| When CBS game commentators Dan Dierdorf and Dick Enberg coined the phrase “Favrian” at the start of the Green Bay Packers-Baltimore Ravens game on Sunday afternoon, could they possibly have imagined that they would bear witness to what was perhaps the most perfect example of Favrianism since Super Bowl XXXI? Probably not... but this isn’t about the intuition, literacy, or competence (or the lack thereof) of a couple of broadcast hacks... this is about the man for whom the term was coined. Brett Favre. Favre, who celebrated his 32nd birthday earlier in the week, celebrated his 56th win in 67 tries at Lambeau Field on Sunday, proving against what many have called the greatest defense ever, why he is the standard against whom all other |
quarterbacks must be measured. Not since Terry Bradshaw retired has a quarterback been so dominant on his home turf, winning an astounding 84% of his games on the hallowed field. The Packers, who are on the rebound from back to back seasons which saw Favre suffer nearly half of those 11 Lambeau Field losses, show the promise of delivering him enough home field victories this season to match Bradshaw. In just over three hours, Favre took ‘the greatest defense ever’, and taught them how the game of football is played. He completed passes to undefended receivers, and he completed passes to receivers who were blanketed by defenders. |
He completed nearly 80% of his 34 pass attempts, 3 of them for touchdowns. He eluded the hot pursuit of would be sackers, and on the one occasion he was caught, he quickly jumped up and with a smile on his face, congratulated Sam Adams, who had brought him down. And as the Ravens learned, to their sorry consternation, is what the game of football is all about. It isn’t about doing the shimmy-shammy, bob-and-weave, or cockstrut when you’ve done what you’re paid to do. It isn’t about whining to officials who may or may not have made a bad call. It isn’t about making more money than anybody else. It’s about playing a game to the best of your ability 100% of the time, and respecting the game for what it is. And Brett Favre knows that no matter what the score is after 60 minutes, as long as he has accomplished those two goals, he is a winner. |