Partial
08-28-2007, 01:02 PM
QB knows he needs to temper his occasional frustration with his inexperienced teammates
ROB DEMOVSKY
Brett Favre and Mike McCarthy were watching film the other day of last season's blowout loss at Philadelphia, but they just as easily could have been viewing tape from Thursday's preseason loss to Jacksonville.
It was during that film session when McCarthy offered perhaps the most succinct advice anyone has given Favre during the latter stages of his career.
"He was like, 'You know, you've got to relax. You've got to settle down,'" Favre recalled on Monday. "And I realize that."
Implementing that might be more difficult than realizing it for the ultracompetitive quarterback, who knows he's running out of chances to make one more playoff run.
Relaxed would not be among the words to use when describing Favre's demeanor during a rough stretch against the Jaguars. Playing with a group of young, inexperienced receivers, Favre was visibly upset with mistakes by rookie receiver James Jones, who has been one of the stars of this training camp.
On the game's third play from scrimmage, Favre wanted to get rid of the ball quickly against a blitz, but Jones failed to break off his route in order to allow the quarterback to make a quick throw before he was sacked. Two series later, on a third-and-9 play, Jones stopped running on a crossing route, and Favre's throw went well beyond Jones, killing the drive.
After both plays, Favre threw his hands up in the air and made gestures indicating he was upset with the way Jones had run those routes.
"I think my experience and my success here and in this game serves me well, but at times, it can work against me," Favre said during a 16-minute session with reporters following Monday's practice. "My patience is a lot thinner than it used to be."
However, during the same news conference, Favre questioned whether he's "overly dramatic out there."
Then, Favre showed a light-heartedness that has become rare during his news conferences in recent years, when he feigned the same kind of gestures he made during the game.
"You're coming up with a good story," said the 37-year-old Favre, who is about to begin his 17th NFL season. "Favre is letting it get to him."
Still, Favre admitted he's not always the happy-go-lucky, locker-room prankster he was during his younger years.
"I've grown out of that, really," Favre said. "I've grown up. In fact, there's times when I felt like I need to get back to that kid at heart. Back then, it was much easier to goof around and be a knucklehead, because that's what I was. There was a lot of older guys, and you looked to them as a leader, so you're going to kind of put everyone at ease by joking around."
Perhaps Favre feels disconnected from a team that has only four other players over 30, or maybe he feels an obligation to be more of a mentor than a friend.
"I have to enjoy the game, and understand that these guys will make mistakes," Favre said. "I think my position on this team is to produce and be concerned only with my position, first and foremost, but it's to lead these other guys. I know there's a correct way and an incorrect way, but I think it's kind of fuzzy in between. I don't want to be a coach on the field because it's hard enough to play, and I don't want to show frustration. But there's only 16 games, and one play can determine not only a game, but it could determine a season. That's kind of where I'm coming from."
For his part, Jones claimed in the locker room on Monday that he wasn't bothered by Favre's display of frustration against the Jaguars.
"Especially with a young team, I wouldn't see why he wouldn't get frustrated," Jones said. "But it's a learning process. It's just my first year, and I'm sure Favre understands it's my first year, so we're going to make mistakes. I don't look at (Favre's gestures) in any type of way. That's just being competitive and being in the heat of the moment. When something bad happens, right there it's your reaction. Once we get off the field, we talk about it and learn from it.
"Shoot, we can't just smile at it every time something goes wrong."
Other than Donald Driver, Favre has a bunch of inexperienced receivers in his stable. Jones has flashed, perhaps more than No. 2 receiver Greg Jennings did a year ago. With Driver out at least for the preseason finale on Thursday at Tennessee due a sprained foot, Favre has gotten more work with his younger receivers that the Packers hope eases some of his angst.
"It's coming along," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "We're not in midseason form by any stretch, but we've seen some progress."
ROB DEMOVSKY
Brett Favre and Mike McCarthy were watching film the other day of last season's blowout loss at Philadelphia, but they just as easily could have been viewing tape from Thursday's preseason loss to Jacksonville.
It was during that film session when McCarthy offered perhaps the most succinct advice anyone has given Favre during the latter stages of his career.
"He was like, 'You know, you've got to relax. You've got to settle down,'" Favre recalled on Monday. "And I realize that."
Implementing that might be more difficult than realizing it for the ultracompetitive quarterback, who knows he's running out of chances to make one more playoff run.
Relaxed would not be among the words to use when describing Favre's demeanor during a rough stretch against the Jaguars. Playing with a group of young, inexperienced receivers, Favre was visibly upset with mistakes by rookie receiver James Jones, who has been one of the stars of this training camp.
On the game's third play from scrimmage, Favre wanted to get rid of the ball quickly against a blitz, but Jones failed to break off his route in order to allow the quarterback to make a quick throw before he was sacked. Two series later, on a third-and-9 play, Jones stopped running on a crossing route, and Favre's throw went well beyond Jones, killing the drive.
After both plays, Favre threw his hands up in the air and made gestures indicating he was upset with the way Jones had run those routes.
"I think my experience and my success here and in this game serves me well, but at times, it can work against me," Favre said during a 16-minute session with reporters following Monday's practice. "My patience is a lot thinner than it used to be."
However, during the same news conference, Favre questioned whether he's "overly dramatic out there."
Then, Favre showed a light-heartedness that has become rare during his news conferences in recent years, when he feigned the same kind of gestures he made during the game.
"You're coming up with a good story," said the 37-year-old Favre, who is about to begin his 17th NFL season. "Favre is letting it get to him."
Still, Favre admitted he's not always the happy-go-lucky, locker-room prankster he was during his younger years.
"I've grown out of that, really," Favre said. "I've grown up. In fact, there's times when I felt like I need to get back to that kid at heart. Back then, it was much easier to goof around and be a knucklehead, because that's what I was. There was a lot of older guys, and you looked to them as a leader, so you're going to kind of put everyone at ease by joking around."
Perhaps Favre feels disconnected from a team that has only four other players over 30, or maybe he feels an obligation to be more of a mentor than a friend.
"I have to enjoy the game, and understand that these guys will make mistakes," Favre said. "I think my position on this team is to produce and be concerned only with my position, first and foremost, but it's to lead these other guys. I know there's a correct way and an incorrect way, but I think it's kind of fuzzy in between. I don't want to be a coach on the field because it's hard enough to play, and I don't want to show frustration. But there's only 16 games, and one play can determine not only a game, but it could determine a season. That's kind of where I'm coming from."
For his part, Jones claimed in the locker room on Monday that he wasn't bothered by Favre's display of frustration against the Jaguars.
"Especially with a young team, I wouldn't see why he wouldn't get frustrated," Jones said. "But it's a learning process. It's just my first year, and I'm sure Favre understands it's my first year, so we're going to make mistakes. I don't look at (Favre's gestures) in any type of way. That's just being competitive and being in the heat of the moment. When something bad happens, right there it's your reaction. Once we get off the field, we talk about it and learn from it.
"Shoot, we can't just smile at it every time something goes wrong."
Other than Donald Driver, Favre has a bunch of inexperienced receivers in his stable. Jones has flashed, perhaps more than No. 2 receiver Greg Jennings did a year ago. With Driver out at least for the preseason finale on Thursday at Tennessee due a sprained foot, Favre has gotten more work with his younger receivers that the Packers hope eases some of his angst.
"It's coming along," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "We're not in midseason form by any stretch, but we've seen some progress."