Minnesota Vikings Need More from Brett Favre

“If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.”—Albert Einstein

 

I was on NFL Network Monday night, and the subject of my favorite Sears spokesman came up.

I made the point that there’s no way Brett Favre can continue to go along managing the game and expect to win a Super Bowl for the Minnesota Vikings. My theory was met with strong resistance from the distinguished panel of Marshall Faulk, Warren Sapp, and Mike Martz.

So today, I’d like to make a few points to support my case:

 

Brett Favre Has Not Yet Shown His Gunslinger Mentality with Minnesota

I agreed with Vikings head coach Brad Childress when he said that winning in the NFL is very hard, and he was going to do whatever gave his team the best chance to win.

Beating the Detroit Lions and the Cleveland Browns, however, is not overly impressive considering that you trailed at the half in both games.

When Drew Brees threw for 358 yards and six touchdowns, everyone said good game, but it was the Lions.

When Brett Favre throws for 155 against the same Lions secondary, the popular theory is that he’s doing what he needs to do to win the game.

Please.

Why the double standard?

You have to practice throws, you have to prepare your passing offense for when you play the better teams. What is Favre doing for the Vikings that Tarvaris Jackson isn’t able to do for about $11 million less? Even Earl Morrell of the famous 1972 Miami Dolphins, who prided themselves on only wanting to run the ball, averaged 9.1 yards per attempt.

Here are the last 10 Super Bowl champions’ average yards per attempt in the regular season:

1999     Kurt Warner—8.7
2000     Trent Dilfer—6.6
2001     Tom Brady—6.9
2002     Brad Johnson—6.9
2003     Tom Brady—6.9
2004     Tom Brady—7.8
2005     Ben Roethlisberger—8.9
2006     Peyton Manning—7.9
2007     Eli Manning—6.3
2008     Ben Roethlisberger—7.0

Every quarterback, with the exception of Eli Manning (who had a 7.42 average per attempt in the playoffs), had above a 6.5 per attempt and made plays passing the ball down the field.

So, if everyone is buying into the theory that a running game is going to win a Super Bowl, then no one has been paying attention to the NFL recently.

Tom Brady of the Patriots has been under the microscope of late because New England has not been able to make plays down the field in its passing game.

But, of course, Mr. Sears is doing just fine throwing for a long of 13 yards Sunday.

I’m confused.

I know the Vikings have Adrian Peterson, and I know they’re good on defense, but I also know from my 20-plus years in the NFL that you must be able to make big plays in the passing game to win big games.

No running team is going to win the Super Bowl today. And the passing game is something that can’t just be turned off and on. It requires precision timing and attention to detail.

 

Is It Only a Matter of Time Before We See Vintage Favre?

Jets head coach Rex Ryan, after debriefing Kevin O’Connell, said the Patriots must be worried about the Jets because he learned that the Patriots had been working on the Jets’ blitz scheme all offseason.

Worrying is not what the Patriots were doing; they were preparing for the Jets because it takes an offseason to prepare the system and players when facing that very unique scheme. If you try to do it the week before the game, you have no chance to win.

In addition, this concept is much like the passing game—you can’t just turn the passing game on the week you’re going to face the Pittsburgh Steelers and be able to execute it at a high level. It takes refinement and being able to practice at a high level with a high degree of tempo—in other words, it takes game conditions.

Does it bother anyone that Favre was the 31st-ranked passer in completions of over 20 yards last year? This means that when the ball was in the air for 20 or more yards, his completion percentage went way down.

I am not anti-Favre, but I’m just not going to buy into this public perception that all is fine and he can just manage the game.

By the way, what does “manage the game” mean? Does it mean handing off every play? Does it mean not making dumb mistakes? Does it mean not throwing a pass over 10 yards?

I’m not buying into this notion that Favre will check them into the right play because he’s so experienced and the defense is wary of his ability to make plays.

Worried?

Favre has been sacked seven times in just two games. Jackson was sacked three times in two games last year, but he had to face the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts, not the Lions and Browns.

To me, this means teams are willing to take a chance and attack the pocket, force him to move laterally and react to pressure.

Why has Brees only been sacked twice in two games, but Favre seven times? Does Brees not have Favre-like ability to check into the right play? Hardly.

My whole intent on the show was to educate football fans that Favre will need to throw the ball down the field to win a Super Bowl—which is the reason he came back, not to manage games.

It’s not that I’m mad at Favre or not a fan of his Hall of Fame play in the past.

But if we’re all thinking alike, then clearly no one is thinking.

And I did point out that maybe these first two games were part of the extended preseason that Favre missed, so they’re bringing him along slowly. That makes sense to me, but only time will tell if it proves correct.

If the goal is to win a Super Bowl, he will have to throw it down the field—and throw it well.

 

Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi

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