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NFL

Hutchinson Didn’t Hold In 91 Games…

Ladies and Gentlemen, Steve Hutchinson is just awesome. For as much credit as we give Adrian Peterson, people need to start giving more to the awesome offensive line that he plays behind. From Rotoworld:

Vikings LG Steve Hutchinson was flagged for holding in Sunday’s win over Green Bay for the first time since December of 2003.
The penalty negated a two-yard run by Adrian Peterson. Hutchinson also didn’t miss a start during his incredible 91-game streak, which included five playoff games. The six-time Pro Bowler has a Hall of Fame resume at age 32.

Wow. Let’s think about that for one second. I would say that the average offensive linemen gets called for holding at least once every three games. That’s probably being generous. By that logic, Hutchinson is worth 300 yards over an average guard over this stretch just on penalties alone; Let alone the fact that he is awesome.

Well played, Steve.

NFL

The Legend of Brett Favre Just Won’t Die…

Oh my god. He did it to me again.

Yes, Brett Favre did to this me personally. I know that the people who should really be upset are 49er fans, but I remain destroyed by another Brett Favre “just having fun out there” moment.

I spend a shocking amount of my life trying to untangle to web of Brett Favre man-love that the mainstream media has spun around the average football fan. Between this column, my website, and any radio that I do, I try to preach the following doctrine: Favre has been overrated since his days as a Falcon. He throws too many interceptions and has cost his teams as many big games as he’s won. He had some great years in the late nineties, but since then, he is more of the problem than he is the solution. Yet, people in our line of work make excuses for him every day because he’s weaved this “good ol’ boy” persona that the middle of this country loves.

In last week’s column, I listed who I thought the top eleven quarterbacks in the NFL are, and it made some waves. Some people agreed with me, and most didn’t, but the thing I was happiest about was that no one brought up number four. I felt vindicated.

But, that’s the worst part about this guy. He won’t go away. Every single time I think that I’ve convinced people that he’s awful, he’s got to go and do something like this.

This week, I sat through the entirety of Favre’s pedestrian performance against a good 49ers defense. In fact, I would go as far as to say that he had become a middle man between the center and “Purple Jesus” Adrian Peterson. He routinely missed on key third downs that could have put San Francisco away much earlier in the game. After all, Favre has always been sub-par on third down because he’d rather throw it down the field and miss than take the safe completion and move the chains.

On that final drive, Favre still hadn’t been anything special. He was dinking and dunking against a prevent defense and it looked like the clock would inevitably run out on him. Going into that last play, he was 23-of-45 with 269 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He had a quarterback rating of 67, for what that’s worth.

Then, he rolls away from pressure and throws a heave downfield moments before defensive end Manny Lawson ate his soul. A play where Niners coach Mike Singletary decided to rush only three and allow Favre all the time in the world to throw. This heave that should have been intercepted had safety Mark Roman not practically had a seizure in front of the receiver that he should have been covering. A heave to a receiver that had recently been signed because of his ability on special teams. This heave that made him a national hero again.

Within moments, Favre’s face was the on the front page of every major website. The world loved number four all over again. Now, I have to mention his 311 career interceptions. I have to mention his playoff failures that almost exactly match his playoff successes. I have to mention that he isn’t the reason that Vikings were even in that game; the run defense that allowed only 58 yards on 26 rushes was.

Just when I thought I was done, Brett had to pull me back in.

NFL

Favre And The Vikings; Why Should I Care?

There are so many things that drive me absolutely crazy about Brett Favre. Does he make the Vikings better? Does he really care about winning games, or is this an elaborate ruse to get back at Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers? Is this about Brett Favre, or is this about making the Vikes a better team?

However, now that we are two days removed from the sigining, I find myself less outraged. I find myself staring at the first two QB spots and wondering how much the Vikings have changed in the last two days. I keep deciding that they haven’t. They just replaced there starting QB with a slightly older version of himself. They are still a team with a Super Bowl cailber running game and defense, but without the kind of quarterback that can even Trent Dilfer his way to a Super Bowl.

So, Why should I care?

I just can’t wrap my head around the Brett Favre saga as a storyline. This just isn’t going to make it anymore likely that I’ll go out of my way to watch Vikings games or that I’ll get psyched about the Green Bay games. I just can’t anymore.

Here’s the final verdict on Favre: He’s an addict. He’s addicted to the spotlight that comes with being an NFL quarterback. He drags out his decisions so that people won’t stop talking about the potential that he’ll return. He wants to be John Wayne coming back to save the day. He needs it.

However, that doesn’t mean he is what he thinks he is. The Vikes might win a crappy division by default, but it won’t be because Brett Favre is their QB. It will be because Adrian Peterson running all over defenses. It will be the Williams Wall stifling opposing running games.

It will be because the Vikings are a good team. Not because Brett Favre is a great quarterback.

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