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Looking like a long season for Brett and the Jets
stevek
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Looking like a long season for Brett and the Jets
by Mark Kriegel
Mark Kriegel is the national columnist for FOXSports.com. He is the author of two New York Times best sellers, Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, which Sports Illustrated called "the best sports biography of the year."
Updated: September 23, 2008, 3:00 AM EST 30 comments add this RSS blog email Print SAN DIEGO -
As it ended, Brett Favre was limping in the bowels of Qualcomm Stadium, a PR man clearing a path for him.
"I rolled my ankle up," he had said. "Early in the third quarter."
By then, the game wasn't even close. In fact — with the score 38-14 before Favre took the field in the second half — it had ceased to matter as a competitive proposition.
But watching him hobble toward the visitors' locker room, you couldn't help but feel for the guy. X-rays would reveal an unbroken ankle. Beyond that, who knows how the Jets will characterize a rolled left ankle on their injury report? Or how, just a few weeks from his 39th birthday, Favre's famous recuperative powers will be tested.
Favre had been asked, yet again, about his grasp of the Jets' playbook. How much he knew three Sundays into the regular season was anyone's guess. More certain is this bitterly acquired knowledge, learned and re-learned by generations of Jet quarterbacks: it hurts more when you lose. That premature fable, instantly packaged and marketed as "Broadway Brett," has now been exposed as wishful thinking.
Being an American icon affords him no exemption here. He knew that much, too. "There's no excuses for me tonight," he said. "Can't say I'm still learning the offense."
NFL Week 3 Week 3 actionRedskins 24, Cards 17 -- Recap | Box
Bucs 27, Bears 24 -- Recap | Box
Vikings 20, Panthers 10 -- Recap | Box
Falcons 38, Chiefs 14 -- Recap | Box
Bills 24, Raiders 23 -- Recap | Box
Dolphins 38, Patriots 13 -- Recap | Box
Giants 26, Bengals 23 -- Recap | Box
Titans 31, Texans 12 -- Recap | Box
Broncos 34, Saints 32 -- Recap | Box
49ers 31, Lions 13 -- Recap | Box
Seahawks 37, Rams 13 -- Recap | Box
Jaguars 23, Colts 21 -- Recap | Box
Eagles 15, Steelers 6 -- Recap | Box
Ravens 28, Browns 10 -- Recap | Box
Cowboys 27, Packers 16 -- Recap | Box
Chargers 48, Jets 29 -- Recap | Box
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Like the final score, the line on Brett Favre in his first Monday night game as a Jet is deceptive: 30 of 42 for 271 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, one bad ankle. He was lucky, very lucky, he didn't finish with four interceptions.
There was a play in the first half that saw Chargers safety Antonio Cromartie drop a ball that hit him right in the hands, what should have been a sure touchdown. Later, in the third quarter, on a fourth down from the San Diego nine-yard-line, Favre threw for his tight end, Dustin Keller, only to find Clinton Hart, the Chargers' strong safety, right on his jersey numbers. Hart dropped the ball, too.
"He may have run a little deeper than I thought," said Favre, speaking of Keller's route. "I'm not saying he's wrong and I'm right. I made numerous, numerous mistakes."
So much for all the talk that Favre had come back to go to another Super Bowl. The Jets — an interesting team, if nothing else — are better off than they were last season. But Favre is not. Maybe he should know his offense and his receivers by now, but the fact is, he does not.
Consider his second interception. The game was still relatively close, 24-14. On a third and nine from his own 30, Favre's intended receiver was the very able Jericho Cotchery, then headed up the sideline. But Cotchery pulled up short, looking for the ball, while Favre threw long — into the waiting arms of safety Eric Weddle.
"It was just a misread on my part," said Cotchery.
"I thought that Jericho was going to run up the boundary," said Favre, who enjoys a reputation for candor in all things not involving the Green Bay Packers front office. "The blame is on me, bad play on my part."
It's worth mentioning that Favre found a rhythm in the third quarter. Behind by 24 points, he started throwing short, to either flat. He used both receivers and backs. "I'd like to say there's a silver lining in this game," said Favre. "We found something that we can go back to that's pretty productive."
Silver lining? He sure sounded like a Jet quarterback now. The Jets scored 29 points, a number that owes much to San Diego's deficient special teams coverage and utter lack of killer instinct (not to mention an early pick thrown by Philip Rivers and returned for a touchdown). Still, the Chargers put up 48, giving them a margin of victory more than double the nine-point spread.
Favre says he likes the talent around him. He likes the line that protects him. He likes the receivers, Cotchery and Laveranues Coles. "Thomas Jones," he said, "is a heck of a runner." What's more, he adds, "This team has good character."
Unfortunately, good luck trumps good character. And Favre's good fortune seems to have ebbed. Among the finest plays of the previous season was his shovel pass for a first down against the Seahawks in the playoffs. He threw it as he fell, already in the lineman's grasp.
Favre tried it again Monday night. This time, Jyles Tucker, a linebacker, put him down for a loss of 12 yards. The ball squibbed away after the play was called dead.
Suddenly, Favre seemed luckless in another shade of green. The score was 38-14. A year ago, he felt like a young man. Now he was limping off the field.
by Mark Kriegel
Mark Kriegel is the national columnist for FOXSports.com. He is the author of two New York Times best sellers, Namath: A Biography and Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, which Sports Illustrated called "the best sports biography of the year."
Updated: September 23, 2008, 3:00 AM EST 30 comments add this RSS blog email Print SAN DIEGO -
As it ended, Brett Favre was limping in the bowels of Qualcomm Stadium, a PR man clearing a path for him.
"I rolled my ankle up," he had said. "Early in the third quarter."
By then, the game wasn't even close. In fact — with the score 38-14 before Favre took the field in the second half — it had ceased to matter as a competitive proposition.
But watching him hobble toward the visitors' locker room, you couldn't help but feel for the guy. X-rays would reveal an unbroken ankle. Beyond that, who knows how the Jets will characterize a rolled left ankle on their injury report? Or how, just a few weeks from his 39th birthday, Favre's famous recuperative powers will be tested.
Favre had been asked, yet again, about his grasp of the Jets' playbook. How much he knew three Sundays into the regular season was anyone's guess. More certain is this bitterly acquired knowledge, learned and re-learned by generations of Jet quarterbacks: it hurts more when you lose. That premature fable, instantly packaged and marketed as "Broadway Brett," has now been exposed as wishful thinking.
Being an American icon affords him no exemption here. He knew that much, too. "There's no excuses for me tonight," he said. "Can't say I'm still learning the offense."
NFL Week 3 Week 3 actionRedskins 24, Cards 17 -- Recap | Box
Bucs 27, Bears 24 -- Recap | Box
Vikings 20, Panthers 10 -- Recap | Box
Falcons 38, Chiefs 14 -- Recap | Box
Bills 24, Raiders 23 -- Recap | Box
Dolphins 38, Patriots 13 -- Recap | Box
Giants 26, Bengals 23 -- Recap | Box
Titans 31, Texans 12 -- Recap | Box
Broncos 34, Saints 32 -- Recap | Box
49ers 31, Lions 13 -- Recap | Box
Seahawks 37, Rams 13 -- Recap | Box
Jaguars 23, Colts 21 -- Recap | Box
Eagles 15, Steelers 6 -- Recap | Box
Ravens 28, Browns 10 -- Recap | Box
Cowboys 27, Packers 16 -- Recap | Box
Chargers 48, Jets 29 -- Recap | Box
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like the final score, the line on Brett Favre in his first Monday night game as a Jet is deceptive: 30 of 42 for 271 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, one bad ankle. He was lucky, very lucky, he didn't finish with four interceptions.
There was a play in the first half that saw Chargers safety Antonio Cromartie drop a ball that hit him right in the hands, what should have been a sure touchdown. Later, in the third quarter, on a fourth down from the San Diego nine-yard-line, Favre threw for his tight end, Dustin Keller, only to find Clinton Hart, the Chargers' strong safety, right on his jersey numbers. Hart dropped the ball, too.
"He may have run a little deeper than I thought," said Favre, speaking of Keller's route. "I'm not saying he's wrong and I'm right. I made numerous, numerous mistakes."
So much for all the talk that Favre had come back to go to another Super Bowl. The Jets — an interesting team, if nothing else — are better off than they were last season. But Favre is not. Maybe he should know his offense and his receivers by now, but the fact is, he does not.
Consider his second interception. The game was still relatively close, 24-14. On a third and nine from his own 30, Favre's intended receiver was the very able Jericho Cotchery, then headed up the sideline. But Cotchery pulled up short, looking for the ball, while Favre threw long — into the waiting arms of safety Eric Weddle.
"It was just a misread on my part," said Cotchery.
"I thought that Jericho was going to run up the boundary," said Favre, who enjoys a reputation for candor in all things not involving the Green Bay Packers front office. "The blame is on me, bad play on my part."
It's worth mentioning that Favre found a rhythm in the third quarter. Behind by 24 points, he started throwing short, to either flat. He used both receivers and backs. "I'd like to say there's a silver lining in this game," said Favre. "We found something that we can go back to that's pretty productive."
Silver lining? He sure sounded like a Jet quarterback now. The Jets scored 29 points, a number that owes much to San Diego's deficient special teams coverage and utter lack of killer instinct (not to mention an early pick thrown by Philip Rivers and returned for a touchdown). Still, the Chargers put up 48, giving them a margin of victory more than double the nine-point spread.
Favre says he likes the talent around him. He likes the line that protects him. He likes the receivers, Cotchery and Laveranues Coles. "Thomas Jones," he said, "is a heck of a runner." What's more, he adds, "This team has good character."
Unfortunately, good luck trumps good character. And Favre's good fortune seems to have ebbed. Among the finest plays of the previous season was his shovel pass for a first down against the Seahawks in the playoffs. He threw it as he fell, already in the lineman's grasp.
Favre tried it again Monday night. This time, Jyles Tucker, a linebacker, put him down for a loss of 12 yards. The ball squibbed away after the play was called dead.
Suddenly, Favre seemed luckless in another shade of green. The score was 38-14. A year ago, he felt like a young man. Now he was limping off the field.
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Comments
Did you expect anything different?
Steve
Steve
Montana played 2 years or so with the Chiefs and at this time I do not recall how successful or unsuccessful the Chiefs were with him as the starting QB.
Elway made a good decision when he declined to return for the 1999 regular season. His two consecutive Superbowl wins in the 1998 and 1999 Superbowls allowed him to go out on top instead of playing on the downhill side of the mountain.
<< <i>I wonder how Favre's tenure with the Jets will compare with Joe Montana's tenure with the Chiefs?
Montana played 2 years or so with the Chiefs and at this time I do not recall how successful or unsuccessful the Chiefs were with him as the starting QB.
Elway made a good decision when he declined to return for the 1999 regular season. His two consecutive Superbowl wins in the 1998 and 1999 Superbowls allowed him to go out on top instead of playing on the downhill side of the mountain. >>
The Broncos have struggled without Elway ever since, well maybe this year can be different.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.