Packers Gab

Jclombardi updates Favre watch.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com 

The Neverending Story: Key dates in Brett Favre’s retirement choices, from 2002 to the present.

Update: According to his brother Scott, Favre sustained injuries to wrists, ankles, & one leg and having his head bruised in the NFC title game. “He was beat all to hell,” said Scott, adding that he doesn’t think Brett has made a decision on retirement yet. Scott also believes it will be difficult for his brother to walk away because of his special bond with Rice, Harvin, and Peterson.

PFW says that it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Pack go with a safety with their first round pick:

Team insiders are indicating that it would hardly be a shock if the Packers’ first pick turned out to be a strong safety who could conceivably work his way into the starting lineup right away in place of incumbent Atari Bigby. The word out of Green Bay is that Bigby, a likely restricted free agent due to the increasingly unlikely extension of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, could be on thin ice after a second straight injury-plagued campaign, which ended on a sour note with his shoddy play down the stretch. The player currently behind Bigby on the Packers’ depth chart is Derrick Martin, another likely RFA who has provided an impact on special teams but has otherwise been a nonfactor since being obtained in a trade with the Ravens early last September.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Mike Nolan was offered the DC job last season that ended up in the hands of Dom Capers:

The final mystery of the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator search last year has been solved: Mike Nolan, the first candidate interviewed, was offered the job by coach Mike McCarthy. It had long been assumed that Nolan was offered the position, but neither Nolan nor McCarthy would talk about it on the record. “I wouldn’t say I turned them down,” Nolan said Monday before practices started at the Senior Bowl. “I had two great offers and, for personal reasons only, I chose the one that most appealed to me. I really wanted to stay close to California. Denver allowed me to do that.” Dom Capers, the fourth candidate offered the Packers’ job, accepted it.

Jclombardi reviews Vikings loss & iconic NFL QB Favre’s future.

Senior Writer Jclombardi

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com

Summary: For the 2009 Season, legendary NFL QB Favre will not be going to the Superbowl. The Saints battered Favre and beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 in overtime on K Hartley’s 40 yard field goal.  The Vikings should have easily won the NFC Championship, but they gave the game away with 6 fumbles (Fumble-aya!), 5 turnovers, & two costly penalties, although they outgained New Orleans’ explosive offense 475-257.  True, iconic Favre is human Favre committing that late-game interception in regulation.  Yet, contrary to the classy Packers press  (playing both sides of the Favre story for ratings) claiming “Oops, Same Old Favre” headlines, the Vikings beat themselves with TE Shiancoe saying, ”We beat ourselves. We made a lot of plays, but we left a lot of plays out there.”  However, the ultimate responsibility for the loss rests with HC Childress and his clock management, especially in the final 2:37 in the game.  Before you chastise Favre for his gaffe, remember that the Vikings are likely golfing on Sunday were it not for the season he had.  In the end, bad Brett cost the Vikings, but Childress’ poor clock management put the quarterback in a position to fail.

Favre the Ol’ Gunslinger: “Favre is as addicted to risk and chance as a poker player is to chasing the big score. Until now, that addiction was harnessed. Then it returned at the most inopportune moment like a filthy beast.”

Espn’s haunting view of Favre: Tilting At Windmills–Favre’s journey to the Super Bowl was an impossible dream after all, thanks to another inevitable interception by the mad, idealistic knight. Still, ’twas a beautiful finale. The Inevitable Truth–Favre’s late INT was maddening for Vikings fans, but not shocking. The more Favre plays, the more he seems destined for such endings. 

Espn’s mythic view of Favre: And It Came To Pass-Favre felled by his fatal flaw-As foretold in the prophecies, Favre was undone by a fatal flaw. In two of the past three seasons, Favre has lost in the NFC Championship Game. Each time, his team seemed poised to win at the end; each time, Favre’s final play was a disastrous interception. And each of those title losses eventually came in overtime — to punish Favre for his hamartia, twice the football gods allowed him to come so close, then denied him.

Espn’s balanced view of Favre: Lasting & Painful Memory for Favre–Favre’s second interception was a killer. It deprived the Vikings of a 55-yard field goal attempt.  Blame Favre, if you want, but remember there aren’t enough fingers to point at all the Vikings who screwed up Sunday. If this was the end for Favre, he has zilch to apologize for. The Vikings wouldn’t have reached the NFC Championship Game without him.  He was the best player on a really good team at 40.  Later, he left the makeshift stage and walked very slowly down a stadium corridor to meet his family. You got the feeling that it might be the last walk down one of these corridors he ever makes.”

Future: Now, the Favre Watch begins into the coming 2010 NFL Season.  Farewell for now. Now What? Favre was forthright with ESPN’s Ed Werder saying it was highly unlikely that he would play football again.  FOX’s Jay Glazer reported that Favre’s teammates expect him to retire.

Hall-of-fame Future: How best to sum up a Hall of Fame career.  Decisions–the good has outweighed the bad.  He has placed his name in the conversation for Greatest Quarterbacks Of All Time. Where does he rank? I’d definitely have Favre in the Top 10, maybe Top 5. What’s left for Brett Favre? He stuck it to Thompson and McCarthy twice. And he proved beyond a doubt that he was still the Ol’ Gunslinger. Favre has not enjoyed a better year statistically exceeding nearly everyone’s expectations for a 40-year-old. Yes, he is going out on top with his Hall of Fame legacy intact minus many disgruntled Cheeseheads.

Commentary: If this was the last game Brett Favre will play, though, he goes out as he came in. That howitzer arm powered a team to dizzying heights and imploded at the least opportune moment. That legendary fortitude passed one last visceral challenge. And the joie de vivre (joy of life) was evident in the effort up until the moment the other side could yell “Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll)!” And if it wasn’t? Wouldn’t that be quintessential Favre getting up no matter what knocks him down?

 Jclombardi’s commentary about Packers fans & Favre. 

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com

Packers fans claimed their say about Sunday’s NFC Championship game between the Vikings and Saint. In an amusing Packers news article, the vast majority of Packers fans want to see Favre, Vikings go down in flames. “True estimates that of the fans calling in, the percentage breakdown is 90% want Favre to lose and 10% of them want Favre to go and win his second Super Bowl, cementing his status as one of the greatest players ever in the National Football League.”

Commentary: We are an enormous country and we use sports teams to re-channel our feeling of loyalty and to express conflict. You are a Brett fan, a Packers fan, or both. The rivalry between fans of the Packers and Vikings is real. For Favre haters, it didn’t help that Deanna Favre, Favre’s wife, told Sports Illustrated in a cover story this week that the couple feel right at home in the Twin Cities. While the Vikings had the upper hand this year defeating the Packers twice, Packers fans can say that the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl (they’re 0-4).

Commentary: Views from Packers nation–Can The Old Gunslinger Do It? Enjoy QB Favre’s Magical Story–40-year-old Favre has produced the best season of his remarkable career. The fact he has guided the Vikings within one victory of the Super Bowl at such an advanced age is the best NFL story of the year, if not the past decade. Old man Favre is worth rooting for–Is it morally wrong to want to root for Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings until the Green Bay Packers get back to the Super Bowl? Working His Game Plan, Favre’s Big Goal Within Reach–So far, so good. Favre’s brilliant season has included a most satisfying sweep of the Packers, the division title and a smashing divisional-playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys one week ago.

Jclombardi reviews NFL All-Rookie Team.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com

LB Clay Matthews and DL B.J. Raji were named to the National Football League all-rookie team.  The team is selected by Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Football Writers of America. Matthews joined Hawk (2006), Barnett (2003), Diggs (2000) and Simmons (1993) as Packers’ all-rookie linebackers. Raji joined Holliday (1998), Carreker (1984) and Mike Butler (1977) as Packers’ only all-rookie defensive linemen.

OFFENSE

WR: Percy Harvin, Minnesota; Austin Collie, Indianapolis.

TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit.

T: Michael Oher, Baltimore; Phil Loadholt, Minnesota.

G: Andy Levitre, Buffalo; Louis Vasquez, San Diego.

C: Alex Mack, Cleveland.

QB: Mark Sanchez, NY Jets.

RB: Knowshon Moreno, Denver; Beanie Wells, Arizona.

DEFENSE

DL: Tyson Jackson, Kansas City; Terrance Knighton, Jacksonville; B.J. Raji, Green Bay; Matt Shaughnessy, Oakland.

LB: Brian Cushing, Houston; Clay Matthews, Green Bay; Brian Orakpo, Washington.

CB: Vontae Davis, Miami; Jacob Lacey, Indianapolis.

S: Jairus Byrd, Buffalo; Louis Delmas, Detroit.

SPECIALISTS

K: Ryan Succop, Kansas City.

P: Pat McAfee, Indianapolis.

PR: Quan Cosby, Cincinnati.

KR: Percy Harvin, Minnesota.

ST: LaRod Stephens-Howling, Arizona.

Daryn Colledge could be released by the Packers in the offseason, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The 27-year-old guard started all 16 games for Green Bay over the last two seasons, and provides the versatility to work at different spots on the offensive line – but he gave up a team-high 7.5 sacks in 2009.