It's been just over a week since Brett Favre saved the collective sanity of Wisconsinites by announcing he will return for at least another season with the Packers.
And yet, questions remain.
General manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have mentioned they're happy to get their quarterback for at least another season. Yet, nobody - especially the man in question - has offered to say with any amount of detail - why. The popular excuse is always "He's done so much, he can handle this however he wants to," but that is an irresponsible thought. Favre's presence could have just as much negative impact on the team as his departure.
Favre told the Biloxi (MS) Sun-Herald that he is excited about coming back. Reporter Al Jones quoted Favre as saying that he liked the progress of the offensive line and the overall direction of the team.
First of all, just what exactly did the Packers quarterback see when he talked about the improvements of the offensive line? At last check, the front five was dominated throughout the season, even through the four-game winning streak to end the season.
About that four-game run ... let's keep in mind that three of those teams had a combined record of 16-32 not including the season-ending victory over the 13-3 Chicago Bears. If you would include that contest, you would also have to accept the fact that the Bears had already wrapped up home-field advantage for the playoffs and in all honesty, had little to play for on New Year's Eve (or a month later, for that matter).
In fact, none of the teams - excluding Chicago, which throttled the Pack in the season opener - which Green Bay beat this season had a winning record. It's hard to get excited about the future without any quality victories on the ledger.
There is a tremendous lack of talent on the Packers. There are good ballplayers at several positions, but with some limited exceptions, none seem to have that "special" quality that defined the Ron Wolf era. Expecting guys like Donald Driver and Greg Jennings to perform like Sterling Sharpe or even Antonio Freeman once did is completely out of line. Further, believing that Favre can throw to Driver and Jennings like he did with some of the better players of years past is just as ludicrous.
Favre played well in 2006. He was better than he was in 2005, but not as good as he was in 2000. Favre did throw more touchdown passes than interceptions and again passed for more than 3,000 yards, but in the long run he just doesn't have the talent surrounding him to make those numbers stand out. So, what then, is the reason he came back?
Many people want to believe Favre that only his love of the game matters. It's admirable and naïve at the same time. Sure, Favre loves football. And it's probably safe to say that he loves the $11 million that Green Bay is paying him to play the game. On top of that, is it completely out of the realm of possibility that a competitor the likes of Favre might want to come back just to etch his name further into the NFL record books?
Think about it, the three-time Most Valuable Player already has a Super Bowl ring and two NFC Championships to his credit. Why wouldn't a guy with those credentials - who could have beaten popular Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson for election in 1998 - want to come back and get two touchdowns to pass John Elway as the NFL's all-time leader?
If Favre and the Packers really want to make this year special, changes need to be made. Thompson must be proactive and aggressive in the free agent market as well as willing to explore trades that will make significant improvement to the team. A sub-par draft won't be of any use, either. This franchise cannot afford any more of the slipups or doomed projects that have punctuated the last several drafts.
Thompson and McCarthy need to know whether or not Favre plans to play again after 2007. No matter what accomplishments he's achieved, the player owes it to the coach and GM to make some sort of commitment so the team can continue to plan for the future. If this truly is No. 4's final go-round, make the commitment to winning with respect for future (financial) needs.
If you can get a concrete two years out of him, it's time to go shopping. Favre wants Randy Moss in Green Bay? While Moss is one of sport's biggest asses, Green Bay did manage to have a settling effect on guys like Andre Rison. Maybe a year or two in Green Bay could calm him down and it would behoove the Packers to draft a creative contract that would give him a chance. The secondary needs to be shored up, and the defensive line needs a stopper.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. All involved parties need to sit down in the next few weeks and sort this mess out. If everybody is on the same page from day one, this could be a special season, or even a building block to a championship.
