woodbuck27
06-09-2006, 08:59 AM
Change dawns on Favre
Written by PackerChatters Staff
Friday, 09 June 2006
GREEN BAY - Brett Favre knew what he was signing up for when he decided to come back. He knew how different his 16th year in the NFL was going to be.
New coaching staff. New variation of the West Coast offense, and with it, new terminology. New teammates, with another batch of his longtime friends having departed during the offseason.
But if the Green Bay Packers' veteran quarterback sounded Thursday afternoon like a man going through a transition period unlike any other in his NFL career, well, that's because he is. Especially with the offensive terminology used by new coach Mike McCarthy.
"It's been a big challenge," Favre said after the sixth of the team's 14 organized team activity practices, which continue through June 21. "I mean, I've never slept in a meeting. (But) I know I won't now. I have to get this down. But, I have to admit, I sometimes kind of wish it was the old way."
It's not that Favre hasn't dealt with change. He handled it when coach Mike Holmgren left for Seattle after the 1998 season and Ray Rhodes - and one year later, Mike Sherman - came in. He survived as a cavalcade of his closest teammates and friends - from Reggie White to Mark Chmura to Frank Winters to LeRoy Butler to Marco Rivera to Doug Pederson - departed over the years.
But while Sherman's firing and the offseason departures of center Mike Flanagan, backup quarterback Craig Nall and kicker Ryan Longwell certainly haven't helped Favre's comfort level this spring, it's the new offensive language that's causing him particular trouble because Holmgren, Rhodes (who kept offensive coordinator Sherm Lewis) and Sherman (a Holmgren protege) used essentially the same language from 1992 through 2005.
"My biggest challenge right now (is), as you're watching (a play), you go, 'OK, I recognize that play.' Well, I do, too. But it's getting it out in the huddle that's the problem," Favre said.
To combat that, Favre said he'll attend all the remaining OTA practices - he didn't say whether he'd participate in all of them, however - and will continue his education right through to the start of training camp July 28.
"I'm actually going to study when I go home and have them send me some stuff and turn my little night-light on," said Favre, who threw a pair of red-zone interceptions in practice Thursday but said they had nothing to do with the play-calling.
But the terminology isn't the only thing Favre is adjusting to. For one, after the worst season of his Packers career both personally (a career-high and NFL-worst 29 interceptions and a career-low 70.9 passer rating) and as a team (a 4-12 finish, his first losing record in Green Bay), motivating himself to work out this offseason has been difficult.
Why? In part because he worked so hard last year to get in the best shape of his life - Sherman hired a personal trainer to push him - and the team was awful anyway.
"I'm not going to lie to you," Favre said. "I woke up some days this offseason and said, 'The hell with working out the way I did last year. A lot of good that did.' But that's not the right way to do it."
And then there's the issue of his locker room relationships. With Flanagan, Longwell and Nall departing as free agents, only long snapper Rob Davis and fullback William Henderson remain from his circle of close friends and fellow old-timers.
"It's like I was telling (my wife) Deanna, 'You know, there's nobody left,' " said Favre, who turns 37 on Oct. 10. "You know you've been around a while when the guys you played with are now coaching (Edgar Bennett, James Campen) and half the coaching staff is younger than you. And, you look at the roster and, Deanna and I started dating (in) '83, and it's like 'My god, we've got guys born in '83 and '84.'
"But it's a good thing because (at least) I'm still here. Not a lot of guys can say that. So even when I want to complain and not be here, I really do appreciate the fact that I'm still playing and they still want me."
Extra points
Linebacker Nick Barnett returned after missing Tuesday's practice with what he called "tenderness in my knee." Barnett had a sweet fourth-down interception of Favre during a 2-minute drill in the first 11-on-11 period. ... Cornerback Therrian Fontenot picked Favre off during a 7-on-7 period at the end of practice as well. ... Cornerback Charles Woodson and nose tackle Ryan Pickett, the team's two big free-agent acquisitions this offseason, still haven't shown up for an OTA practice. The only other veteran yet to attend is cornerback Al Harris, who is skipping all voluntary offseason workouts to demonstrate his unhappiness with his contract. ... First-round draft pick A.J. Hawk is expected to arrive today for his first OTA practice after finishing up his schoolwork at Ohio State. ... Defensive tackle Donnell Washington was missing from practice, and a team spokesman could not give an explanation for his absence.
Source: Jason Wilde - Wisconsin State Journal
Written by PackerChatters Staff
Friday, 09 June 2006
GREEN BAY - Brett Favre knew what he was signing up for when he decided to come back. He knew how different his 16th year in the NFL was going to be.
New coaching staff. New variation of the West Coast offense, and with it, new terminology. New teammates, with another batch of his longtime friends having departed during the offseason.
But if the Green Bay Packers' veteran quarterback sounded Thursday afternoon like a man going through a transition period unlike any other in his NFL career, well, that's because he is. Especially with the offensive terminology used by new coach Mike McCarthy.
"It's been a big challenge," Favre said after the sixth of the team's 14 organized team activity practices, which continue through June 21. "I mean, I've never slept in a meeting. (But) I know I won't now. I have to get this down. But, I have to admit, I sometimes kind of wish it was the old way."
It's not that Favre hasn't dealt with change. He handled it when coach Mike Holmgren left for Seattle after the 1998 season and Ray Rhodes - and one year later, Mike Sherman - came in. He survived as a cavalcade of his closest teammates and friends - from Reggie White to Mark Chmura to Frank Winters to LeRoy Butler to Marco Rivera to Doug Pederson - departed over the years.
But while Sherman's firing and the offseason departures of center Mike Flanagan, backup quarterback Craig Nall and kicker Ryan Longwell certainly haven't helped Favre's comfort level this spring, it's the new offensive language that's causing him particular trouble because Holmgren, Rhodes (who kept offensive coordinator Sherm Lewis) and Sherman (a Holmgren protege) used essentially the same language from 1992 through 2005.
"My biggest challenge right now (is), as you're watching (a play), you go, 'OK, I recognize that play.' Well, I do, too. But it's getting it out in the huddle that's the problem," Favre said.
To combat that, Favre said he'll attend all the remaining OTA practices - he didn't say whether he'd participate in all of them, however - and will continue his education right through to the start of training camp July 28.
"I'm actually going to study when I go home and have them send me some stuff and turn my little night-light on," said Favre, who threw a pair of red-zone interceptions in practice Thursday but said they had nothing to do with the play-calling.
But the terminology isn't the only thing Favre is adjusting to. For one, after the worst season of his Packers career both personally (a career-high and NFL-worst 29 interceptions and a career-low 70.9 passer rating) and as a team (a 4-12 finish, his first losing record in Green Bay), motivating himself to work out this offseason has been difficult.
Why? In part because he worked so hard last year to get in the best shape of his life - Sherman hired a personal trainer to push him - and the team was awful anyway.
"I'm not going to lie to you," Favre said. "I woke up some days this offseason and said, 'The hell with working out the way I did last year. A lot of good that did.' But that's not the right way to do it."
And then there's the issue of his locker room relationships. With Flanagan, Longwell and Nall departing as free agents, only long snapper Rob Davis and fullback William Henderson remain from his circle of close friends and fellow old-timers.
"It's like I was telling (my wife) Deanna, 'You know, there's nobody left,' " said Favre, who turns 37 on Oct. 10. "You know you've been around a while when the guys you played with are now coaching (Edgar Bennett, James Campen) and half the coaching staff is younger than you. And, you look at the roster and, Deanna and I started dating (in) '83, and it's like 'My god, we've got guys born in '83 and '84.'
"But it's a good thing because (at least) I'm still here. Not a lot of guys can say that. So even when I want to complain and not be here, I really do appreciate the fact that I'm still playing and they still want me."
Extra points
Linebacker Nick Barnett returned after missing Tuesday's practice with what he called "tenderness in my knee." Barnett had a sweet fourth-down interception of Favre during a 2-minute drill in the first 11-on-11 period. ... Cornerback Therrian Fontenot picked Favre off during a 7-on-7 period at the end of practice as well. ... Cornerback Charles Woodson and nose tackle Ryan Pickett, the team's two big free-agent acquisitions this offseason, still haven't shown up for an OTA practice. The only other veteran yet to attend is cornerback Al Harris, who is skipping all voluntary offseason workouts to demonstrate his unhappiness with his contract. ... First-round draft pick A.J. Hawk is expected to arrive today for his first OTA practice after finishing up his schoolwork at Ohio State. ... Defensive tackle Donnell Washington was missing from practice, and a team spokesman could not give an explanation for his absence.
Source: Jason Wilde - Wisconsin State Journal