Not much sports talk on here, so I will change things up and share some thoughts on the Brett Favre experiment and where it leaves the Vikings going into next year. Was it a success? Was it a failure? Is the team better off now than they were one year ago on the eve of the super bowl? I have lots of thoughts, but no real answers.
1. Did it make sense to sign him in the first place? Yes. No. Yes, it made sense, because the coach and ownership had put together a superbowl caliber team, but through arrogance, ego, and stupidity had failed to provide a roster full of all stars with a viable QB. No, it made no sense because now the team is facing another year with no viable option at QB. Right back where we started from.
2. Was it a success? Initially I thought it could only be considered a success if the Vikings were able to win the super bowl. I stand corrected. I don’t remember another year that I had more fun watching this team play football, and I don’t remember every being so devastated with the end of a football season. The team won the NFC north. They won a home play-off game, which was probably the moment that ownership breathed a big sigh of relief. I think we were all devastated with how it ended, but I cant deny how much fun I had watching this team this year. Number 4 deserves allot of credit for that.
3. Where does all this leave the Vikings? I have no idea. I think my initial fears have come true. The team did not win the super bowl, and while other teams have developed young QB’s, the Vikings face the future with an unproven young qb and a well traveled journeyman. Not your typical Super Bowl QB’s.
4. I think the fact that its not more talked about sums up the actual play of Favre. Yes, the interception ended the season, but its hard to point to that in a game full of mistakes. He played at a near MVP level all year. He appeared to enjoy the game, and helped a number of young players achieve career years, and hopefully grow as players. Like him, love him, or hate him, its hard to deny how well Brett Favre played this year.
I am glad I was able to watch Brett Favre play football for the Vikings this year. My hope is that the Vikings can convince him to play one more year and that one of the QB prospects from a major program falls to them in the second round. Colt McCoy would be great. Favre has a pretty good track record with young QB’s. Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Rodgers both seem to have benefited from their time with him. One more year, a chance to write a few more records, and hopefully get a young QB ready to take over.
Please share your thoughts on the Vikings season and the play of Brett Favre.
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February 9th, 2010 at 8:22 am
I will say that I probably was more interested in the Vikes this year than in the past, mainly due to the border rivalry. Also, I noticed that I picked up more about the game, players and calls etc.
I think we did have a good team this year, partly due to Brett, and partly because for the most part, we actually played well as a team. Credit whoever you want, but it takes a team, and not a single player that carries a team one game from the Bowl.
I would certainly like to see Favre come back for another season with the Vikes if he’s up for it healthwise. He did get nailed pretty hard the last game, which was uncalled for in a few cases..
And No, I don’t vote in favor of them getting a new stadium.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:35 am
I’d like to see Favre come back again next year for the sheer entertainment value. On the other hand, his return might hurt us in the long run. I think the front office would say “Hey, we already got a quarterback, we don’t need to address that position right now.” Then we’re stuck with Tarvaris (or worse) in 2011.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:45 am
Obviously it did. Childress got a contract extension, continued his surprising streak raising the winning pct, and made it through one more game in the post season than we’ve seen in 10+ years.
For last season, yes, I thought it was a success but we’re not sure whether the experiment is concluded. If the experiment wasn’t just a single year then this one is tied directly to two things in my mind: first, whether or not Favre returns and second, whether or not they actually make it to the big dance.
I said from the beginning of the season that we will go far and we will do well but there’s no way we’ll make it to the SB. While I had hope, and we were close, in the end I was right. You can’t turn a .500 team into Superbowl champs in a single season–although they definitely are close. It’s going to take one more year for them to get there and when we do get there, we’re going to win the whole fucking thing.
Scrambling for a decent young QB I hope. If Childress and crew aren’t running around looking for someone viable to back Favre up then they’re stupid. They also need to stop letting him run the score up to 30+ points just so their average keeps them ranked high in the weekly Power Rankings regardless of their dismal performance during night/away games.
There’s that and there’s the on-going question of whether or not Favre’s injuries, which I have to honestly believe he told the offensive line to allow to happen to create better protection elsewhere, will impact his decisions next year. I think the Vikings have amassed an amazing roster at every other position, why would it be so difficult to find someone else to take over the helm?
Absolutely agree. It was a lot of fun to watch him play, even the 4 incomplete passes he threw in his first preseason game as a Viking while I cheered them on from Section Gushing, Row Nose, Seat Bleed.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:47 am
I think Favre was an astounding success – more than any of us gave him credit for being. I’m a huge Packers fan so I was elated that the Vikings didn’t win the Super Bowl with him. Frankly, that would have just been salt in an already deep wound.
But for the Vikings, this was a huge, huge win. They finally started selling out the Dome without Fox having to buy up the remaining tickets. And I think that if they do stick with T-Jack, he’ll have benefited from the time under Favre, just as Rodgers and Hasselbeck did (though I highly doubt he’ll be able to reach their level of play).
February 9th, 2010 at 9:17 am
I never watched the Vikings until Favre. I hope he comes back. He seems to have enjoyed his time here. I think it will come down to the beating his body took and whether the Mrs. can endure watching him take the hits. There are many players in the league that I would like to take a scissors to their hair. Drives me crazy.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Bill:
The Saints were 8-8 last year; the Vikings were 10-6. :)
Also,
2 additional wins each year…14-2 next year? It’s only possible if Favre returns…
February 9th, 2010 at 9:49 am
The Giants were also 8-8 in 2006, the year before they won the Super Bowl.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:53 am
I suck.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:55 am
No, you just aren’t made out for sports analysis. Food and local government are where it’s at. But it’s fun watching you try the sports analysis…
February 9th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Good article Chad, agree with an awful lot of it. I will have a hard time being optomistic about our chances if we are going into the season with Tavaris Jackson as the #1 guy. He sucks. There were so many games this year when you would see Favre check down from his #1 option, look to his #2, and maybe end up throwing it to the #3 option or a RB out of the backfield. This is something I have NEVER seen Tavaris do. The other thing I am confused about is why did the Vikings pick up Sage Rosenfelds and then put him at #3 in the depth chart? Management says “Tavaris beat him out in pre-season”. Well of course, because when games don’t mean shit, Tavaris plays really well! I think that regardless of what Favre does this off-season, the Vikings HAVE TO draft and start developing a young QB. Tavaris is not a long term answer.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Well, my original post didn’t . . post I guess. Anyways, condensed version-Draft a QB and develop him, regardless of Favre’s decision. Tavaris sucks, not a long term solution. Why is Sage Rosenfelds on the team if he’s never gonna play?
And finally, trade Mckinnie, he gets benched in a game mid-season(Panthers), somehow makes the Probowl, then decides to go clubbing and not show up for the “practices” for the probowl. What a fricken headcase. The guy only tries when he wants to or when there’s a Big Mac on the other side of the field.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:22 am
“There are many players in the league that I would like to take a scissors to their hair. Drives me crazy.”
Mrs. Robinson, I agree 100%! If I were an opposing player, I’d just grab a hunk of it and pull the guy down (Here’s a girly question: is there a rule against that? I don’t know – sorry to hijack the Farve thread, but inquiring minds want to know!) I’d also like NHL analyst Barry Melrose to lay off the gel already – its just gross. Eww.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:43 am
Blaine, I agree 100%. The biggest need of this team has to be Offensive Line going into next year, although the injuries to the D backs to end the year are sorta a concern.
Mostly O lines get better as they play together, and there is hope for this one, but Mckinnie does not seem to be at all motivated to perform at a high level.
That said, benching him for Hicks was one of the worst coaching decisions ever. Peppers was having a career day. They needed to change protection and use a TE/RB/FB to help out on him. Instead they benched McKinnie and brought in Artis Hicks. Ouch.
I would love to see the first round pick go toward a high end O lineman and with some luck Colt McCoy would be there in the second round. I am not sold on Tim Tebow, but he might be a later option, probably available in the third or fourth round, allowing them to draft a DB and an O lineman.
I should have given some kudos to Spielman and the Wilfs, as this team is truly loaded with talent all over the field.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:11 am
The AP fumbles made it very difficult to watch the vikes. Favre was fun to watch, but it would have been nice to see the steamroller running game that we had the last couple years to complement the passing game. Rice and Harvin look incredibly promising if they have a good QB throwing to them.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:52 am
JF, I agree with you about the running game. I think a big part of that is missing Matt Birk. I think that his leaving hurt us more than anyone would like to admit. We have some promising young o-linemen, but Birk was a guy who would make all the blocking calls at the line of scrimmage and make sure the other linemen knew who to block.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
You may be right about Birk, but I dont miss him. I think the kid from Notre Dame will turn out just fine.
I thought this team would be a clone of the Denver Broncos super bowl teams. A great running game with an aging QB to make a big play from time to time. That turned out to not be the case at all, although as mentioned above, at times the play calling strayed to all pass even when the team was way ahead (First Bears game for example).
The fumbles are an issue, and I really hope they have him working with someone to fix that. Its certainly not a strenght thing, or a talent thing. I am sure it started as a fluke and its just in his head now. He has to learn to take 4 yards sometimes with both hands on the ball instead of looking to spin, stiff arm, hurdle, and cut back three times with the ball flapping under one arm with the hope of breaking a 40 yarder.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Been a long time Vikes fan & was ecstatic when Favre decided to give it a shot. I watched every game with confident hopes of them playing in Miami in February.
Although, I was very disappointed at the loss to the Saints, it didn’t hurt as bad as in 98.
So will Favre be back? A cautiously optimistic Yes
Should Vikes fans mark their calendars for February 6, 2011 for the Super Bowl XLV in Dallas? If Favre is at the helm — YES!!
Skol Vikes!!
February 9th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
62 days until opening day at Target Field.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:13 pm
bringing favre on board did just what it was supposed to, generate a huge amount of interest in a mediocre vikes team designed ultimately to put pressure on getting a new stadium. when you have two so so qb’s, you’re going to have a so so team.
as far as the queens loosing to the saints, it’s like an airplane crash! take away any of the 1/2 dozen or more causal factors, and the crash wouldn’t have taken place.
one of which would be, how many times was peyton on his back???
bb
February 9th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
I’m a Packer fan and Cheesehead living in MN so I’d love for him to come back and throw another interception to lose a playoff game for the queens. But since he’ll probably beat the pack twice again next year I guess it would be a wash… lol
February 10th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
I am also a Packer fan. I don’t see how you could not call the Favre experiment a sucess if you are a queens fan. He had an increadible year and as you can see in the posts above he got folks that were not usually watching to watch game after game. I wanted him to come back even if it meant him going to our second biggest rival. Good or bad, he is usually just fun to watch. Everyone knew going in that this was a one or just possibly a two year shot. They didn’t make it all the way, but only one of the 32 teams does. The queens had a heck of a year. Much better than Sage or TJack could have done.
As a Packer fan though, I have to say that I was a little relieved that MN didn’t get to the SB. If MN had won a championship with one of our all time greatest players, that would just have been too much.
If Favre does come back next year, the odds of replicating that success might be tough. It takes so very much to make it to the SB. An injury or two and your entire season can be toast. Pat Williams is getting old, your corners both have serious injuries, Henderson might not be the same after coming back from yet another season ending injury, and one, two, or more other key players could get hurt as it happens to pretty much every squad every year. It just is so hard to get all the way through and win. Favre was great last year, but he would be 41 next year. Time catches all of us and I think next year it would catch him.
I don’t think his coming back would win MN a SB, but I would love to see him come back for one more year. I respect his toughness and still love watching him play. Play until the arm falls off old man!
February 11th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Great post John, and other than being a Packers fan, I agree with all of it.
I think that if he comes back, the team certainly has a shot, which is all you can ask for.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Re-sign Brett for one year, get rid of Tavaris, get rid of Mckinnie,
draft Dan Lefevour from Central Michigan to learn under Brett and groom him to be the next QB of the future… let the higher profile college QB’s go elsewhere … both McCoy and Bradford are possibly damaged goods now…
get Seantrel Henderson to skip college (why be at USC and play for a team on NCAA probation anyway?) and start playing for the Vikings to take mcKinnies spot.
February 12th, 2010 at 9:38 am
I am interested in why you would like Lefevour? He was productive in college, and he had a good senior bowl, but he has many of the same knocks as Tebow (always played out of the shotgun), and certainly does not have the resume Tebow brings. Both will be mid to late round picks.
Personally, after the Tavaris experience, I would rather see them take a proven performer from a big college instead of trying to develop someone who has been playing his games against competition like Troy and Ball State.
February 21st, 2010 at 3:12 pm
#20 andrew – why did you even bother posting?
i’m an ex-Packer fan who followed Brett to the Jets and Vikes. i agree with everything in the article and most of the posters – except andrew. SKOL FAVRE! SKOL VIKINGS!
February 21st, 2010 at 3:28 pm
If you’re an ex-Packer fan who followed Favre, then you’re a Favre fan, not a Packer fan. Nothing wrong with it, just saying…
February 21st, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I posted cause Favre + playoffs + INT + queens lose = great joy. I’d love to see that happen again and again…
February 21st, 2010 at 8:01 pm
I cant remember, how did the Packers do in the playoffs?
February 21st, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Looks like this one is starting to look like pretty much every Packer\Vikings post I’ve ever read. Somehow the punches always end up below the belt at some point. :)
To answer your question Chad….they lost in a big old shootout. One of the best comebacks I’ve ever seen, but it was a waste because they couldn’t stop Warner AT ALL. I don’t know what to expect of them next year either. Will Caper’s 3-4 defense figure out how to stop good QBs or will they continue to give up massive scoring unless they are playing rookie QBs or Cleveland? They were pretty good against the run last year and they had an incredible number of takeaways, but they have to figure out the passing D and do that with an aging Woodson and probably a replacement for Harris. Those guys have been solid for years and Woodson was awesome last year, but he is getting older too. They have some nice pieces on D like the rookies Raji and Matthews. Collins, Jenkins, Hawk, Chillar, Woodson, Jolly are solid so if they can pick up a few more pieces in the draft they could be pretty good.
They have some really nice pieces on offense too. If Rogers can stay healthy GB could possibly end up with the best QB transition since Montana and Young. Jennings and GBs receiving group should be solid again next year and with Finley at tight end they have an incredible weapon that most defenses can’t handle. If he keeps progressing as he did last year he could be a monster..especially with Rogers throwing to him. Grant is not a great back, but he always ends up putting up really good numbers and HE DOES NOT TURN THE BALL OVER. That is so f-n important and something that really killed the Vikings season at the end. I would like them to pick up another RB in the draft. Ahman Green was great back in 2002, but they need to find someone just a few years younger. They also need to find replacements for Clifton and Tauscher as they can’t really be counted on full time anymore. I would like it if they could bring both of them back next year, but they need to find their replacements ASAP.
I don’t know about you guys, but I am already interested in this year’s draft. From what I’ve read there will be a ton of underclassmen coming out (to beat the new rookie salary caps) and that is supposed to make this year one of the better ones in recent years. Then after that, we can all go back to insulting each other’s teams. ;)
February 22nd, 2010 at 9:32 am
I am very interested in the draft, and follow the Vikings, Falcons, and to some extent the Packers closely. I am thinking of taking Friday off to watch the first day of the combine.