Favre S Back But Will It Help The Packers

Favres Back But Will It Help the Packers?

Summary: Last season was a complete and total disaster for both Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay struggled with injuries and dissention, staggering to a - record in while earning the team the fifth pick in the NFL Draft. It was the worst season in Green Bay since the Packers went - in . In the years between and , the Packers finished no worse than - () and missed the playoffs just three times (, , and ). It was a time of prosperity, rivale

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Article Body: Favre will be back in , after practically holding the team hostage since the season wrapped up in December, on the heels of Favres worst season as a starting quarterback in the NFL. In , Favre threw touchdowns (his lowest total since and tied for his third lowest total overall) and interceptions (a career high) while throwing for yards. Though he did complete % of his passes, he had a penchant for forcing passes that a younger, stronger Favre traditionally made. For all practical purposes, he was a gunslinger with a lower caliber weapon. His interceptions seemed to come at the worst possible times, and towards the end of the season, Favre looked so bad that experts around the country were calling for Favre to be benched so that Aaron Rodgers could get some experience.

Additionally, Favre seems to have lost his ability to win in the playoffs, in fact, he has cost his team playoff wins since . From -, Favres Packers were -. From -, the Packers have gone just -, with Favre throwing interceptions compared to just touchdowns.

The Packers were the definition of a hard-luck team in , with of their losses coming by less than points. In fact, the only blow-out loss of the season was a - loss to the Ravens in Baltimore in December. Keep in mind that the Packers were without Javon Walker and Ahman Green, who played a combined six games. While Green will be back, Walker (who has become increasingly disgruntled with the Packers and had threatened to hold out for weeks if he wasnt dealt) was traded to the Broncos for a nd round pick in the draft. Walker had racked up nearly receiving yards and touchdowns in his three seasons with Favre, so his loss is significant. The Packers havent filled his void, and will rely on Donald Driver, Rod Gardner, Bubba Franks, Robert Ferguson, and the recently drafted Greg Jennings to try to pick up his slack. Driver did catch balls for yards in and balls for yards in , but he isnt the same deep threat or red-zone presence that Walker was. He had only touchdown catches in , and a career-high touchdown receptions in .

It will be the return of Ahman Green that will help Favre the most in , assuming that he can remain healthy. The balance and scoring threat that Green brings, coupled with his ability to bail out the passing game as a safety valve for Favre, will significantly improve the version of the Packers. However, Green is years old, an age at which running backs traditionally break down. As long as Green stays on the field, the Packers will be a better team. If Green goes down, Sam Gado will become the man again. Gado was a bright spot for the team, but he still only rushed for yards in games, and cant be relied on to carry the load over the balance of a season. Green Bays failure to upgrade in this area could come back to haunt them in .

While Favre is back for one last hurrah, the Packers on Opening Day will look very similar to the Packers from Opening Day in . The defense will be slightly better, with the additions of A.J. Hawk and Abdul Hodge by way of the draft, but they will need some time to adjust to the NFL game. Assuming the Packers can stay healthy, the team will compete. As it stands now, the Vikings and Bears are both superior to the Packers on paper, and both should finish with better records than the Pack. It will be a struggle for them to make the playoffs, meaning that Favre will go out on a down note. That is, of course, assuming that Favre retires after .

Favres legacy will always remain. Hell be remembered as the quarterback that brought the Packers back to glory. Hes # behind Dan Marino in almost every significant all-time passing category. It wouldve been hard for him to walk away after a - disastrous season but what Favre needed to realize was that a terrible season alone wouldnt ruin his legacy. Two or three terrible seasons in a row to close out a career will, however, leave a stain on an otherwise sterling career.

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