It was not Favre’s fault the Vikings didn’t beat the Saints and go to the Super Bowl. An almost unforgiveable sideline coaching snafu resulted in 12 players on the field and the Vikings lost the opportunity to set up a winning Ryan Longwell field goal. Yup, Favre threw a careless interception after that but how many plays and how many games did the guy have to carry his offense and be perfect?
This season was flawed in so many ways. Favre decided to play one more year but the season collapsed even before the Metrodome roof went down. But give the guy credit for trying to make something special happen again for the Vikings by returning to the team and going about the task with a passion all of us could apply to our lives.
Favre loves to play football and his boyish enthusiasm can’t be lessened by gray hairs on his head and what seems like a million savage hits to his body. Even this year Favre was ready to sprint half the length of the field to hug a teammate after a long pass completion. And he was willing to throw that beat up old body at a tackler to block for Peterson, Percy Harvin or someone else.
Favre played behind a substandard pass blocking offensive line this season and except for Harvin his big play pass receiving options were limited. Without injured prize wide receiver Sidney Rice, he might have mumbled more than once, “Can anyone here get open and then make a tough catch?”
Favre wasn’t the same player this season as in 2009 but he could have litigated for lack of support. It wasn’t just the player personnel around him. The coaching situation became a mess leading to a troubled locker room.
Favre put up with it all. He took a physical beating and kept playing through injuries until the danger of a severe concussion finally sidelined him. Favre didn’t want to go to the sidelines. He never did but finally had to, ending his 297 consecutive starts streak.
Favre never wanted his career to end, but now it must. In this town we’re fortunate he played long enough to take a curtain call here.
Thanks, Brett, for putting excitement back into watching Vikings football.