has gelled at a sloth’s pace. “A lot has changed,” said a discouraged Favre at Tuesday’s press conference. “[In the past] you could go out and do things blindfolded. Whereas last year and this year, we’re constantly trying to find chemistry and constantly trying to find what we hang our hat on.”
A decade ago, Favre could rely on Robert Brooks breaking open on a deep slant. He knew Mark Chmura would be free down the seam if Brooks and Antonio Freeman were blanketed. Checkdowns weren’t processed his mind, they just happened. Five years ago, Favre knew that in 2nd-and-long situations, a screen to Ahman Green get a chunk of those yards back. The defense knew all of these plays were coming too. But the offense’s synergy was so high, execution was inevitable. Favre had a set of go-to plays that never failed. But three weeks into the ’07 season, Favre still doesn’t trust all of his receivers. He admitted Tuesday that he is hesitant to throw the ball before receivers make a cut, in fear that they’ll butcher the route. Favre is so dependent on route adjustments that raw talent on the outside can work against the offense. This summer’s biggest camp surprise, James Jones, is the best example. “James is like Sterling, when he first came in,” Favre said. “He’s got great hands and he’s really confident with his hands. What he lacks in speed in quickness, he makes up for with strength…It’s the things that you really don’t see that he has to work on. He’s no different than anyone else. “A couple times he kept running when he should have sat out and he got away with it. But the next game he may not. If it’s a zone, he has to read it as a zone. Those are the types of things that here in preseason you get better at.”
Favre’s reliance on his receiver’s recognizing different coverages leads to interception parties as his 47 picks the last two seasons attest. Yet, on-the-fly adjusting is what makes Favre great. (see: Andre Rison’s 54-yard touchdown against New England in Super Bowl XXXI). Now it’s his worst enemy. In 11 training camp practices, Favre has whipped the ball around carelessly in streaks, over-relying on his receivers making acute cuts in specific locations on certain defensive reads. His arm strength is as good as ever. But when he’s not on the same page as his wideouts, it’s useless. Through camp, Favre has had an alarming amount of picks and near-picks. Favre should build off of last season and play more conservatively. It will allow his receivers to assimilate into the offense smoother, and it will complement a strong defense. A top ten defense would allow him to play the field position game.
Regardless, August 18 is a crucial step toward reaching continuity. The more live game looks Jones and Co. see the closer they’ll come to maximizing their potential. Physically, the receiving corps could be the best in the NFC North. Driver, Greg Jennings, Jones, and Ruvell Martin haven’t dropped anything, they’re in great physical shape, and they all go across the middle without reservations. Mentally, many are still learning, says Favre. To avoid lapses that result in game-changing plays, like Fred Smoot’s ‘pick six’ off Jenning’s wrong route, the offense needs to click on Saturday. Driver realizes this. “Once you earn Brett’s trust, it makes it easier for you to go out there and play because he’s going to throw it to you whenever you need it,” Driver said. “We have to execute [Saturday]. We didn’t execute at Pittsburgh. We had four series and we went three-and-out on all of them. We have to make sure we start fast and get a first down early because everything will roll after that.”
Brett Favre can’t trade spots with Ted Thompson and wheel ‘n' deal for veteran pass-catchers. He can’t morph Brandon Jackson and Noah Herron into Dorsey Levens and Edgar Bennett, and reap the benefits of two 70-catch options out of the backfield. He can’t inject James Jones with a dose of Antonio Freeman’s awareness. He must re-build an offense from square one. That is the reality Favre must stomach. “I want to win now,” he said. “I hope everyone else does too. We’ve had a lot of success here in the past. As I look around the locker room, in meetings, or on the field with these guys, most of these guys didn’t experience the success we’ve had in the past or what it takes.” Favre didn’t sugarcoat his press conference like those excessively-energetic NFL Team Yearbooks do every summer. He realizes that time is running out. “Talent alone does not get you championships. Chemistry does ... We have to find it fast. Of all the years I’ve been playing, this year there are a lot of opportunities for guys you’ve never heard of to make a name for themselves. Who those guys will be, I have no idea.”
Green Bay defense could become an elite unit in the NFC this year. Maybe that is what disheartens Favre the most. For the first time in a decade, he has a ‘D’ that could routinely get him back on the field. Only this time Favre may not be able to stay on it unless he harnesses his wild side. He should work within the offense and not expect young receivers to make complex on-field adjustments. Still, this exhibition game against Seattle will be a major step in Favre’s uneasy comfort level. The 17-year veteran faces his toughest task of his career: Cramming a five-year project into five weeks. Talent exists. Experience and go-to plays do not. It’s on Favre to make it happen - even if it means compensating his gunslinger mentality.
______________________________________________________________
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=647340
The Drill: According to ... Brett Favre
On Tuesday, Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre conducted his second press briefing of training camp. Here are selected excerpts:
On offensive cohesion: "It's a lot different now than five years ago, six years ago, seven years ago. You'd like to go into a season like Indy is now and New England and even the Bears. The way we were in years past. I consider the Saints in that position. San Diego. You know Indy will run the same plays but it's hard to stop them because they've been running them so long and so well. We were the same way. I mean, you knew I was going to throw a screen pass to Edgar Bennett but you didn't know when it was coming. It's frustrating for me, but I understand. I'm having to maybe anticipate a little more. It's hard to anticipate a throw down the field when I'm a little unsure if he's going to break it off when I think he is. It's hard to play that way. Once again, that's the way it is."
On the future: "I may play five more years. I think we're all assuming that's not the case. If this was a five-year project and this year is just the first step . . . but I want to win now. I hope everyone else does, too."
On the winning equation: "Talent alone does not get you championships. Chemistry does. We have to find it fast."
On his play: "I feel from a physical standpoint the throws I've made were on par with where I'd want them to be at this stage. I don't think I've thrown many in practice where I went, 'I was able to make that throw two years ago.' "
On the wide receivers: "We have guys that are real good route runners. We don't have guys that will knock your socks off just as far as running. We really don't throw the ball downfield a lot."
On James Jones: "He's done everything we would expect him to do. But if he's going to play for us he has to continue to get better. . . . A couple times maybe he kept running when he should have set it down but he got away with it. The next game he may not. If it's zone he's got to read it as zone. Up to this point I've been pleased with the type of player he is."
On the offensive line: "There's a great mix of personality and talent. I hope they don't get the second-year blues or whatever you want to call it and continue to get better. They've got two great coaches that are not that far removed from playing that they can relate to. It all starts with them. That's the one place in our offense that you can point to and say, 'That's where they should be better.' Barring injury, it can really be as good as any in the league."
On Aaron Rodgers: "I think he's done fine. I get along with Aaron great. I've had some good talks with him in the past. He has all the tools. By today's standards, he's not your big prototypical quarterback. He's not imposing when he walks into a room but he's got a great arm. He's got great ability to move around and make throws on the run. He's got the smarts to play. The bottom line is, when he gets his chance to play, how will he respond to the success as well as adversity? No one knows that. I assume when that time comes he'll be fine. I know it's difficult for him but I know he's handled it well. He's said all the right things. I know he wants to play. I would, too. He's done nothing but get better each and every time he's played."
On records: "I think if I never play another down it's already written what people think of me. One way or the other. The opinions have already been formed. All this season will do is add something else. All the experts have me ranked wherever. That's perfectly OK. I don't need these records to move me up the rankings. That's not what I'm about. If I need these records to be thought of as a great player or to be remembered 20 years down the road, I didn't make that much of an impact on people when they came to watch us play. I would hope I'm remembered a lot more than records. I can't say it wouldn't be nice to break Dan Marino's records. He's pretty darn good. But I'd like to think I already left a pretty good legacy."
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http://www.wrn.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=6A5213CE-C91B-8701-126E23AC8AEC4774
Favre could be in for a long year
A couple years ago, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre made the bold prediction, SuperBowl or bust. He hasn't heard the end of it yet. Yesterday, Favre was asked if it's playoffs or bust this season and he refused to go down that prediction road. He said "Let's try to beat Seattle this week and get better. Would I love for us to win and go to the playoffs? Absolutely. Do I think that can happen? I do. Do I think we could struggle and make it harder on ourselves? We can go one of two ways, or hang in the middle."
Any success the Packers have this season will be greatly dependent on Favre and how well he plays. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy wants Favre to cut down on his interceptions, throw for a higher percentage and take less gambles. During a season in which Favre should move past a couple of Dan Marino's passing records, we'll see if Favre can show the patience to check down and take what the defense gives, sticking to McCarthy's conservative approach. Or, will Favre grow frustrated and start slinging the ball all over? How Favre handles his approach to the offense with a group of young inexperienced players will greatly determine if the Packers have any chance at the post-season.
http://packers.scout.com/2/668409.html
Favre facing big challenge. Veteran quarterback trying, but struggling to mesh with young receivers.
The challenge that Brett Favre and the offense faces is clear. It has to develop a much better chemistry between now and the start of the regular season, or else. Thus far in training camp there have been flashes of progress with the team’s offense, but lately, including four straight three-and-out series at Pittsburgh Saturday, the results have been less than promising. Favre said today that he walked off Heinz Field as frustrated “as I’ve ever been in the preseason. I just expect more from myself, but the offense in general. It wasn’t so much what they did, but what we did or didn’t do.” Fortunately for Favre and the Packers, the offense has about half of training camp to build some momentum heading into the season, but Favre will need as many snaps in practice as possible if the Packers are going to score points when the regular season begins.
For now, the chemistry is far from just right, according to Favre, but there is still time for the veteran quarterback and his core of young receivers and running backs to get to know each other a little better. It began with this morning’s practice when Favre took the majority of the snaps with the offense. The coaching staff has been giving Favre the morning of two-a-days off, along with other veterans, in an effort to keep them fresh. But after a stinker of a showing in the preseason opener and a rough practice on Monday, Favre was under center this morning as the team practiced in the Don Hutson Center. “It’s an ongoing process,” said offensive coordinator Joe Philbin of the offense and Favre. “This is a practice when you’re 37 years old some guys can take off. I think him being here, he probably got 25 quality snaps today and I’d say 17 or 18 were passes. We’re cognizant of the fact that this is going to take him a little time for him to gel, and that’s why he’s continuing to work at it.”
Favre says this offense is lightyears away the offenses of the mid-1990s when the team played in three straight NFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls. The Packers offense of 2007 currently has no established running back or fullback, one established wide receiver, a first-year starter in Donald Lee at tight end, and another veteran tight end in Bubba Franks, whose confidence has taken a beating in recent seasons. “Last year and this year, we’re constantly trying to find chemistry and constantly trying to find something to hang our hat on,” said Favre. “As a play-caller you’re calling stuff that you think will work, but will fit our guys and our style of play?” Favre lobbied for the Packers to trade for veteran wide receiver Randy Moss in the off-season, but it never happened. Favre says he has put that behind him, and publicly he has been nothing but supportive of general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy. However, it sure seems at times he is thinking about what could have been with Moss and Donald Driver in the fold, rather than Driver and a handful of unproven receivers.
“They (Thompson and McCarthy) and you know as well as I do what we’re up against offensively, what we’re facing,” Favre said. “It’s a lot different now than it was five years ago, six years ago, and so on. It is what it is. We have to find and build chemistry every day and each week. Find what plays works and fit the guys that we have running them. “It makes it more difficult. You’d like to go into a season, like Indy is now and New England and even the Bears, like we were in years past. The Saints … I consider San Diego in that position. These guys have not only played in this league, but have played together, or know the game itself. We know what plays work. We know Indy is going to run the same plays, but it’s hard to stop them because they’ve been running them so long and so well. We were the same way. You knew I was going to throw a screen pass to Edgar Bennett, but you didn’t know when it was coming, but it worked. Right now, we’re trying to run some of those plays and one guy might be in this position, and one guy might be in that position, and another guy is in the wrong position. It’s frustrating for me, but I understand. It’s frustrating because I’ve been there. I’m having to anticipate, or as I said before, be a little apprehensive or reluctant. It’s hard to anticipate a throw down the field when I’m a little unsure if he’s going to break it off when I think he is. It’s hard to play that way, but that’s the way it is.
“At some point, I have to play the game and I’ve tried to focus on that coming into this training camp. I focus only on what I do. In years past I have tried to coach everybody up on the fly. It’s hard enough to play my position when I focus on me. If I have to focus on everyone else, I can’t do that.” It’s almost as if Favre has to start thinking like a player in the early stages of his career and try to put himself on the same page. As training camp moves on and the practice schedule is trimmed, the challenge will be greater. Look for McCarthy to give Favre more playing time than normal in the next three preseason games in order for him to adjust to his receivers, and vice-versa. It is for that reason that the Packers came out throwing in their first two series at Pittsburgh. “Most of the guys haven’t experienced the success that we’ve had in the past, or what it takes,” said Favre. “Talent alone does not get you championships, chemistry does.”
The Packers offense is far from hitting on the right chemistry. Until that happens, it could be rough sledding. It will be up to Favre and his young teammates to make it happen as quickly as possible. If at some point in the regular season it appears that Favre and the offense isn’t clicking, the Packers may turn to Aaron Rodgers. Until that happens, Favre will be working to conquer perhaps the biggest preseason challenge of his career.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://packers.scout.com/2/668733.html
Staying in control key for Favre: Young receivers, Favre need to make best of each situation in camp.
Preseason games were always a nuisance for Brett Favre. A rhythm was established. The offense was fortified in the spring and in sync by the summer. In 15 seasons, the passing game has ranked in the top ten 12 times under Favre. The exhibition season was nothing more than four games of verification. This year’s team needs a revolution. The talent is there. The 2007 receiving unit is better than some of Favre’s past corps, such as the late-90s trio of Freeman-Schroeder-Bradford. While raw talent isn’t an issue, chemistry is for the Packers offense. According to Favre, the offense has gelled at a sloth’s pace. “A lot has changed,” said a discouraged Favre at Tuesday’s press conference. “[In the past] you could go out and do things blindfolded. Whereas last year and this year, we’re constantly trying to find chemistry and constantly trying to find what we hang our hat on.”
A decade ago, Favre could rely on Robert Brooks breaking open on a deep slant. He knew Mark Chmura would be free down the seam if Brooks and Antonio Freeman were blanketed. Checkdowns weren’t processed his mind, they just happened. Five years ago, Favre knew that in 2nd-and-long situations, a screen to Ahman Green get a chunk of those yards back. The defense knew all of these plays were coming too. But the offense’s synergy was so high, execution was inevitable. Favre had a set of go-to plays that never failed. But three weeks into the ’07 season, Favre still doesn’t trust all of his receivers. He admitted Tuesday that he is hesitant to throw the ball before receivers make a cut, in fear that they’ll butcher the route. Favre is so dependent on route adjustments that raw talent on the outside can work against the offense. This summer’s biggest camp surprise, James Jones, is the best example. “James is like Sterling, when he first came in,” Favre said. “He’s got great hands and he’s really confident with his hands. What he lacks in speed in quickness, he makes up for with strength…It’s the things that you really don’t see that he has to work on. He’s no different than anyone else. “A couple times he kept running when he should have sat out and he got away with it. But the next game he may not. If it’s a zone, he has to read it as a zone. Those are the types of things that here in preseason you get better at.”
Favre’s reliance on his receiver’s recognizing different coverages leads to interception parties as his 47 picks the last two seasons attest. Yet, on-the-fly adjusting is what makes Favre great. (see: Andre Rison’s 54-yard touchdown against New England in Super Bowl XXXI). Now it’s his worst enemy. In 11 training camp practices, Favre has whipped the ball around carelessly in streaks, over-relying on his receivers making acute cuts in specific locations on certain defensive reads. His arm strength is as good as ever. But when he’s not on the same page as his wideouts, it’s useless. Through camp, Favre has had an alarming amount of picks and near-picks. Favre should build off of last season and play more conservatively. It will allow his receivers to assimilate into the offense smoother, and it will complement a strong defense. A top ten defense would allow him to play the field position game.
Regardless, August 18 is a crucial step toward reaching continuity. The more live game looks Jones and Co. see the closer they’ll come to maximizing their potential. Physically, the receiving corps could be the best in the NFC North. Driver, Greg Jennings, Jones, and Ruvell Martin haven’t dropped anything, they’re in great physical shape, and they all go across the middle without reservations. Mentally, many are still learning, says Favre. To avoid lapses that result in game-changing plays, like Fred Smoot’s ‘pick six’ off Jenning’s wrong route, the offense needs to click on Saturday. Driver realizes this. “Once you earn Brett’s trust, it makes it easier for you to go out there and play because he’s going to throw it to you whenever you need it,” Driver said. “We have to execute [Saturday]. We didn’t execute at Pittsburgh. We had four series and we went three-and-out on all of them. We have to make sure we start fast and get a first down early because everything will roll after that.”
Brett Favre can’t trade spots with Ted Thompson and wheel ‘n' deal for veteran pass-catchers. He can’t morph Brandon Jackson and Noah Herron into Dorsey Levens and Edgar Bennett, and reap the benefits of two 70-catch options out of the backfield. He can’t inject James Jones with a dose of Antonio Freeman’s awareness. He must re-build an offense from square one. That is the reality Favre must stomach. “I want to win now,” he said. “I hope everyone else does too. We’ve had a lot of success here in the past. As I look around the locker room, in meetings, or on the field with these guys, most of these guys didn’t experience the success we’ve had in the past or what it takes.” Favre didn’t sugarcoat his press conference like those excessively-energetic NFL Team Yearbooks do every summer. He realizes that time is running out. “Talent alone does not get you championships. Chemistry does ... We have to find it fast. Of all the years I’ve been playing, this year there are a lot of opportunities for guys you’ve never heard of to make a name for themselves. Who those guys will be, I have no idea.”
Green Bay defense could become an elite unit in the NFC this year. Maybe that is what disheartens Favre the most. For the first time in a decade, he has a ‘D’ that could routinely get him back on the field. Only this time Favre may not be able to stay on it unless he harnesses his wild side. He should work within the offense and not expect young receivers to make complex on-field adjustments. Still, this exhibition game against Seattle will be a major step in Favre’s uneasy comfort level. The 17-year veteran faces his toughest task of his career: Cramming a five-year project into five weeks. Talent exists. Experience and go-to plays do not. It’s on Favre to make it happen - even if it means compensating his gunslinger mentality.
______________________________________________________________
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=647340
The Drill: According to ... Brett Favre
On Tuesday, Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre conducted his second press briefing of training camp. Here are selected excerpts:
On offensive cohesion: "It's a lot different now than five years ago, six years ago, seven years ago. You'd like to go into a season like Indy is now and New England and even the Bears. The way we were in years past. I consider the Saints in that position. San Diego. You know Indy will run the same plays but it's hard to stop them because they've been running them so long and so well. We were the same way. I mean, you knew I was going to throw a screen pass to Edgar Bennett but you didn't know when it was coming. It's frustrating for me, but I understand. I'm having to maybe anticipate a little more. It's hard to anticipate a throw down the field when I'm a little unsure if he's going to break it off when I think he is. It's hard to play that way. Once again, that's the way it is."
On the future: "I may play five more years. I think we're all assuming that's not the case. If this was a five-year project and this year is just the first step . . . but I want to win now. I hope everyone else does, too."
On the winning equation: "Talent alone does not get you championships. Chemistry does. We have to find it fast."
On his play: "I feel from a physical standpoint the throws I've made were on par with where I'd want them to be at this stage. I don't think I've thrown many in practice where I went, 'I was able to make that throw two years ago.' "
On the wide receivers: "We have guys that are real good route runners. We don't have guys that will knock your socks off just as far as running. We really don't throw the ball downfield a lot."
On James Jones: "He's done everything we would expect him to do. But if he's going to play for us he has to continue to get better. . . . A couple times maybe he kept running when he should have set it down but he got away with it. The next game he may not. If it's zone he's got to read it as zone. Up to this point I've been pleased with the type of player he is."
On the offensive line: "There's a great mix of personality and talent. I hope they don't get the second-year blues or whatever you want to call it and continue to get better. They've got two great coaches that are not that far removed from playing that they can relate to. It all starts with them. That's the one place in our offense that you can point to and say, 'That's where they should be better.' Barring injury, it can really be as good as any in the league."
On Aaron Rodgers: "I think he's done fine. I get along with Aaron great. I've had some good talks with him in the past. He has all the tools. By today's standards, he's not your big prototypical quarterback. He's not imposing when he walks into a room but he's got a great arm. He's got great ability to move around and make throws on the run. He's got the smarts to play. The bottom line is, when he gets his chance to play, how will he respond to the success as well as adversity? No one knows that. I assume when that time comes he'll be fine. I know it's difficult for him but I know he's handled it well. He's said all the right things. I know he wants to play. I would, too. He's done nothing but get better each and every time he's played."
On records: "I think if I never play another down it's already written what people think of me. One way or the other. The opinions have already been formed. All this season will do is add something else. All the experts have me ranked wherever. That's perfectly OK. I don't need these records to move me up the rankings. That's not what I'm about. If I need these records to be thought of as a great player or to be remembered 20 years down the road, I didn't make that much of an impact on people when they came to watch us play. I would hope I'm remembered a lot more than records. I can't say it wouldn't be nice to break Dan Marino's records. He's pretty darn good. But I'd like to think I already left a pretty good legacy."
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Favre could be in for a long year
A couple years ago, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre made the bold prediction, SuperBowl or bust. He hasn't heard the end of it yet. Yesterday, Favre was asked if it's playoffs or bust this season and he refused to go down that prediction road. He said "Let's try to beat Seattle this week and get better. Would I love for us to win and go to the playoffs? Absolutely. Do I think that can happen? I do. Do I think we could struggle and make it harder on ourselves? We can go one of two ways, or hang in the middle."
Any success the Packers have this season will be greatly dependent on Favre and how well he plays. Packers head coach Mike McCarthy wants Favre to cut down on his interceptions, throw for a higher percentage and take less gambles. During a season in which Favre should move past a couple of Dan Marino's passing records, we'll see if Favre can show the patience to check down and take what the defense gives, sticking to McCarthy's conservative approach. Or, will Favre grow frustrated and start slinging the ball all over? How Favre handles his approach to the offense with a group of young inexperienced players will greatly determine if the Packers have any chance at the post-season.
