Sunday, September 19, 2010

Tavaris Waiting In The Wings?

Count me in the group that feels the Minnesota Vikings will go nowhere near a Super Bowl with more efforts like the one Brett Favre gave today in the Metrodome against Miami.

He was simply putrid. He may have thrown for nearly 200 yards, but he also threw three interceptions and fumbled in the end zone that Miami fell on for a gift touchdown. (He was also interecepted a fourth time, but that was nullified by a Miami penalty.)

It brought back memories of Favre's last four games in a Jets uniform back in 2008. He looked like an old man who should have retired and stayed that way.

Adrian Peterson rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown, and showed in the fourth quarter why he is one of the elite players in the NFL. But he couldn't win the game all by himself, and was stopped on the one-yard line on 4th down with just over two minutes to play. (Did anyone else notice in that entire drive that Favre never threw the ball once, and just kept giving AP the ball?) It was an excruciating 14-10 loss.

Favre was picked off only twice in all of 2009 at home, and the Vikings were behind just a little over 20 minutes at home the entire season. But today it was another struggle for the Vikings to score points. (And the rush defense didn't look all that dominating either. The Vikings have lots of problems, on both sides of the ball.)

It all comes down to Favre. More thoroughly rotten efforts like this and the Vikings won't even be in the playoffs. I don't think the Vikings will bench Favre in favor of Tavaris Jackson (who leaves me with no confidence either). But after more games like this, who knows?

The road doesn't get all that easy the next six games: Detroit, NY Jets, Dallas, Green Bay, New England and Arizona.

A bad start. Just what the Vikings needed.

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