LIVE Press Conference: Brett Favre

[woodbuck27]

BallHawk:

There is a saying that goes like this:

It's not the man in the fight - but the fight in the man.

I wouldn't rather have another QB, fighting for my team to recover from OUR terrible season last. Brett Favre really believes in OUR team this season, and he's totally bought into what HC Mike McCarthy has in his plans to do.

Basically. Keep it simple and offer the players that want to - a chance to step up - to make play's, to lead us to victory again. Brett really believes in the talent level he see's in TC, but he needs to see those players that have the ability - get there.

To step up ! He can't do it by himself but he really believes he's mentally and physically competent to lead from the QB position once the game begins.He's counting on the likes of what he knows in Driver and Green.He expects the OL to do the best to protect the play and give him a decent chance, to see the running game work, so the QB option is effective. He needs to see WR's run slants and hooks and read the defence and come back to the ball as an option for him to hit them. OUR WR's have to be playmakers not sprinter's. They must protect the ball as a first option and catch it and maybe score - after that. The pretty plays are rare. It's all about execution and hard work.Few WR's have that natural gift we saw in Javon Walker - see in Moss and Owens saw in Jerry Rice and OUr's sterling Sharp and James Lofton or Robert Brooks.

He pointed out the player like Antonio Freeman who worked his tail off and gave great attitude to get it done.

He is tough as nails. A Great - GREAT football player. Absolutely down to earth - grounded in his experience and knowledge of the essentials to give it the BEST chance to win any game.

[Willard]

Some of Favre's comments (not exact quotes) from today's press conference:

"I think this team has more talent than any team I've been on in Green Bay. It also is the least experienced team."

He went on to say this team is potentially more talented than the team in 1996, but it will take all the young players to step up despite their inexperience. He said players from 1996 like Bruce Wilkerson and Andre Rison were not the most talented players, but they had experience, and they took advantage of their opportunities and performed.

Brett said his arm felt fine, but his ankles and feet definitely feel the effects of 15 years in the NFL. He doesn't regret coming back this year despite the inexperience of the interior line, but usually when he gets out of bed in the morning he thinks, "What in the hell am I doing here" because "it feels like there's broken glass in my shoes".

"I don't want to make a big deal out of it, but my ankles and feet always hurt, and I don't expect them to feel better at any point this year. When I get on the field and start playing I don't notice it anymore".

About this version of the WCO:

"We will still throw the ball down the field every once in a while, but we will concentrate on more accurate 3-4 yard routes like we did when Holmgren used the short pass like a running play."

"We want to throw slant routes that end up being big plays with YAC, rather than rely on long throws (which are far less accurate) for our big plays".

[Tarlam!]

Well, that sounds like a plan if anyone were to ask me....

[woodbuck27]

Yes Willard

Favre also talked about how rare it is for a person to be a natural talent at WR.He said it can't be coached into a player. It's a natural gift to be able to make great cuts ,run slants and catch the ball with the hands and make plays; otherwise like Antonio Freeman demonstrated, it takes a good attitude in practise and hard work and good communication with the QB.

On the WR's in TC. He said:

I expect Donald Driver to play well and make another 80 catch's but he believes that among Rod Gardner,Greg Jennings and Robert Ferguson one or more will have to step up. He said someone will in fact do so. That goes back to his belief in the talent level being the best he's seen, since being OUR QB, including the '96 season or last Super Bowl win.

He said that he has really bought into the HC's plans and that it will be a matter of keeping it simple, given the teams inexperience but that we still have players like Driver and Ahman Green who look really in shape this year and know how to achieve at a high level.

He said that he believes the Packers will be OK this season,and better than the experts are predicting.

He emphasized, the Keep it Simple Philosophy and that a game plan evolves within the game by observing the oppositions defence and then resorting to the style of play best suited to countering the defensive alignment with the correct play call. Then, it's just a matter of every man believing in, and doing his job on that play, and not worrying about the other players assignment. Each player does just what he has to do on any particular play call. Keep it simple.

Favre said. That during the course of any game it starts from the start in a matter of breaking that game down minute by minute quarter by quarter to the completion of the game and success at that - will generally mean a win.

Game in game out it's that simple. He said he's no coach and may never make a coach but the solution to playing good football is - to keep it simple .

He also spoke of the loss of Reggie White, right at the top of the interview. His comments on Reggie and his relationship were very interesting, as he mentioned that Reggie intentionally seperated Brett's shoulders in a tackle when he was an Eagle. He said that Reggie admitted that, as a fact. He spoke of White's intensity to win on the field - contrasted with his funny antics and trickery in the locker room. He said it was sad to lose such a great man so very young in his life. Brett Favre is a very compassionate man.

Brett Favre is a very bright and cool fella. A man's Man. Alot of the ladies would say a Ladies MAN as well, I expect.

Brett Favre still is ready to give us more of Brett Favre. That's always been in me - alot - that's pretty darn excellent.

[BallHawk]

I am so drunk on Kool-Aid right now.

[woodbuck27]

I am so drunk on Kool-Aid right now.

Favre is so real that he can elevate us.

One day at a time. Life goes up but it also must come down and then you use all you have - to get back up.

[woodbuck27]

GO PACKERS ! !

[MJZiggy]

How many times did he mention Greg Jennings in that half hour!! That kid must really be doing something special to be catching Favre's attention--maybe it's because he catches everything else from Favre).

[BallHawk]

One day at a time. Life goes up but it also must come down and then you use all you have - to get back up.

Another great saying be Woodbuck. You should change your rat name to scholar rat.

[woodbuck27]

One day at a time. Life goes up but it also must come down and then you use all you have - to get back up.

Another great saying be Woodbuck. You should change your rat name to scholar rat.

It's sort of a Yogi-ism, BallHawk. ( Yogi Berra the HOF Yankee Catcher - I'm sure you've heard of him ).

Very funny man !

Loved him - didn't LOVE " the Yankees ".

[BallHawk]

"I ain't in a slump, I'm just not hitting."

[woodbuck27]

"I ain't in a slump, I'm just not hitting."

Like I said:

Very funny man.

[woodbuck27]

Brett Favre started his Conference today speaking about this fella:

THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE

Reginald Howard White. (1961-2004)

As noted by former coach Holmgren
"while you may not agree with what he says off the field,
no one can question his honesty,
his feeling for people, his caring for people,
and what he has meant to this organization."

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie called White
"one of the greatest men ever to play the game of football"
and said his
"legacy on and off the football field will never be forgotten."

George Seifert, who coached him on the Panthers, once said.
"Reggie's records and accomplishments say it all.
He is a Hall of Fame player and possibly
the best defensive lineman ever to play the game."

[woodbuck27]

McCarthy's Version Of West Coast Offense Fills Favre With Optimism

by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
posted 07/31/2006

Brett Favre may not be able to feel 10 years younger, but he indicated Monday he's going to be running an offense that more closely resembles the one he ran a decade ago.

At his first training camp news conference, Favre said Mike McCarthy's version of the West Coast offense feels a lot like the one Mike Holmgren ran here earlier in his career, with a greater emphasis on short passes and careful selection of when to go for the big play.

"I think we will go down the field, but I think we're reverting back more to when Holmgren was coaching and that philosophy is the 3- and 4-yard passes are like runs," Favre said.

"If you get a 40-yard touchdown pass or run, that's a bonus. They will come, but they only come if you continue to get first downs, so don't try to bite off too much initially. You pick your spots and matchups to take those chances."

Favre didn't specifically say so, but that sounds like an offense that should reduce the career-high 29 interceptions he threw in 2005.

He said he's perfectly willing to "play the percentages," and with that mindset is an optimism about the players around him who can help the offense reach that level of execution.

Favre recognized the offensive line is the biggest unknown, with two rookies in Daryn Colledge and Jason Spitz potentially starting at guard and another young player in Scott Wells starting at center. But that doesn't make him second-guess his decision to come back in 2006 any more than the sore ankles, feet and hips he feels when he gets up in the morning.

Favre likes what he sees in running back Ahman Green, even though he hasn't practiced yet.

"He looks as good as he's ever looked, and there's no doubt he has a chip on his shoulder," Favre said. "He wants to play even better than he has in the past."

He's also excited about his tight ends, calling the addition of Donald Lee "a gem" to go with a healthy Bubba Franks and David Martin. The possibilities with that group also had him thinking about the Packers offense of the mid-1990s.

"It reminds me a little bit of 'Chewy' (Mark Chmura) and Keith Jackson and how we were able to use those guys and spread the field," Favre said.

At receiver, Favre knows what he has in Donald Driver, and though he's not worried about whether his No. 2 target ends up being Robert Ferguson, Rod Gardner, rookie Greg Jennings, or any of the other receivers in camp, he put the onus on all the contenders to seize the opportunity.

"The competition is there for our guys to step up," Favre said. "History has shown the ball will be thrown to you. There's a lot of touchdowns to be caught, so you have to be eager if you're one of our pass-catchers."

Favre is particular intrigued by Jennings, the second-round draft choice out of Western Michigan. In describing that receivers reveal very quickly whether they "have it" or don't, Favre said Jennings just may have it.

"Just watching him, I can see why he had success in college and I can also see maybe why he was overlooked," Favre said. "Sometimes size and speed play such a big part in decisions from NFL teams that you overlook the intangibles. Can he get open? Can he catch? Can he catch in traffic?

"Some of those things remain to be seen, but I feel like he's kind of a natural at what he does."

Time will tell whether the new components combined with the old philosophy can help make up for eight losses by a touchdown or less in 2005. Favre is certainly optimistic, praising the level of talent on the team but qualifying that with how unproven and inexperienced that talent is.

"It really is going to come down to guys making plays," he said. "No one really is ever wide open in pro football. There's not really any big holes to run through, and I don't see that changing. So it's going to come down to guys making tough plays.

"That's what this game is all about....It comes down to one or two plays, that's all. Those one or two plays can make you 4-12, 8-8, 10-6, whatever."

[CaliforniaCheez]

What I thought interesting was Favre's emphasis on not trying the long pass early. If the team is down by 14 they may have to push it. But emphasizing the running game, time possesion keeps the other team off the field and that 3-4 yard passees get the back into the open faster than the running game being an extension of the running game.
"The offense is back to doing things the Holmgren way."

Also a game really comes down to 2-3 big plays. Some players make it happen and some don't. Some guys are told to run a 12 yard hitch and they run a 12 yard hitch. Some adjust to the defense and make it a 10 yard hitch and are open. It isn't the fastest or best jumping receiver but the one that gets open. He cited Antonio Freeman as catching with his chest and wasn't that fast but he got open. Some are born with an ability to make plays.
He thinks Jennings is showing some of those instincts.

Middle of the line? Wells will have his first year as the stater and two rookies beside him. you can't hold onto the ball long enough for 60 yard pass plays. If the hole is not there a good RB will adjust and make the plays.

He has made some suggestions to McCarthy regarding the terminology. He said plays are more successful if all 11 understand the play and not just 9. He sees the guys in to huddle and some terms are too long and complex so he has made some suggestions.

Ankle- He woke up feeling like there was glass in his shoes.
Somehow when he gets on the field that stuff goes away. It is the ankle he had surgery on.

His hip is bothering him too.

He hasn't been tackled yet has he?

Watch it yourself at http://www.packers.com/multimedia/