Special thanks to Rancid for bringing this to my attention. I'm actually quite surprised that SalPal got the approval of the Leader to put something so honest on their site. Apparently it is an abridged version of the piece that appears in his book. Nevertheless...
Overhyped: Favre didn't deliver in second half of career
by Sal Paolantonio
We interrupt the continued deification of Brett Favre -- a first-ballot Hall of Famer and the most durable player in NFL history -- with the following reality check.
Yes, Favre played long enough to throw the most touchdown passes and collect the most wins by an NFL quarterback. But let's examine the second half of No. 4's career. The truth is, Favre did little over the past decade to earn the gushing praise heaped upon him by our fawning brethren in the media.
After beating the San Francisco 49ers in the 1997 NFC Championship Game, Favre won just three of his last 10 playoff games. Eli Manning had more postseason wins in a 29-day span this past season than Favre had in his last decade with the Green Bay Packers.
Yes, Favre won a Super Bowl -- 11 years ago! But as his career arc spiraled downward, the blind adulation only got worse.
Favre's passer rating in his last 12 postseason games was a pedestrian 77.8. In his last five wild-card games, he went 2-3 with more interceptions (nine) than touchdown passes (seven). In his last three divisional playoff games, he went 1-2 with seven TDs and seven interceptions. That's a 3-5 record with 14 touchdown passes and 16 picks.
In two of his last four postseason appearances, Favre threw two of the most unthinkable playoff interceptions in NFL history, both in overtime -- to Brian Dawkins of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2003 and to Corey Webster of the New York Giants in January. In fact, Favre is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw overtime interceptions in two playoff games. In his last nine playoff games, Favre threw 18 interceptions.
Brett Favre's career playoff record was 12-10. Fellow Packer star quarterback Bart Starr, above, was 9-1.
In the first 81 years of the Green Bay franchise, the most hallowed in all of pro football, the Packers were 13-0 at home in the postseason. But since 2002, the Packers have gone 2-3 in playoff games at Lambeau Field, with Favre losing to three not-quite Hall of Fame quarterbacks: Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper and Manning.
If Manning had a decade like that, he'd be run out of New York. If Philip Rivers kept chucking ridiculous overtime interceptions in the postseason, he would be branded a first-round bust. If Drew Brees came up short in three out of five home playoff games, he'd be mocked.
But no matter how many dumb passes he threw and how many playoff games he lost, Favre remains immune to criticism.
Favre isn't even the greatest quarterback in the history of the Packers. It's not even close. Bart Starr won five NFL championships -- four more than Favre -- and retired as the NFL's most accurate passer.
Oh, you say Starr was surrounded by a Hall of Fame roster with a legendary coach. But Starr still is the NFL record holder with a 104.8 career playoff passer rating, nearly 20 points higher than Favre's. That wasn't Vince Lombardi or Ray Nitschke throwing those passes for Starr, whose career postseason passer rating, by the way, is 38 points higher than Johnny Unitas'.
Favre's career playoff record was 12-10. Starr's was 9-1 -- without the benefit of wild-card games. Favre threw 28 interceptions in 22 playoff games. Starr threw three in 10. Think about that -- just three picks in 213 postseason attempts.
But Bart Starr gets the Ringo Starr treatment -- underappreciated and overlooked. Favre gets put on a pedestal. Yes, he had a Pro Bowl season in 2007 with the youngest roster in the NFL. But his final moment on Lambeau Field was a wildly errant pass that turned into the NFC title for the Giants.
Indeed, a decade after his last moments of glory, the football hype machine continues to paint Favre as a hallowed icon of Americana, a symbol of all that is right with sports, a Wild West gun-slinging good ol' boy. There's Brett on the farm! There's Brett with his family! There's Brett on the cover of Sports Illustrated! There's Brett throwing another overtime interception!
Favre was among the best in the game, once upon a time. Those days are long gone. Only the idolatry remains.
#2 jdawg said . . .kind of makes you wish he didn't retire.
just saying
March 9, 2008
#3 Beardown1982 said . . .first, btw
March 9, 2008
#4 Megan said . . .wow...great way to start the day!
March 9, 2008
#5 Bringing Rexy back said . . .I am SOOO glad that somebody in the media isn't trying to get into bed with him for a change. Hind sight is 20/20--And this guy can see.
I wonder if Madden-his most obvious boyfriend-has read this...March 9, 2008
#6 Megan said . . .I hate the Packers and Bret Favre as much as the next Bears fan, but who cares the guy is gone. Quit hating on him. He is officially no longer a Bear killer!
March 9, 2008
#7 AfroCelt said . . .Bring Rexy-- he's not gone, that's the thing.. everyone is touting about his immortality, stamina and his ability to win games. I'm not necessarily hating on him in this one particular instance - I am agreeing with Sal-He's not the best ever and never was, even for the Packers. I don't know why he was put on this huge pedistal. He was not made of glass-I'll give him that.
Another thing, he's not gone, he won't be gone for a long time.. he'll do endorsements, booth commentaries, more wrangler commercials..so NO the he is NOT GONE!March 9, 2008
#8 Megan said . . .I like all the adulation...it makes Rodger's job next year impossible! :)
If you cast a big enough shadow, the entire franchise won't be able to escape...
March 9, 2008
#9 Bringing Rexy back said . . .Oh, I forgot about the Bow-Flex commercials too.. crap
March 9, 2008
#10 Megan said . . .I don't care about the commercials and all the talk of what a god he is. Let them worship him, whatever. All I care about is that our odds in the NFC North took a jump up with his retirement. Yes, the media is in love with him, but thats the media for you. They love to worship some and they love to tears others apart (like our very own QB).
March 9, 2008
#11 Rancid said . . .Point missed. How often did we lose to him in the last 3 years. How much of a Bear killer was he, really. Not much. We had his number. It's either here nor there that he exists or doesn't exist. The fact that he is idolized so much pisses me off! I want him to go away, have his real numbers flaunted all over this great land of ours and for him to sequester himself away down in the Bayou where he's from and regret every long ball he threw that ended up in the hands of a defender.
Okay, that last part was a little over the top. Here's My Point...
Brett Farve does not deserve the adulation that he gets. He deserves the record for most consecutive starts. Yay for him.March 9, 2008
#12 startolsen the animal said . . .It was so refreshing to read this out there in the mainstream media. Sal adds solid data the points jeff and others have been making here. The reason that he's in the record books (and Madden's pants) is that he is tough and durable and has played for the better part of 2 decades. But the media isn't saying he might be the most durable QB of all time. If that's what they were saying it would be different. I'm not going to go buy a 4 jersey like Mike but I'd have a tough time disagreeing.
The media is putting it out there that he is one of the overall greatest QB's of all time, maybe the best ever. That's just laughable. I've got him somewhere around #14. I loved the piece because the numbers are there to prove it. People say I can't take away from what he has done. They're right. But if I can't take away from it, I'm not going to let them add to it either.
March 9, 2008
#13 JB said . . .we could always count on #4 for some awesomely bad INTs.
March 9, 2008
#14 jeff said . . .I think that's the point that a lot of us were trying to make...thankfully someone can make it that has done some research. Favre got extra points for letting the media and fans into his personal life and seeming like an average joe that just loves to play the game...something that many people identify with. Montana was a notre dame elitist that played in liberal san fran or elway who strong armed the colts into not drafting him by threatening to play professional baseball...etc etc. Favre was one of those guys that the average non-bears non-packers fan liked because of who he was, not what his actual stats were. I've been called "unamerican" by some of these average fans because I don't cheer for favre and because i have long talked about his turnovers.
Favre was great for who he was, an ironman that seemingly loved to play the game. That apparently gives him extra points in the alltime rankings for some people but i'm not buying it.
if you want a quarterback of all time for one drive, who do you want it to be? Elway? Montana? Brady?
If you want a quarterback for one regular season, who would it be? Marino? Manning?
But probably most importantly, if you could have a qb for a super bowl or a post season run, who would you choose? Unitas? Starr? Bradshaw? Montana? Elway? Brady?
Funny, Favre doesn't come to mind for any of those above scenarios for me.
March 10, 2008
#15 jeff said . . .hey guys, it appears "Mike" was in fact impersonating everybody and just being a pain in the ass for some reason...that reason might be that he'd about fifteen years old. Anyways, I don't see him being much of a bother anymore.
March 10, 2008
#16 jeff said . . .Hey guys, my name is Jeff and I enjoy smelling my own sweaty socks.
March 10, 2008
#17 Pissed Off said . . .weird thing is, you still don't get the non-use of caps.
March 10, 2008
#18 Mike said . . .Mike, go away. You're not funny anymore.
March 10, 2008
#19 Anonymous said . . .F U, P O
March 10, 2008
#20 jeff said . . .Weird thing is that I actually DO enjoy smelling my own socks.
March 10, 2008
#21 Anonymous said . . .My name is jeff and I boned my mother from behind just a few minutes ago.
March 10, 2008
#22 Anonymous said . . .#14
About as surprising as...
(you fill in the blank)
...The Bears cutting Fred Miller...March 10, 2008
#23 test said . . .I agree that old Brett Favre is no comparison to young Brett Favre, but I'll take old Brett Favre any day over any of the Bears qb's over the past 20 years.
March 10, 2008
#24 Shady said . . .test comment - are names showing up now?
March 10, 2008
#25 Pissed Off said . . .... As surprising as Britney Spears checking into rehab...
March 10, 2008
#26 mikebdot said . . .I'm still getting impersonated, by the good Pissed Off. Anyway this Favre talk can go on for quite some time yet before I get bored with it...as long as it all stays negative. I would say though that we've owned him and the Pack the last 3 years with 5 out of 6 wins so maybe him leaving will actually help their chances against us. Favre is and will always be one of my least favorite players....its not Bearlike to like him.
And another note on the Brandon Lloyd thing...Jeff where are you getting that Lloyd catches everything. He never is thrown to...never in games....so I'm wondering how you can formulate that opinion? I'll basically say prove it to me on that deal. He's low risk low reward but I dont see him doing jack shit this year...and by that I mean he'll have about the same production for us this year as Bradley did for us last year...none.
March 10, 2008
#27 mikebdot said . . .http://www.webwaymonsters.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32265
Check out the clip of Lloyd ducking from getting hit in the face.
That board is retarded, but they post all the articles from everywhere about the Bears.
March 10, 2008
#28 Decatur Staleys #7 said . . .God damnit!
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/SPORTS01/803100376/1002/SPORTS
March 10, 2008
#29 Phil from SATX said . . .damn I was hoping the Bears would bring that guy in an sign Jake Scott
Well the Bears must be waiting to see who gets cut after the draft before they make there move on the O line I guess.
March 10, 2008
#30 Pissed Off said . . .Don't know what to make of all this, except to begin to think that all the cynics and naysayers and secret Bear haters may be right - why the hell weren't we in that discussion for Scott? I've been assuming all along that surely they are doing their best to pursue the #1 target for free agency, the offensive line. Yet we have heard nothing, not even visitation talk. And now the last of the good ones is signed? Does this mean they think Beekman is good enough to start? I have to assume that they wouldn't want to rely on two rookies on the line - not only does that go against Angelo's previous position on olineman and free agents but it seems inordinately risky. The next thing we'll hear is they're signing Ruben Brown to a one year deal and maintaining that his fall off was due to his injury and not the fact that he's 86 years old.
Now that I know more about the Lloyd deal (should be looked at as a cheap flyer on a guy who's trying a last ditch effort to salvage a career) it is starting to look more and more like they HAVE given up on 2008 - all these one-two year deals, all on the cheap. It sounds like they're about to shoot their wad on the draft, but they also have to know there's a good chance that the guys they draft won't be maximally helpful in 2008.
I have been agreeing, and agreeing, and agreeing with the moves so far. But I feel like I'm starting to put 2 and 2 together. The needs we all knew we needed have been, so far, either unfilled or filled by cheap short term plug ins. Is this a setup by Angelo so Lovie and crew can be fired next year? And then the next coach will have the benefit of our core sewed up to long term contracts plus a bunch of young 1 year players and expiring contracts?
I'll still continue to get excited about the Bears and their chances, can't help myself there, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever anticipate there would be not a single relatively high profile FA signed. 10 days into free agency, I guess we now know there won't be.
Trying not to get depressed here - still excited (I'm sure more than I should be) about Marty coming back. So who are the remaining free agent linemen?
March 10, 2008
#31 Phil from SATX said . . .Yeah this no-lineman crap is getting old. We need to pick some people up...soon. I thought for sure we'd be getting at least one guy in free agency. The BT cant seriously think about filling the massive void ALL THRU the draft.
March 10, 2008
#32 jeff said . . .and Jeff, is it true that Mike is a complete imposter and only 15 years old? If so, I feel like an ass for engaging with him.
I know, this IS the internet, I'll get over it. But as a consistent and persistent thorn in our side over here, I'd like to know more about it.
If he is what you suggested, I have to say hats off to him, he did a pretty dang good job of impersonating an older, negative to the core, bombastic blowhard.
March 10, 2008
#33 JAB said . . .yeah, all of the imposter-ing nd mike comments were essentially coming from the same place. and i get the sense that he's a kid. disappointed about jake scott. i think we're ignoring the o-line to our peril right now.
March 10, 2008
#34 Phil from SATX said . . .Slim pickings for OG. Shane Olivea is the name that keeps popping up but other than that it is getting a little dicey. Here's a link to a site witht the remaining OL with the exception that it doesn't show Scott signed with Tenn.
http://www.kffl.com/static/nfl/features/freeagents/fa.php?option=OL&y=2008
March 10, 2008
#35 JAB said . . .I predict that we will hear soon that the Bears signed Todd Steussie to a two year contract. At 37 years old, he won't cost much, especially since he's coming off an injury.
And I predict that, upon hearing the news, Bears fans will turn into a howling mob of rapid wolverines.
And they should, if that does indeed come to pass. The same transformation should take place if we hear anything, and I mean ANYTHING, about Terry Metcalf being an option as a starter. THAT shit won't fly, I assure you.
March 10, 2008
#36 Pissed Off said . . .If the Bears bring in Steussie I wont know what to think. I could see them letting Beekman start before bringing him in. They absolutely, positively need to start bringing in people. Brandon Lloyd as much as most people don't like him is at least a body who is coming cheap and with something to prove. Like I said bring in people to at least show an effort.
March 10, 2008
#37 jeff said . . .Wow with the exception of Oliviea, that list is brutal. I'm not down on Ruben Brown like everyone else. He's old but he a perrenial pro-bowler and it doest take much for an experience guy like him to play guard. If he were a tackle thats a different story but he has enough left to play guard. Lets remember he was playing hurt last year and in 06 he was great. And when he went down he said he wanted to be back the next year.
March 10, 2008
#38 animal said . . .suntimes seems to believe they're going to using kids at guard and tackle. i think every day that goes by its becoming more apparent that the bears are tackling tackle in round one.
March 10, 2008
#39 Phil from SATX said . . .ugh. start a new thread already, Jeff.
Rapid Wolverines?
We are going to draft two at least, possibly three o-linemen. First round, then fourth or fifth.
I predict a trade of one of our surplus D-ends for a WR.
March 10, 2008
it was supposed to be
rabid
I agree with Jeff, think that the first two picks may be olinemen, and if anyone was reading this weekend, I had suggested the tradedown move to get both Branden Albert and one of the top tackles. On the other hand, if guards are automatically devalued in the draft for being guards and not tackles, we could get the second best guard in the draft, say Chilo Rachel, Eric Young or Oniel Cousins - these guys you could apparently get with a 3rd round pick.
Seahawks are following the same process we are and getting hated on by their fans - signing their own as a priority and not getting sucked into the overspending in the first seven days.
Check this out:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/352981_hawk28.html
Makes me feel a little better - I think of Seattle as a well-run franchise.
March 10, 2008
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.