I’ve debated with people since 2002, when they first started talking about Favre retiring. He supposedly considered it, too, as he was frustrated with the gameplans. All year in 2002 (and prior years), I was talking about Tom Rossley (offensive coordinator) and how the offensive gameplans were far too conservative. That’s what caused a lot of Favre’s interceptions, because he gets frustrated and then tries to do too much. In 2003, the Packers started 1-4, and everyone was saying he should retire. I kept telling people he was still the best or second-best QB (to Manning), and if they just had a good aggressive gameplan, he’d play great. I told people there’s a difference in not playing as well as you can and losing your ability, and Favre hadn’t lost anything. As a matter of fact, at dinner the night the Packers went 1-4, I argued with a friend that if the Packers let Favre throw, he’d show everyone how great he was. A day or two later, Rossley went into the hospital with a heart issue, and Sherman decided to call the plays and be more aggressive, which he publicly said he would do. They went from 1-4 to 10-6, made the playoffs where the refs stole the Viking game, and Favre threw for over 4000 yards and 30 TDs (no bear QB has ever done either). This was basically in 11 games, as the first 5 had horrible gameplans.
Favre
I have no problem with Favre’s interceptions, because I’d rather have a guy do everything he can to win instead of going down passively. In my opinion, the only time he played badly was 2 years ago when they started something like 2-6. He’d never been on a team that was out of it, and he did try to do way too much, and forced things. Again, I would tell people, playing poorly and losing your ability are two different things.
Each year when people said he would retire, I told them he wouldn’t. Despite the fact that he would say he had nothing to prove and his career stood on its merit, I knew he wouldn’t want to go out with people thinking he had lost it when he knew he could still play at an incredible level. He’s never been out for records and plays because he loves the game, but I always felt he would want to show people he could still do it.
After the Packers lost to the Falcons in the 2002 playoffs (the Packers were decimated with injuries), Arnie Stapleton wrote an article that was picked up by the Chicago Sun-Times, and it said: Injuries, ineptitude, and questionable coaching decisions caught up with the Packers in the Atlanta Falcons’ 27-7 wild-card victory at Lambeau Field on Saturday night….Not only was it the first home playoff loss in franchise history, but it marked the first time in 36 home starts that Favre had lost a cold-weather game…For just the third time in his career, and first time at home, Favre didn’t talk to reporters after the game. The team said he’ll talk today, when the players clear out their lockers. He surely will be asked whether this deflating defeat either hastens or holds off his retirement (he is 33). Favre has said he plans to play next season, but has raised the issue all season…If Favre returns, he might seek changes to stick around. Offensive coordinator Tom Rossley’s conservative approach flies in the face of Favre’s gunslinging mentality. There was speculation in the Green Bay Press-Gazette on Sunday that Rossley and special-teams coach Frank Novak would not return next season. Rossley arrived in Green Bay with no NFL experience as an offensive coordinator and in three seasons has done little to bolster his resume. Rossley was hamstrung this season by a banged-up backfield and receiving corps and a turnstile of an offensive line, which lost tackles Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton to season-ending injuries. But Favre was clearly flustered with their increasing reliance on the dink-and-dunk offense instead of the deep drops to take chances downfield. Never was he more anguished than Saturday night, when the Packers failed to score a touchdown for just the second time in 51 first-and-goal chances over his career. (It was first-and-goal from the 1.) Ahman Green, on a balky knee, was dumped for a four-yard loss on fourth down from the 2.
So, you can see the frustration Favre has dealt with his entire career. This continued for the balance of his career, which was many more years. He knows they could have won many more games easily, rather than winning them as close games or losing, had the offensive gameplan been intelligent.