Favre: No Super Bowl for You

There is no joy in Vikingsville -- mighty Favre has struck out.

I can empathize with Vikings fans. I know how it feels to be so close to the Super Bowl only to have Favre throw an interception and end the dream of a championship. It's not good, but it's what Favre does.

To be sure, there were lots of other mistakes made by the Vikings during the game. However, Favre is responsible for the final nail in the coffin.

From the Star Tribune, "BIG QUEASY: Over and out in overtime":

While the Saints will advance to play Indianapolis in the Super Bowl in two weeks, the Vikings only will be able to think about how they blew an opportunity to end a 33-year absence from the NFL's biggest game despite a star-studded collection that included quarterback Brett Favre.

This season -- and Sunday's game -- can now be added to the list of heartbreak that Vikings fans have had to endure through the years. A list of painful memories that includes four Super Bowl losses and now five consecutive losses in NFC Championship Games.

Sunday's loss was ultra-cruel for Favre and the Vikings because it was only the third NFC Championship Game to go into overtime. The others were the Vikings' gut-wrenching loss to Atlanta in 1998 -- a defeat that also kept them from getting to Miami -- and the Packers' loss to the Giants in the 2007 season. That was Favre's final game as a member of the Packers and his interception enabled the Giants to kick the winning field goal.

I remember that game in 1999 (the 1998 season). I was thrilled that the rival Vikings weren't going to the Super Bowl. That wasn't gut-wrenching at all. It was perfect.

When Favre threw the interception that gave the NFC championship to the Giants in January 2008, at LAMBEAU, that was gut-wrenching. It still hurts.

Favre's interception at the end of the 4th quarter against the Saints yesterday was a thing of beauty.



It was exactly the way I wanted the game to end, with a Favre interception crushing the Vikings' Super Bowl dreams.

Video: Garrett Hartley's game-winning field goal



I am elated that the Saints won. It's not an anti-Favre thing. It's an anti-Vikings thing. I felt as happy as I did over a decade ago when the Vikings didn't make it. It's about division rivalry. It's about my loyalty to the Packers.

"They all hurt," said Favre, who suffered what appeared to be a sprained left ankle in the third quarter but continued to play. "I don't even know where to begin. All I can say is it's been a great year, sure would have hoped we would have gone a little bit further, a great group of guys. Just disappointing. That's an understatement."

The Vikings have no one to blame but themselves for having their season end a game short of their goal. Minnesota accumulated 475 yards of total offense, had 31 first downs to the Saints 15 and converted seven of 12 third-down opportunities.

But they also shot themselves in the foot -- too many times to count.

Six fumbles, including two by running back Adrian Peterson and one by Favre on a botched handoff exchange with Peterson, with three of them being lost. Two interceptions by Favre, including one with 19 seconds left in the fourth quarter that ended a drive that had reached the Saints 38-yard line and appeared to be an opportunity for kicker Ryan Longwell to hit the potential game-winner. The score was tied 28-28 at that point.

Yeah, the Vikings were really sloppy.

...Perhaps most painful will be the penalty call that has a chance to be the defining moment when fans look back at a game that was widely entertaining and yet sloppily played. That came on the play before Favre's interception late in the fourth quarter with the Vikings facing a third-and-10 at the Saints 33.

Referee Pete Morelli called the Vikings for having 12 men break the huddle. Without that penalty, the Vikings could have simply run the ball and attempted to set up a 50-yard field goal by Longwell. Longwell said afterward he was comfortable making field goals from 53 yards in the pregame. Even with the penalty, if Favre's pass had fallen incomplete, the Vikings would have attempted a 55-yarder.

So what happened with the extra man being on the field? "We just had a fullback in there and we changed up and broke the huddle with 12," Childress said. "You can't call back-to-back timeouts either. I thought we slipped up there."

The Vikings got cocky.

"Pants on the Ground"? Favre was on the ground, a lot. He really took a beating, physically and mentally.

In his postgame news conference, Childress attempted to look at the good from a 12-4 regular season that included a performance by Favre that was better than anyone expected, followed by a playoff victory over Dallas. "I just prefer to look at all the positives," Childress said. "It was a great season for our team. Great for the people of the state of Minnesota to look at a team like that compete and, among other things, watch No. 4 compete in purple. But I just prefer to look at the positives right now."

It was a great season for the purple Favre and the Vikings. That's undeniable.

But when I think back on the 2007 season, I don't remember all the success that got the Packers to the NFC championship game in January 2008. I think of Favre's interception. I think of the disastrous end to the season.

Now isn't the time for Childress to be looking on the sunny side of things. He should be focusing on what he and his team did to throw away a trip to the Super Bowl. In spite of so much that was good during the season, the negatives are what will stick in the fans' minds, the painful ending.

Favre said he is not sure if he will return for a 20th NFL season and second with the Vikings but indicated the decision won't take months and could be made fairly quickly.

Oh, God. Here we go again.

Favre's word is worthless. His decisions in the off-season mean nothing.

I would never believe a retirement announcement from Favre.

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

But fool me thrice? I must be a dumbass.
________________

Video:

Favre unfiltered

Favre, Vikings suffer tough loss