(Favre sitting on the gatorade jug after throwing another costly interception)

Training camp + four preseason games + sixteen regular season games + playoffs = roughly 6 months in a NFL season. Brett Favre joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of camp this year, yet had the best statistical season of his illustrious career. Favre threw for 4,746 yards, 38 TD’s and only 9 interceptions in 2010. He also led led the Vikings to a 12-4 season and carried them all the way to the NFC Championship game.

And his last throw of the year was an interception that cost the Vikings a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

Favre didn’t lose the game, but, he didn’t win it either. Favre’s costly 4th quarter interception eliminated Minnesota’s chance for a Longwell, game-winning field goal. Now the Saints will represent the NFC in Miami in Super Bowl XLIV.

I’m not a Brett Favre hater, but it’s hard to ignore how bad he’s been in the clutch. Remember the 2008 NFC Championship when he threw the game-losing pick against the New York Giants? The game was at Lambeau and it was blistering cold. Favre threw an interception to Corey Webster in overtime and the Giants kicked the game winning field goal. Then the Giants went on to beat the undefeated Patriots in the greatest upset in Super Bowl history.

Remember the 2004 Divisional Playoff game in Philadelphia when Favre threw a pass to Brian Dawkins? The Eagles won that game on a David Akers field goal.

How about the 2003 Wild Card Playoff game against Mike Vick and the Falcons at Lambeau? Atlanta had a 24-0 lead and Favre contributed to the “comeback that never was” throwing an interception and adding a late fumble.

Don’t even get me started on his days as a New York Jet. Favre threw 9 interceptions and only 2 touchdown’s in the last 5 games of the season.

How do we judge quarterbacks? Playoff wins and Super Bowls. I’m not a big fan of comparing quarterbacks from different eras, but Brett Favre isn’t even in the top five during his 19 years in the NFL. Favre might be the NFL’s iron-man, and his toughness and passing stats are not in question. But when you start thinking about clutch performers over the last 19 years it’s hard to put him in the top five.

Joe Montana, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady… I’d want any one of these guys as my quarterback in the playoffs before Brett Favre.

People will debate Favre’s legacy again this off-season, but his legacy is already cemented for me. Despite 19 years of winning and and nearly every passing record in NFL history, my memories of #4 can be summarized in one sentence.

Catastrophic interceptions in the biggest moments of the biggest games.

Training camp + four preseason games + sixteen regular season games + playoffs = roughly 6 months in a NFL season. Nearly half a year of hard work for an entire NFL team comes down to a few key plays. And on too many occasions Brett Favre hasn’t been able to deliver.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 7:09 pm and is filed under NFL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Tags: Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings