No Pressure...

The Monkey and I contend that The Football Gods will smite the 2008 Green Bay Packers for their hubris, inflexibility, and short-sightedness. The idea that the Packers will be able to orchestrate a playoff push without a single quarterback on their roster with an NFL start gracing their resume is ludicrous. The Packers are the youngest team in the NFL and that youth and inexperience will prove to be a detriment as this upcoming season unfolds.

Head Coach Mike McCarthy is mostly unproven, compiling an 8-8 record in his rookie season with a future Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm. It is no coincidence that the Packers’ phenomenal run last year coincided with former QB Brett Favre’s third-best statistical season ever. The Packers’ success last year was tied directly to Favre’s success. In other words, without Brett under center, the Packers will likely perform at level somewhat below their 2006 campaign, as it is a football fact that a football team cannot succeed without a solid quarterback leading the way (the Trent Dilfer-led Baltimore Ravens being the notable exception). With a completely unproven fourth-year “rookie” running the show, Coach McCarthy will have to start all over.

I couldn’t help but chuckle the other night watching a few minutes of the Thursday ESPN telecast of the Cardinals-Saints preseason game. Loudmouth know-it-all former QB and self-professed gamefilm guru Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser engaged in a little verbal sparring over how the Packers will fare without Brett Favre, and listening to Jaworski’s arguments in favor of Aaron Rodgers revealed the borderline insanity that no doubt fueled the Packers organization’s decision-making process (and other who supported their move) over the last few weeks. Jaworski had to add such a litany of qualifiers in order to extol the virtues of his little man-crush Rodgers and Kornheiser took him to task on it.

Kornheiser maintained, as I do, that the focus should be to win now, not in the future, and Favre gave the Packers the best chance for that possibility. Jaworski ridiculously dismissed the “win now” argument, gushing in favor of the completely insane notion that the Packers were instead in the midst of “building a dynasty” on the shoulder pads of Mr. Aaron Rodgers. “Dynasty?” Kornheiser guffawed, to which Jaws went on to add caveat after caveat, like if this kid turns out to be good, and if he doesn’t get injured, and if the rest of the team performs, and if McCarthy’s gameplans turn out to be effective, blah, blah, blah.

Breaking Down The Packers’ 2008 Schedule

Thanks to “Jet” Favre, the Packers owned one of the best records in football in 2007, earning them a tougher schedule in 2008.

Fortunately they get to play the Lions and Bears twice every year, and I think they will probably split those four games. The Minnesota Vikings were extremely tough last year, depsite lackluster play at the QB position. I think the Vikes will likely sweep their games with the Packers this season.

The Cowboys, Colts, and Seahawks (playing at home) will all definitely beat the Packers this season, and the Bucs maybe, depending on what happens at the QB position. Down the stretch they also face tough games against the Panthers and at the Titans, Saints, and Jaguars. The Texans, whom the Pack contends with in Week 14, made some huge improvements last season and are no longer guaranteed W’s on anybody’s schedule.

Bottom line, this is no schedule for a young blood to be learning the ropes of the NFL. Aaron Rodgers will be tested frequently and early. If he thought it were a bad thing to have to play second fiddle one more year to Brett Favre now he will be under the microscope more than any other QB in the league, except perhaps the guy wearing number “4″ down in New Jersey.

Brett Favre in a Different Uni?

Here’s what me and the Monkey (sic) know about the current state of affairs between“The Gunslinger” and his not-quite-yet former team:

• Favre won a Superbowl in 1997, the Packers’ first Championship in 30 years.
• Favre played quarterback for the Packers for 16 seasons, and 253 consecutive starts, an NFL record for a QB.
• Favre holds the NFL record for career touchdown passes.
• Favre holds the NFL record for passes completed.
• Favre holds the NFL record for career passing yards.
• Favre holds the NFL record for most 3000+ passing yard seasons.
• In 2007, at the age of 38, Brett Favre logged the third-best statistical season of his career and best season since winning the Superbowl, leading his team to just one game away from the Championship with the youngest roster in the league.
• In 2008, the Green Bay Packers offer to pay their marquee unretired QB $20 million to “re-retire.”

So why on earth is it that the team that Brett Favre has essentially personified for nearly two decades does not want him to take the reigns for the 2008 season? And offering him a multi-million dollar contract to go back down to Mississippi and throw balls to some high school players? Is there something we’re missing here? If ever a “non-employment” offer of 20 million bucks could be insulting, this would be the time.

When you consider what Favre means to the organization and to the Green Bay community it’s inconceivable that they would not want him to lead the team for another season, “un-retired” or not. At his age, it’s easy to say that the game may have passed him by or that he’s lost a step, but that line of thinking goes out the window when you consider his statistical accomplishments from last season. Granted, he threw a couple ugly interceptions against the Superbowl Champion New York Giants, but hey, those same Giants defeated the only undefeated regular season team in NFL history, so it’s not like the Giants were a bunch of slouches stealing a game from the old-timer.

From this Monkey’s perspective, the only question that the Packers organization should be considering is just this: who is best poised to lead this team and win now? Not tomorrow. Not in the future. And not maybe. Now. I can’t see anybody fitting that bill for Packer Nation other than the real “Iron-Man,” Mr. Brett Lorenzo Favre.

Let’s call a spade a spade. Who are the best QB’s in the NFL right now? Peyton Manning and Tom Brady for sure, Drew Brees, Matt Hasselbeck, most likely, but isn’t it arguable that Brett Favre could be included in a group of the top five, top ten at least? And one thing’s for certain, we can all be sure of one QB who’s most assuredly not in that top five bunch…

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers Starting QB

Aaron Rodgers has been named Packers starting QB by Coach Mike McCarthy. He must be looking pretty damn stellar to beat out a first-ballot Hall of Famer coming off one of his best seasons ever without even a head-to-head competition in Packers Training Camp, considering he’s never started a game or played in much meaningful NFL action.

The idea that Rodgers is going to seamlessly replace a legend, pick up where the team left off, and lead the Packers to the playoffs is ludicrous. Sometimes, you never a replace a legend. Don’t believe me? Ask the Denver Broncos. Or the Miami Dolphins. A notable exception is the San Fransisco 49ers; but in their case Steve Young had already proven himself while Joe Montana recuperated from injuries.

So What Gives?

The only explanation I have for what we’re seeing is a terrible case of hubris on the part of all parties involved:

• On the part of Favre, for not thinking through his decision making process properly when he bid farewell to the NFL, for going public with Greta Van Sustern (of all people), and for not actively engaging team management about his intentions in a timely, private, and respectful manner. But hey – the guy’s a Libra (like me), so how can we expect him to be good at making tough decisions?
• And on the part of Packers management and coaches, for essentially disowning their most famous, important, and accomplished player in franchise history. They have repeatedly expressed their intention on moving forward as an organization and putting their plan for the future into place.

Granted, it’s important for a team to want to move foward and a team must think about the future, but winning in the future on the shoulders of a fourth-year untested rookie shouldn’t come at the expense of winning now.

What Brett’s Horoscope Has to Say

Here’s something interesting I pulled from Brett’s horoscope for the month of July:

The real fear you’re struggling with is that of isolation. It’s as though you feel removed from yourself as well as from the world…you are starting to feel angry about being isolated. The problem is that it’s not entirely true. There are key facets of your life where you are visible, participating in the world and the focus of true admiration…Please recognize that your work is not only having an impact, but you are reaching people on the emotional level as well. You are finally involved with something that expresses your true values, your commitment to caring for the world, and which meets the most important criteria of all, contacts people personally. Therefore, you can feel good about responding to the call for leadership. If you’re feeling isolated, let that stand as a reminder of the condition of 99 percent of the population, and is a key part of why you must do the work you are being called up on to do.

Many have urged Favre to go back to Mississippi. Those people don’t understand what it means to be a competitor. It is in their blood. They cannot control it. It urges them to do things that “regular” people don’t quite understand. Other players know this, but every retired player who says Favre should step away is simply jealous that he still has the physical skills to be on top of his game.

So What Will Happen?

The future Vikings QB?

And the downside? Only losing to the hands of the Favre-led Vikings in the season opener on the grand stage of Monday Night Football, that’s all. Last year, the Vikings were a quarterback away from serious playoff contention. With Favre at the helm they could be dangerous. And they have Green Bay on the schedule twice. Get ready Aaron Rodgers.

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