Favre's Recent Production

[Chevelle2]

This is in response to the "Favre is better than Rodgers" sentiment. In fact, Favre's play has dropped off considerably in each of the past three seasons as they've progressed.. We'll go chronologically...

2005: Favre's worst year

What many don't remember from that year was that Favre started off the season pretty well. Through 6 games he was among the league leaders in yards, tds, and qb rating with 14 tds to 8 ints. This despite the team being a lousy 1-5. Unfortunately this would not hold up with Favre throwing only 6 more tds to 21 ints over the final 10 games, the worst of it coming in the final 5 games during which he threw only 1 td and 10 ints.

2006: More control, less production.

Again in 2006 Favre started out better than he finished. Though he wasn't putting up the big numbers he was capable of he still had a 2:1 td to int ration posting 10 tds to 5 ints through the first 7 games, and 13 tds to 7 through the first 9. However, over the final seven he reversed that, throwing for just 5 tds and 11 ints.

2007: Favre's Renaissance.

Favre was his old self again. He posted 28 tds to just 15 ints and had a qb rating of 95.7. But, Favre stats, once again dropped off. Over the final seven games of the season (five regular season, two playoff) Favre threw eleven touchdowns to nine interceptions (compared to 22 to eight). His completion percentage also dropped from 68.4 to 60.7.



And couple this trend with the fact that Favre has not been with the team all off season preparing and will turn 39 in a few months, I have to question whether or not he would be better than Aaron Rodgers this coming year. It's certainly not a sure bet. And even if he is guaranteed a hot start, is it worth mortgaging our very near future to watch him tail off for a fourth time? I ask this in response to the almost certainty some seem to have that TT is stroking his ego. Maybe TT isn't thinking about it as "my guy" vs. "the previous guy's guy," and actually is trying to do what he thinks is best for the team.



We also see, Favre is getting up there in age, to the point where he can't be effective the entire season.

[Pacopete4]

Re: Favre's Recent Production

This is in response to the "Favre is better than Rodgers" sentiment. In fact, Favre's play has dropped off considerably in each of the past three seasons as they've progressed.. We'll go chronologically...

2005: Favre's worst year

What many don't remember from that year was that Favre started off the season pretty well. Through 6 games he was among the league leaders in yards, tds, and qb rating with 14 tds to 8 ints. This despite the team being a lousy 1-5. Unfortunately this would not hold up with Favre throwing only 6 more tds to 21 ints over the final 10 games, the worst of it coming in the final 5 games during which he threw only 1 td and 10 ints.

2006: More control, less production.

Again in 2006 Favre started out better than he finished. Though he wasn't putting up the big numbers he was capable of he still had a 2:1 td to int ration posting 10 tds to 5 ints through the first 7 games, and 13 tds to 7 through the first 9. However, over the final seven he reversed that, throwing for just 5 tds and 11 ints.

2007: Favre's Renaissance.

Favre was his old self again. He posted 28 tds to just 15 ints and had a qb rating of 95.7. But, Favre stats, once again dropped off. Over the final seven games of the season (five regular season, two playoff) Favre threw eleven touchdowns to nine interceptions (compared to 22 to eight). His completion percentage also dropped from 68.4 to 60.7.



And couple this trend with the fact that Favre has not been with the team all off season preparing and will turn 39 in a few months, I have to question whether or not he would be better than Aaron Rodgers this coming year. It's certainly not a sure bet. And even if he is guaranteed a hot start, is it worth mortgaging our very near future to watch him tail off for a fourth time? I ask this in response to the almost certainty some seem to have that TT is stroking his ego. Maybe TT isn't thinking about it as "my guy" vs. "the previous guy's guy," and actually is trying to do what he thinks is best for the team.



We also see, Favre is getting up there in age, to the point where he can't be effective the entire season.

I think some of it has to do with where he plays.. its not like hes playing in a dome or warm weather.. he plays 4 or so games at the end of the year in worse weather than most which means your stats are going to decline some

[HarveyWallbangers]

Brett had a great year, but this is a valid criticism. He's getting older, so it's natural that he'd have a harder time holding up over 16+ games.

[RashanGary]

These are all good points. Ted Thompson or MM will never come out and say why they want Rodgers at this point over Favre. There are probably football reasons as well as commitment issues, but anything he says will be an insult to Favre and Ted will never throw a player under the bus.

They have their reasons and they keep them secret to protect the player, not to protect themselves. The poeople who run the Packers are good people, esspecially to the players. It's really too bad that people mistake "saying nothing" with "true evil". It's just not my first assumption of people and it really doesn't make sense here.

[boiga]

Chevelle, I too have my doubts about Favre's potential effectiveness for the coming season. He's been away from football long enough that his conditioning is suspect and no longer seems eager to do the work necessary to succeed on Sundays.

However, I think you are going about this all the wrong way. In my opinion, Favre was the equal to Brady and Peyton last season. He won games for us that should not have been won. He was amazing, and trying to disregard that level of production isn't going to get you anywhere with Packer fans. Favre was, and likely still is, an amazing quarterback.

Nevertheless, he still should not be our starter come the start of the regular season. No matter how good he is, Favre has an extremely limited shelf life. Odds are very strongly against him lasting another two years. If we keep Brett in charge and of this team and wait until after he calls it quits before grooming a quarterback, we will be nearly guaranteed to spend the 5 years after Brett retires in the dog house. We'd be relying on rookie QB's, over the hill journey men and worse.

The only way to smooth over the transition to a Post Favre era is to groom the replacement while Brett is in house. This was exactly the plan Ted has been running with since he came in. Rodgers was drafted, groomed, and now is the most experienced 1st round quarterback you could possibly want having his first starter position with your team.

When last season started, I thought that it should probably be Favre's last as our starter. Aaron had paid his dues and was ready. But then Favre had that amazing season. I thought, okay fine, give him one more year. Rodgers might be able to wait one more.

And then Favre retired and Aaron was given the keys to franchise. The Packer management had done as much as humanly possible to prepare the Packers for life after Favre. This was the perfect opportunity for the franchise to "move forward."



So when Brett decided to come back at the 11th hour, I never thought we should let him. We couldn't take the reins back from Rodgers and expect him to stay loyal to the team when his contract expires. We'd have wasted the last three years spent grooming Favre's replacement. This opportunity to weather Favre's leaving the Packers might never come again. To take Brett back would be risking the long term credibility of this team for one or two seasons of diminishing play.

So while I love Favre and am grateful to his many years of service, I recognize that we don't need him anymore. Favre had a good career and got paid well for it, so I can't really feel sorry for the guy, especially after how poorly he managed this situation.

But there is no reason to pretend he wasn't a great QB for us.

It's just that Rodgers has the potential to be great too, and considering he's all we've got at the moment we had better hope he will be.

[RIPackerFan]

I think you have to be very careful. The numbers may seem persuasive - but doing a quick comparison shows perhaps a flaw in your methodology.

I think that we would all agree that Tom Brady was the best QB in the league last year. However, if you look at his QB ratings for the last 7 games:

Steelers - 125.2
Jets - 51.5
Dolphins - 79.7
Giants (1st time) - 116.8
Jaquars - 141.4
Chargers - 66.4
Giants - 82.5


Favre's Last 7 Games:
Cowboys - 8.9
Raiders - 115.5
Rams - 80.6
Bears - 40.2
Lions - 143.8
Seahawks - 137.6
Giants - 70.7

So the way I look at it - it looks pretty comparable - both had three 100+ QB ranking games (Favre having 2 out of his last three games in the 100s, Brady only having 1) - both had one 80+ game, and both had three poor games - though I will agree Favre's stinker in Dallas was worse than any game by Brady - though I would think Brady's game against the Jets is equivalent to the game Favre had against the Bears. I personally believe the last Giants game by both QBs were equivalent - especially when considered the factors Favre was playing in vs. the Superbowl conditions.

Just some food for thought.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I think that we would all agree that Tom Brady was the best QB in the league last year. However, if you look at his QB ratings for the last 7 games:

How did Brady do in the two years prior? One year wouldn't have anybody worried. Three years in a row has some concerned.

The thing that worries me is that from 2000-2004, there was only one year (2001) when his second half numbers weren't comparable or better than his first half numbers. In fact, for his career his QB rating in the second half of the season is actually better than the first half.

[RIPackerFan]

I was speaking specifically to the point that his production falls off at the end of the year. I was stating that is a tough comparison to make when you compare him to Brady.

Frankly - I look at the previous two years as rebuilding - we retooled the entire offense - playing rookies and street free agents - especially 2005. While that may make me a Favre apologist - fine. However, it is tough for anyone to look at 2005 and think that the talent level was no sub-poor for Favre.

[LEWCWA]

Stupid stats, Green Bay can be unforgiving late in the year...HMM wonder if that could be part of the problem!!! Don't rely on biased and faulty stats!

[Partial]

Brett had a great year, but this is a valid criticism. He's getting older, so it's natural that he'd have a harder time holding up over 16+ games.

He was great the final 4 weeks of '06. Lights out against Seattle, St. Louis, etc down the stretch last year. The team was abyssmal in '05 so I'm throwing that out.

I don't think that has much to do with it. I think it has to do with playing more talented teams in the playoffs.

[packinpatland]

Here's a class act......


From the Hattiesburg American:


Quote:
Favre still takes time with fans

By PATRICK MAGEE • July 30, 2008

WHILE BRETT FAVRE has been picked apart and faced a good deal of criticism in recent weeks, he's managed to keep a calm demeanor and respectful attitude toward the fans and media.
Too often these days, players are seen running away from the media and ignoring fans while they deal with personal issues or battle it out with team management. He hasn't been shy to criticize Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson, but he's mainly done it out of an effort to preserve his chance to play again 4 an NFL team.
Perry Central football coach Brian Ford had the opportunity last week to introduce his 11-year-old son, Blake, to Favre in Lamar County.
"Brett was just awesome," Ford said. "He treated my son very well and he stopped what he was doing and took the time to talk with him. He signed his jersey and it's hanging in a case on his wall. He'll never forget that.
"I asked him if I could take a picture of him with my son, but I was so nervous I dropped the camera and the batteries fell out. It took five minutes to get my camera operable. But while I was doing that he was asking my son about hunting and girlfriends.
"He made my son feel like he really cared 4 him. I really believe he would have stood there 4 a long time and talked to us."
Give him a shot
Ford finds it hard to believe that the Packers wouldn't be falling over backwards to allow Favre to wear the Green and Gold one more season.
"You look at all the negative publicity he's got and he's the best to ever take a snap," Ford said. "And he's got the numbers to prove it. He's got a right to change his mind. He's got a right to play again no matter what everybody thinks about him."
I believe Ford is among the majority of fans that would like to see Favre back on the field. But there is a contingent that is tired of the whole mess and growing weary of the quarterback's annual uncertainty after each season.
Favre is no Rocket
I was one of the minority that heavily criticized Roger Clemens when he made the baseball world wait on him in his final two years in the Major Leagues.
4 the most part, Clemens got off scot-free while he sat out the entire first halves of the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He came back and made huge sums of money 4 just half a season and never really delivered on the mound.
His motives appeared to be primarily financial and from the need to boost his steroid-inflated ego.
Favre's desire to play football again is based solely in the fact that he craves to play the game he loves.
He let his decision to play again be known two months before the season begins. It's not as if the Packers are sitting here with a damaged franchise because he prematurely retired back in March. The truth is that Thompson has put himself and the franchise in a strange dispute with the franchise's best player and he stubbornly refuses to give in.
When Thompson's career is over, he won't be remembered as a man that made the right decision 4 the Packers' organization. If things go as they appear, he will be recalled as the guy that simply wouldn't let Green Bay's greatest Packer back onto Lambeau Field.
Contact Patrick Magee at pmagee@hattiesburgamerican. com or call (601) 584-3026.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Stupid stats, Green Bay can be unforgiving late in the year

Unforgiving for the defense also. Makes it to cover without footing.

In fact, for his career his QB rating in the second half of the season is actually better than the first half.

[Bretsky]

good story; he's not the terrible guy some in here like to make him out to be

[HarveyWallbangers]

He was great the final 4 weeks of '06. Lights out against Seattle, St. Louis, etc down the stretch last year. The team was abyssmal in '05 so I'm throwing that out.

If 3 TDs and 6 ints is lights out in the final 4 weeks of '06, then he was lights out. If you don't remember, the defense was absolutely lights out the final 4 games. That's why they won despite Favre fading.

6 TDs and 7 ints in his last 5 regular season games last year. Good vs. Seattle. Below average vs. the Giants.

[HarveyWallbangers]

good story; he's not the terrible guy some in here like to make him out to be

VERY few have insinuated he was a bad guy, so let's not exaggerate. He's a good guy.