Wednesday, December 21, 2005

It’s Time


Brett Favre was a shell of his former self on Monday night. The All-Pro quarterback passed for just 144 yards and two interceptions against the Ravens. This Sunday he will be offered up as sacrificial bait to a Chicago Bears defense that knocked him silly the last time they went head to head.

Usually a quarterback with the credentials that Favre piled up over his career is treated with respect among his counterparts on the defense but not Favre. It’s his tough as nails, trash-talking, gun slinger mentality that makes him the favorite target of every defense he plays against.

At some point all that abuse takes its toll and body and performance begin to breakdown. This season Favre has had to deal with injuries at the running back and receiver positions and he has the misfortune of playing behind a line that couldn’t block their way out of a paper bag.

It’s not a question of how much more he can take, it’s a question of how much more does he want to take? This season Favre has tossed 24 interceptions to only 19 touchdowns. He has also lost 6 of 9 fumbles and has been sacked 19 times for a loss of 140 yards. If this was any other quarterback then the cheese heads would be screaming for a change.

Maybe change is what is needed in Green Bay. Maybe the Packer Backers have taken for granted what they have in Brett Favre. Green Bay could have drafted an offensive linemen to help protect Favre but instead the drafted an heir apparent in Aaron Rogers.

Favre could walk away now a legend but another season like this one could mean walking away a tarnished legend that stayed in the game to long. Green Bay won’t turn around into a play-off contender next season and no one wants to see him wearing another uniform. It’s time for him to hang it up so his fans can remember him for the way he was and not the way he is.