The storyline that wouldn't die is now dead, at least until
January 9, 2010.
That's the day the NFC playoffs begin, and the Green Bay Packers hope to hold a
place of residency in that bracket. If the Pack (4-3) gets there, chances are
the Minnesota Vikings (7-1) will be somewhere within close proximity in the
playoff field. Perhaps the rival duo will even get to see one another again, in
what would be just their second postseason meeting of all time.
But unless and until that day comes, the Packers will not have to face
questions about Brett Favre anymore. The awkward square dance that has taken
place between the icon and the organization that employed him happily for 16
years is over, and though Green Bay certainly wasn't hoping to go 0-2 against
the hated Vikings this year, Favre did not end the Packers' season when he beat
them twice in a five-week span.
In fact, even after their 38-26 home loss to Minnesota on Sunday, the Packers
find themselves just a half-game behind the Giants (5-3) for the final Wild
Card spot in the NFC.
The upcoming schedule sets up favorably for Green Bay, with road games against
the woeful Buccaneers (Nov. 8) and Lions (Nov. 26) sandwiched around
challenging but winnable home tests against the Cowboys (Nov. 15) and 49ers
(Nov. 22).
Though Green Bay is far from a perfect team, with major problems in the areas
of offensive protection and defensive pass rush, to name but a couple, the
notion of Mike McCarthy's club getting to December with a chance to do some
damage remains very much intact.
"It was talked about after the game," said McCarthy on Monday. "These division
games are worth a game and a half, sometimes two. So, you know, this was a
tough one. No doubt about it. It was a tough one for everybody. Tough one for
our fans...but we need to get ready. Tampa is a different opponent with new
coordinators and a new head coach down there. So, we've got to make sure we're
prepared for those guys. Winning on the road is always tough. But the
opportunity to go 3-1 in the second quarter to put us at 5-3 at the halfway
mark, that's our goal."
Frankly, though the Buccaneers aren't simply going to lay down for the Packers,
the fact that the league's lone remaining winless team will also be fielding a
first-time starting quarterback, Josh Freeman, speaks very well of Green Bay's
immediate chances for recovery.
Also encouraging for McCarthy and company is the fact that the Packers battled
to the finish against the Vikings for the second time this year, despite once
again falling behind by what was thought to be (and ultimately was) an
insurmountable 24-3 deficit.
But Aaron Rodgers and the Packers scored on their first four possessions of the
first half and recovered a critical fumble during that stretch as well, and
with just under six-and-a-half minutes to play, Green Bay was trailing just
31-26 and was holding the football inside the Minnesota 30-yard line.
Almost nothing went well for the Pack for the rest of the day, as a subsequent
missed field goal by Mason Crosby was followed by another patented Favre
touchdown drive, and Green Bay was saddled with its first home-and-home sweep
at the hands of the hated Vikings since 2005.
But McCarthy saw the silver lining in the comeback effort, even if it fell
short.
"I told them at halftime that this second half was going to be a turning point
in our season. It was important for us to go out there and turn this game
around and make a run and win this game. I felt that was happening there in the
third quarter.
"I thought there was a lot of positive things."
BEARS: Those questioning whether Jay Cutler truly had the competitive fire to
be a successful NFL quarterback aren't questioning now. Well, the competitive
fire part, anyway.
Cutler displayed his frustrations late in a 30-6 blowout of the Cleveland
Browns, when the Bears offense failed to finish off a long drive for a
touchdown. In seven red-zone trips on the day, the Bears punched it the end
zone just twice, and against a Browns defense that continues to rank at or near
the bottom of the league in most prominent statistical categories.
After that final failure, Cutler became embroiled in a shouting match with
Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who network cameras spotted directing a
profane phrase that obscenity experts might call the "old familiar
suggestion."
Soon after the game's conclusion, Cutler was seen chatting in less angry tones
with Ryan, and the quarterback had only complimentary things to say about the
previous subject of his scorn.
"I love Rob Ryan. I think he's always liked and respected me," said Cutler
"He's a great coach. You can just see the energy he brings on the sidelines to
those guys. I've always enjoyed competing against him. I think he's one of the
best in football. It's fun. He brings an energy level and fun level to football
that not all defensive guys do. So I've always enjoyed going against the guy."
Whatever the details of Cutler's relationship with the Browns coordinator,
clearly the quarterback is growing impatient with the deficiencies of his own
offense.
The ex-Bronco has just three interceptions versus six interceptions in his last
three games, and won't often be able to count on his defense to bail him out
with five takeaways, as the Bears defense did on Sunday.
For his part, Bears head coach Lovie Smith did not sound overly concerned with
the direction of the attack when he met with the media on Monday.
"I feel good about what we're doing offensively," said Smith. "There are some
things we need to do a little bit better, which we'll do and go from there.
"Of course we have tried to do some things differently. When things don't work,
you try to do some different things. It's a process like it is with everything
else. I'm pleased with us continuing to get down in the red zone.
"Whether it be us protecting the football or just making a play from time to
time, it will come, as long as we maintain what we're doing and just continue
to get the ball down there."
LIONS: The best-case scenario heading into Sunday's date with the St. Louis
Rams had Matthew Stafford picking up where he left off before he suffered a
knee injury against the Bears back on Oct. 4th.
In a surprise to absolutely no one who has followed their history, the Detroit
Lions did not experience the best-case scenario.
When he left the Chicago game, Stafford was just shy of what would have been
his first career 300-yard passing day, and was one week removed from an
effective performance in his initial NFL win, against the Washington Redskins.
In Sunday's 17-10 loss to St. Louis, Stafford looked like a raw rookie again.
The top overall draft pick completed just 14-of-33 passes for 168 yards with an
interception, though he did rush for the Lions' lone touchdown, and completed a
game-tying two-point conversion to running back Maurice Morris in the fourth
quarter. Only two of the Georgia product's completions went to wide receivers,
as the offense clearly missed wideout Calvin Johnson, who was absent for a
second straight game with a knee problem.
"We were a little bit rusty in the passing game, said head coach Jim Schwartz,
who saw his team's losing streak swell to a season-long four games. "I'm sure
that Matt will put all of those [dropped passes] on himself, he'll say he
could've made a better throw in all those situations - but all of them are
balls that our receivers should be able to get."
Schwartz acknowledged the effect that Johnson's absence had on the attack.
"There were some deeper balls thrown down the field. We didn't make those
plays. Calvin's a guy who makes those plays for us. We didn't, by game plan,
get conservative because of not having Calvin, but it's obvious he affects the
game; it obviously affects the way that things open up for other people. It's
no excuse; our guys need to make those plays when they're given the
opportunity."
Johnson could be back this week, as Detroit heads west to play an equally
desperate Seattle team, and Schwartz doesn't sound defeated despite the...er,
defeats.
"There's urgency to get this done and we're going to get it done," said
Schwartz. "This is a hard-working team - they've played hard - but we have to
find ways to put them in position and we can't switch courses, we can't make
excuses, we need to go out and win."
VIKINGS: Brett Favre's 98th career win at Lambeau Field was slightly more
bizarre than his first 97. Not for the performance, of course, which was
vintage Favre, but for the fact that he came out of the visitor's locker room,
wearing what many Packers fans will tell you was the wrong uniform.
Clearly, Favre wasn't going to make his first experience as a visitor to
Lambeau Field a losing one.
After receiving boos from a majority of the Lambeau faithful, Favre completed
17-of-28 passes for 244 yards, four touchdowns, and no turnovers committed or
sacks absorbed in the 38-26 win over Green Bay. The "V" word, as in
"vindication" was not on the tip of Favre's tongue following the win, though he
acknowledged that the victory felt good.
"I knew I didn't have to prove anything," said Favre, who threw four touchdowns
without an interception for the first time since Nov. 14, 2004, when he
(coincidentally enough) did so against the Vikings at Lambeau Field. "Am I
glad, pleased with the way these two games have turned out? Yes, absolutely. I
knew I could play. I knew this was a good football team. I knew the Packers
were a good football team. But it had nothing to do with trying to prove myself
to anyone."
After posting his fourth passer rating of 100 or better in his last five games,
the discussion has now shifted to the realm of Pro Bowl and MVP possibilities
for Favre. Any New York Jets fan will tell you that such talk in the month of
November is a little premature in regards to the legend, but the numbers thus
far are indeed award-caliber.
Favre is tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes (16) along with Drew Brees
and Matt Schaub, is fourth in the league in passer rating (106.0), and is
fourth in completion percentage (68.0) among current starters.
Favre needs 20 touchdown passes over his final eight games to become the
league's first player to reach 500. His four-TD effort against his former
employer got the grizzled Wrangler-hawker ever-close to that plateau.
"They're a good team," said Favre of the Packers. "I think people are starting
to realize that we are too. That's the satisfying part. We had a tough loss
last week. But we played, for the most part, like we're capable of playing.
That's the satisfactory part. We haven't underachieved."
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