What Brett Favre’s Return Means for the Chicago Bears
Published by Scott Ottersen on August 18, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
What does the return of Brett Favre mean for the chances of Bears fans celebrating an NFC North title this season?
Well, it probably means they won’t be celebrating one.
Or will they?
I am a fan of Brett Favre. I respect his history, arm, records, grit, determination, and so on and so on.
But today’s Brett Favre is not the young gunslinger we all used to know.
Is everyone forgetting the way he played down the stretch last season? I don’t even need to post the stats, because everyone knows he was terrible. He took a surefire playoff team and blew it up into a disappointment. Sure, all was not to be blamed on him, but, as the quarterback, you are the man who takes the fall for the team’s failings.
I believe he makes the Vikings better, on paper. And he will add more respect to the lineup, but respect doesn’t win football games.
Not throwing interceptions wins football games. And that is something Brett is going to have to do (or, rather, not do) this year to keep his team at the top.
With Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor running the ball, he has one of the best running attacks in football. With Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice, and the new addition of Percy Harvin, he has some legitimate passing threats as well. But is he going to be able to keep his gunslinging under control and not put his defense in rough spots to get out of?
I think not. I see this acquisition as a good one for the Vikings, because you always want to make your team the most competitive it can be, but I think they would have gotten the same effort out of Sage Rosenfels. They could have spent this money elsewhere.
Of course, if Favre stays for longer than one season and still has something in the tank, he could lure some free agents Minnesota’s way (anybody say Andre Johnson’s name?), but that doesn’t seem likely.
I do think, on paper, Favre makes this team the favorite to win the NFC North, but I believe his play, in real life, will keep them from doing so.
Of course, if the Bears decide to suck it up this year, they could run away with the North title with a 7-9 record.
I am interested, like the rest of the world, to see what Favre has left. And, if he were playing in any other division, I would want to see him do well and make the playoffs, but, since he went to Minnesota, I’m going to have to root against him. Sorry, Brett.
I think the Vikings stay stagnant at 9-7, possibly 10-6, with a good chance at a wild card spot in the NFC. I do believe Favre will make the playoffs this time around, but I don’t know if he will add enough to the Vikings to make them a Super Bowl contender.
What are your thoughts?
