Vikings vs. Patriots

[fishersofmen]

Does anyone think the Vikes honestly have a shot in this game. Pats are playing alot better than many predicted. Yea I know any givin Sunday but I'm not very optimistic. Regardless of who starts at QB I think we have about a 30% chance of winning.

Patriots 34-17.

[rowdy]

[PoorWordUsage] tough to have any confidence in them anymore!!!!

[rowdy]

I cant even use the word dam?

[Steve Foss]

I cant even use the word dam?

Dam.

[mrklean]

looks like you just did

Should be an interesting game if Favre doesnt play will he act like a baby and dress or what will he do to stay in the medias attention.

[glenn57]

if i where a bettin man, i'd bet the house he's startin!!!!!!!!!!!

[leech~~]

Let him start to keep his record going for two play's and pull his sorry $#@ out! He needs to think of the team not his legacy! Then he maybe useable for later in the season.

[SkunkedAgain]

The Packers once put in Favre for the first series and then (planned) yanked him just so that he could continue his consecutive starts streak. Here is a great article from 2007 about his chronicled injuries:

Quote:

Currently at 243 games, Favre holds the record for most consecutive games started by a quarterback. However, the magnitude of the record is something else, as the odds were stacked against him before he was even drafted.

On July 14 th, 1990, Favre was involved in a car accident that not only put his future career in jeopardy, but also his life. Doctors treated him for a concussion, lacerations, and cracked vertebrae, along with 30 inches of his small intestines that were removed following complications.

Miraculously, Favre returned to quarterback his Southern Miss team to an 8-4 record during his senior year with the Golden Eagles. Favre's first game back was an upset victory over Alabama on September 8 th, just eight weeks after his accident.

Favre was drafted the following April by the Atlanta Falcons with the 33rd pick. However, after just one season in Atlanta, the Falcons decided to trade Favre to the Packers for a first round pick.

It was not long afterwards that Favre was running the plays for the Packers, replacing starter Don Majkowski, who was injured during the third week of the season. The following week, the Packers beat the Steelers 17-3 in Favre's first career start. However, later on in the season, Favre suffered a separated shoulder and feared losing his starting spot he had just gain a few weeks previously.

"Mike Holmgren looks at me and says, 'Can you play?'" Favre told reporters after the game. "I saw Majkowski back there, warming up, raring to go. If he got back in there, I may never get my job back."

"I heard everything kind of grind together in there, and I knew the damage was bad," Favre said. "The doctors said they could shoot it up with Novocain without any further injury, but it was my choice. I said, 'Let's do it.'"

"They had to pull my shoulder out, and they stuck the needle way down in my shoulder and shot me. In a little while, I didn't feel any pain," Favre explained in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

After fixing his shoulder on the sidelines, Favre showed his toughness by leading the Packers to an upset win.

By 1995, Favre had yet to miss a game, but his streak became severely endangered after he suffered a badly sprained ankle during a game in Minnesota. However, despite reports that his ankle was swollen six times its normal size, Favre made his next start against the Chicago Bears, and played valiantly by throwing for five touchdown passes. The next time he was forced to leave a game won't happen until the 2000 season.

The injury occurred after Tampa Bay Defensive Tackle Warren Sapp fell onto Favre's planted leg, forcing Favre out of the game with a mid-foot sprain. Initially rumored to be out several weeks, Favre suited up against the Indianapolis Colts just seven days after his foot was injured. The Packers prevailed by a final score of 26-24 as Favre's legend continued to grow.

Just two seasons later, Favre sprained his left knee so badly that he was unable to walk off the field under his own power. At first it was feared that Favre might have tore his ACL or MCL, which would have ended his season, but after an MRI exam it was revealed that the only damage was a sprained lateral collateral ligament, which was much less severe.

"There have been times where, for a brief second, I almost felt invincible," said Favre. "But I am aware that at any point it could be taken away... You're just a hit away."

Favre didn't play the following weekend, if only because the Packers were fortunate enough to have their bye week scheduled for the weekend following his injury. If not for the bye, it's likely that Favre's consecutive games streak would have ended at 164 games. Favre recovered in time to make start 165, but he was required to wear a knee brace for the remainder of the games.

The next season, Favre suffered his worst injury to date. While facing the St. Louis Rams, Favre slammed his hand on a lineman's shoulder pads so hard that he accidentally broke his thumb on his throwing hand. Favre would later say that it was the closest he had ever come to missing a start.

Surgery was an option to repair the fracture, which would have sidelined him from four to six weeks, but Favre decided to gut out the rest of the season with the injury. Incredibly, Favre threw for a career high completion percentage (64.5%) while leading the NFL in touchdown passes with 32, all despite playing over half of his games with a broken thumb, including the greatest game of his career, which also happened to be his most difficult.

On December 22, 2003, the Green Bay Packers played the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football. However, the previous day, Favre's father, Irv, suffered a heart attack while driving on the same road that Brett's car accident occurred 13 years previously. He was 58. Brett contemplated missing the game to mourn his father, but ultimately decided to play.

"There is no doubt that he would want me to play," Favre said.

His father instilled much of the toughness Favre had shown throughout his career. "If you get hurt, you crawl off the field," Irv would tell Brett. "When you can't crawl off the field, I'll come get you."

Favre posted a quarterback rating of 154.9, a franchise record, while also throwing for 399 yards and four touchdowns. "Regardless of what I do from here on out, that will always be my best game," Favre said.

Die-hard packer fan Andy Schroeder agrees. "His whole career was full of hardships to overcome and that was just his vintage game," Schroeder explains.

Throughout his career, Brett Favre has suffered numerous other injuries ranging from tendonitis and hip-pointers to concussions and pinched nerves in his arm. All in all, Favre has only had to leave six games in his career due to injury. The most unbelievable perhaps, is that the toughest player in the NFL originally failed his physical following his trade from Atlanta.

During that physical it was discovered that Favre suffered from the hip disorder vascular necrosis, which is a lack of blood supply in the hip pocket and could eventually require replacement surgery. It was the same disorder that forced Bo Jackson to retire just four seasons after starting his playing career.

Doctors suggest that Favre would only be able to play for several seasons before he would start to have problems with his hip and recommended that he fail his physical, however, despite the doctors' advice, general manager Ron Wolf decided to take a gamble on Favre and overruled the doctors.

"They said I wouldn't play three or four years," Favre said of the doctors' prognosis. "Obviously they were wrong and Ron was willing to take that risk."

Toughness. If asked to describe Brett Favre in three or less words, it would only take one. That's saying a lot for someone that was once told by a doctor that he would only play three seasons.

"There's probably some licks I shouldn't have gotten up from, but maybe some of it is being so stupid and not knowing any different," Favre said. "That's what my dad told me. I'll stick with it."

[mrklean]

haha so your saying hes gonna start and beat that pats this weekend huh?

[Antero]

Did I miss the part where he was in only for one series?

[Walleye Guy]

Patriots 51

Vikings 10

and I am a Viking fan. I hope I am wrong.

[JBMasterAngler]

Vikings will win 4 to 3.

[LMITOUT]

Does anyone think the Vikes honestly have a shot in this game.

[Steve Foss]

Hey, if I had even a 1-in-a-million shot at Lauren Holly, I'd be hollering with joy, too.

[zamboni]

1,000,001 to 0. Patriots. But I have been wrong before.

Seriously, I have Moss on my fantasy team, and I hope he catches 2-3 for revenge.

[SkunkedAgain]

Antero - I watched the game but I couldn't even tell you what year it was. I tried a web search but couldn't come up with it. Most Packer fans will remember it, because it was a bit of a sham (like the Michael Strahan sack record) since he shouldn't have started in that game and barely played.

[FISHINGURU]

I remember when Favre did that, it was a sham. I'd imagine if he does sit out this Sunday we'll something similar.

How was Strahans sack record a sham? Favre kind of laid down on that sack but do you remember the other 5 times he seen Strahan in the area and quick threw it away just so he wouldn't have a chance to get him. Strahan shuold of had like 3-4 sacks that game.

If we had a different coach we could easily beat the Pats, but with our bad play calling I wouldn't count on it, If Peterson touches the ball 28 times we will win.

[greebs]

not a big stretchto say this but I'm confident that peterson and the defense are going to have to come up big in this game for them to have a chance.

[flipper]

I remember when Favre did that, it was a sham. I'd imagine if he does sit out this Sunday we'll something similar.

How was Strahans sack record a sham? Favre kind of laid down on that sack but do you remember the other 5 times he seen Strahan in the area and quick threw it away just so he wouldn't have a chance to get him. Strahan shuold of had like 3-4 sacks that game.

So in your infinite wisdom you think a QB should hang on to the ball until he gets sacked? I guess you should be a coach, of what I don't know.

[fishersofmen]

Favre will definetely play on Sunday...........

BOSTON -- Brett Favre told ESPN's Ed Werder on Saturday that the injuries to his left foot have healed significantly and that he expects to start on Sunday at New England.

Favre has expressed a desire to play since Wednesday, despite having a stress fracture in his left ankle and another fracture in his left foot that he suffered last Sunday night at Green Bay. Favre did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday but did work in Friday's practice.

Coach Brad Childress was unwilling on Friday to say if Favre or Tarvaris Jackson would start agains the Patriots and said it likely would be a game-day decision. But unless Childress is ready to bench Favre -- and cause an already shaky relationship to dissolve even more -- that decision is now out of his hands. Favre has started an NFL record 291 consecutive regular-season games.

As he prepared to board the team bus Saturday, Favre told Werder in a phone conversation that he wouldn't have made the trip unless he expected to be the guy. An NFL source told the Star Tribune on Thursday that Childress was leaning toward having Jackson start.

Favre, who was criticized by his coach after throwing three picks against the Packers, has thrown 10 interceptions and lost four fumbles during the Vikings' 2-4 start. That is three more picks than Favre threw all of last season.

Meanwhile, the NFL's investigation of Favre for allegedly sending inappropriate text messages and photos to former Jets sideline reporter Jenn Sterger in 2008 when he was with that team continues. There had been reports the investigation could wrap up this week but that isn't going to happen.

In fact, Sterger's lawyer, Joe Conway, told the Star Tribune on Saturday that he continues to work toward having his client meet with the NFL and it's "likely that is going to happen." Conway said he's not sure when the meeting would take place but added, "I don't think it will go much longer than the end of [this coming] week."

Conway has had several discussions with the league to try to set up the meeting and said he has never been given a deadline by which point Sterger must talk to the NFL.

[BlueLundFishrman]

A Belichek coached team against the Brad Childress coached Purple Peter Eaters. New England 30, Minnesota 20.

[harvey lee]

I hope the final results are not like the Gophers game Saturday.

The Vikes may get wiped out and that should end thier season in regards to the play offs.

If Farve plays, all will say we lost due to his play. If TJ plays, all will say he needs more time.

Either way, we lose again.

[1900_LE]

So, if Favre doesn't start, is he done? If he can't hit 300 starts, what's the point of continuing to be beaten up? He's got records that may never be broken. What's everyone's thought?

[greebs]

So, if Favre doesn't start, is he done? If he can't hit 300 starts, what's the point of continuing to be beaten up? He's got records that may never be broken. What's everyone's thought?

depends on what the goal is. is it about him and personal records or is it about the team concept and what gives the team the best chance at winning? that should be what it's all about but hard telling if that's what's going on here or not.

[LMITOUT]

I wish someone would make up their mind. I have NE defense on my fantasy FB team and if T-Jack goes in I'll be wishing I had started them. Even with a wounded Favre it may be worth a shot.

[Big Tom]

I wish someone would make up their mind. I have NE defense on my fantasy FB team and if T-Jack goes in I'll be wishing I had started them. Even with a wounded Favre it may be worth a shot.

Regardless of who starts, NE defense seems like a no-brainer - see last week. What is your other choice(s)

[fishersofmen]

ESPN talked with Cal Ripken on who's iron man streak is more impressive. No comparison in my mind. Yea baseball is a much longer season but Ripken wasn't getting knocked on his tail by 275lb guys either. Comparing a record like that in a high contact sport to a no contact sport is kind of rediculas imo. I'm guessing Ripken would have sat out with a broken ankle etc...........

You might have noticed this week's Double Coverage with ESPN.com senior national columnist Gene Wojciechowski and I. As Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre faces the possible end of his 291-game consecutive starts streak, we tried to put it in context. Is it more or less impressive than Cal Ripken's streak of 2,632 consecutive games?

These days, Ripken is busy running Ripken Baseball Inc. and serving as a television analyst. But with The Streak suddenly back int he news, he sent along a few thoughts via e-mail. (Hat tip to John Maroon of Maroon PR for the help.)

(On how closely Ripken has followed Favre's streak.)

Cal Ripken: "I am a football fan and although my team is the Ravens I have followed Brett’s career and I am aware that the streak is at 291 games which is remarkable and, I believe, speaks to his passion for the game."

(On how the the weekly physical toll of the NFL compares to the daily grind of MLB.)

CR: "It is hard to compare the two because the sports and seasons are so different. Brett’s streak is remarkable and I can’t fathom playing that many NFL games consecutively. He is a tough guy. Rarely in baseball do you take the big hits but it is a long season with few days off."

(On what it takes to put together such an impressive streak.)

CR: "My dad always taught me that as a ballplayer you have a responsibility to come to the ballpark everyday prepared to play and if the manager decides you can help him win that day you will be in the lineup. I always viewed it as a pure and simple approach. I also loved to play the game and hated to be on the bench…I don’t know Brett but you can tell he loves to play football."

(On if he has an opinion about whose durability record was more difficult to achieve.)

CR: "To me personally his streak is amazing and I couldn’t imagine doing it. They are very different in so many ways but I will tip my cap to Brett for his durability, perseverance and toughness."

[LMITOUT]

Regardless of who starts, NE defense seems like a no-brainer - see last week. What is your other choice(s)

Seattle @Oak

[Jim Almquist]

On KFAN they just reported that secret squirrel would not even tell the team who was the starter

What a piece of work we have for a coach.

[flipper]

Stay tuned for the next episode of "As the Stomach Turns".