After both he and the Minnesota Vikings released public statements allegedly condemning the possibility of a deal between them, Brett Favre is now a Minnesota Viking. His roller coaster of a career is once again on the move, and it is difficult to not question his motivation in this latest venture.
Personally, I do not believe that Favre would have joined up with Minnesota if he was not committed to playing for them in games. He wants to play in the games, and likely would not have signed with the Vikings if he had not been guaranteed the starting job. That being said, he stated that he did not want to stay in a dormitory (his excuse for skipping Vikings training camp) and his story describing the circumstances of his return remains doubtful at best. As tearful and compelling as it was, many fans appear to remain skeptical and unconvinced by Mr. Favre's explanation that he did not return to the NFL to get revenge against the Green Bay Packers.
While the circumstances of his second NFL comeback may be in question, the fact remains that he is now in Minnesota. After only spending a week in a Vikings uniform, Favre started their game against the Kansas City Chiefs and looked unimpressive, going 1 for 4 for 5 yards on two series as the Vikings won out. Despite #4's initial struggles, the Vikings look as poised for success as ever. Sporting one of the best running back tandems in the league in Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor as well as a tremendously stout defense, it appears that all Favre will have to do to win is take advantage of the 8-man fronts he will see due to the presence of Peterson. In addition, Favre should not have as much trouble adjusting to Minnesota as he did New York. He has played in the Vikings' division and offense for 16 years; once he is familiar with the personnel, the rest should take care of itself.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Brady Shines in First Preseason Game, Others Stumble
The Hall of Fame weekend kicked off the beginning of preseason football. For his part, Tom Brady played well in his first game since returning from injury. The same can be said of few others. Brady was 10 for 15 for 100 yards, 2 TD's and one interception; while not all of his passes were as razor sharp as they might have been during his 2007 MVP campaign, he looked almost like his old self again.
Many of the other high-profile quarterbacks struggled in their first action of the season. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning were both 1 for 2; while this could be attributed to them being held out by their respective teams, Manning didn't look comfortable against a dominant Minnesota defense that recorded three sacks in total. Brees had it easier, playing against a historically lackluster and once again unimpressive Cincinnati team.
Jay Cutler failed to make an impression in his Bears debut, throwing a pick on the first series and nearly throwing another that was fortunately dropped. Even more fortunate for Chicago was the recovery if a muffed punt on the very next play. Even with this advanced field position, Cutler could not get the Bears into the endzone.
But it will be hard to argue that any starting quarterback has a worse game than Kyle Orton, who threw three interceptions for the Denver Broncos before Josh McDaniels substituted him in a seemingly merciful gesture. McDaniels, meanwhile, continues to look the fool for facilitating the trade for Jay Cutler. It should be noted, however, that McDaniels' last protégé (Chiefs QB Matt Cassel, who was with McDaniels in New England last year) also struggled mightily in preseason before going on the throw for 3,600 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago.
Long story short: anything can happen.
Many of the other high-profile quarterbacks struggled in their first action of the season. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning were both 1 for 2; while this could be attributed to them being held out by their respective teams, Manning didn't look comfortable against a dominant Minnesota defense that recorded three sacks in total. Brees had it easier, playing against a historically lackluster and once again unimpressive Cincinnati team.
Jay Cutler failed to make an impression in his Bears debut, throwing a pick on the first series and nearly throwing another that was fortunately dropped. Even more fortunate for Chicago was the recovery if a muffed punt on the very next play. Even with this advanced field position, Cutler could not get the Bears into the endzone.
But it will be hard to argue that any starting quarterback has a worse game than Kyle Orton, who threw three interceptions for the Denver Broncos before Josh McDaniels substituted him in a seemingly merciful gesture. McDaniels, meanwhile, continues to look the fool for facilitating the trade for Jay Cutler. It should be noted, however, that McDaniels' last protégé (Chiefs QB Matt Cassel, who was with McDaniels in New England last year) also struggled mightily in preseason before going on the throw for 3,600 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago.
Long story short: anything can happen.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Hall of Fame Welcomes 2009 Class
As I'm sure most of the fans who were paying attention to the NFL this weekend, six new enshrinees were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend in Canton, Ohio. In case you were not, here is a brief review of the Hall of Fame class of 2009 (in no particular order):
1. Ralph Wilson, Jr.: The founder and longtime owner of the Buffalo Bills, Ralph Wilson has been instrumental in creating the National Football League as we know it today. He was a founding member of the 8-team American Football League in 1959, and aided in the planning and execution of the merger between the AFL and the NFL. Years later, he would oversee the Bills' unprecedented run of four consecutive Super Bowls, which would feature the next person in the Class of 2009.
2. Bruce Smith: A perennial Pro Bowler and a 19-year veteran by the end of his career, Bruce Smith still holds the all-time career sack record in the NFL with a whopping 200, a figure that doesn't look likely to be broken anytime soon (the closest active player is Jason Taylor, who now appears to be languishing back in Miami still 78.5 sacks behind). Smith terrorized the edge as the familiar face of the Buffalo Bills franchise in the 80's and 90's, where he played as the key defensive end during the aforementioned Super Bowl run. Although he (and all the other Bills players in the Hall) never got a ring, his accomplishments should not be at all diminished.
3. Randall McDaniel: While undersized and awkward-looking (you may remember his peculiar three point stance with his left foot splayed out to the side), McDaniel is still regarded as one of the greatest, most versatile guards to play the game. In a world where there never seem to be any numbers for offensive linemen, try this: Randall McDaniel blocked for six 3,000-yard passers in his career, started 202 consecutive games in 14 seasons, and made 12 consecutive Pro Bowls (1989-2000) within the same span (still an NFL Record). Regardless of position, those are impressive, Hall of Fame quality stats.
4. Bob Hayes: Known to many as "the Bullet" and quite possibly the fastest man to ever play in the NFL, Hayes has the honor of being the only man to ever win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring. In ten seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Hayes scored over 70 touchdowns and became the first player in the history of the Dallas Cowboys to catch for over 1000 yards. He was a key player in winning Dallas' first Super Bowl in 1972. Despite his reputation as a track man, Hayes was succinctly described by teammate and Hall of Fame presenter Roger Staubach as "a football player who also ran track, not a track star who played football". There is little doubt that Hayes changed the game with both his blazing speed and his prodigious talent.
5. Derrick Thomas: One of the best pass rushers of all-time, Derrick Thomas was voted to 8 Pro Bowls during his 11-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs, including his rookie season in 1989, when he became the first rookie Kansas City linebacker selected to a Pro Bowl since fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Bell in 1968. Thomas is ranked among another prestigious club; he is one of only 22 NFL players to reach the benchmark of 100 or more career sacks with 126.5 in total. Perhaps his crowning achievement is his record for the most sacks in a single game, when he officially recorded seven against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990.
6. Rod Woodson: Last but most certainly not least, Rod Woodson shined in a brilliant 20 year career with four teams, including 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Third on the list of all-time interceptions, Woodson was named to the NFL's 75th-anniversary team in only his seventh year in the league and made 3 Super Bowl appearances throughout his career (one each with the Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Oakland Raiders), winning once. Woodson also holds the distinction of being the only first-ballot Hall of Famer in this year's class (meaning this was the first year he was eligible for Hall of Fame induction).
It goes without saying that all of these men deserve our utmost respect for their accomplishments both on and off the gridiron.
1. Ralph Wilson, Jr.: The founder and longtime owner of the Buffalo Bills, Ralph Wilson has been instrumental in creating the National Football League as we know it today. He was a founding member of the 8-team American Football League in 1959, and aided in the planning and execution of the merger between the AFL and the NFL. Years later, he would oversee the Bills' unprecedented run of four consecutive Super Bowls, which would feature the next person in the Class of 2009.
2. Bruce Smith: A perennial Pro Bowler and a 19-year veteran by the end of his career, Bruce Smith still holds the all-time career sack record in the NFL with a whopping 200, a figure that doesn't look likely to be broken anytime soon (the closest active player is Jason Taylor, who now appears to be languishing back in Miami still 78.5 sacks behind). Smith terrorized the edge as the familiar face of the Buffalo Bills franchise in the 80's and 90's, where he played as the key defensive end during the aforementioned Super Bowl run. Although he (and all the other Bills players in the Hall) never got a ring, his accomplishments should not be at all diminished.
3. Randall McDaniel: While undersized and awkward-looking (you may remember his peculiar three point stance with his left foot splayed out to the side), McDaniel is still regarded as one of the greatest, most versatile guards to play the game. In a world where there never seem to be any numbers for offensive linemen, try this: Randall McDaniel blocked for six 3,000-yard passers in his career, started 202 consecutive games in 14 seasons, and made 12 consecutive Pro Bowls (1989-2000) within the same span (still an NFL Record). Regardless of position, those are impressive, Hall of Fame quality stats.
4. Bob Hayes: Known to many as "the Bullet" and quite possibly the fastest man to ever play in the NFL, Hayes has the honor of being the only man to ever win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring. In ten seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Hayes scored over 70 touchdowns and became the first player in the history of the Dallas Cowboys to catch for over 1000 yards. He was a key player in winning Dallas' first Super Bowl in 1972. Despite his reputation as a track man, Hayes was succinctly described by teammate and Hall of Fame presenter Roger Staubach as "a football player who also ran track, not a track star who played football". There is little doubt that Hayes changed the game with both his blazing speed and his prodigious talent.
5. Derrick Thomas: One of the best pass rushers of all-time, Derrick Thomas was voted to 8 Pro Bowls during his 11-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs, including his rookie season in 1989, when he became the first rookie Kansas City linebacker selected to a Pro Bowl since fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Bell in 1968. Thomas is ranked among another prestigious club; he is one of only 22 NFL players to reach the benchmark of 100 or more career sacks with 126.5 in total. Perhaps his crowning achievement is his record for the most sacks in a single game, when he officially recorded seven against the Seattle Seahawks in 1990.
6. Rod Woodson: Last but most certainly not least, Rod Woodson shined in a brilliant 20 year career with four teams, including 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Third on the list of all-time interceptions, Woodson was named to the NFL's 75th-anniversary team in only his seventh year in the league and made 3 Super Bowl appearances throughout his career (one each with the Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Oakland Raiders), winning once. Woodson also holds the distinction of being the only first-ballot Hall of Famer in this year's class (meaning this was the first year he was eligible for Hall of Fame induction).
It goes without saying that all of these men deserve our utmost respect for their accomplishments both on and off the gridiron.
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