Favre's Struggles

Favre Has Thrown 13 interceptions this year

Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has 10 interceptions and four lost fumbles this season. Those 14 turnovers have led to 51 opponents' points.







Game 6: Packers 28, Vikings 24







Third quarter: A.J. Hawk intercepts Favre at the Packers 38-yard line; his 21-yard return sets up a touchdown drive that gives the Packers a 21-17 lead.







Third quarter: Desmond Bishop returns an interception 32 yards for a touchdown and a 28-17 lead.







Fourth quarter: Nick Collins intercepts at the Vikings 20 with 9:35 remaining. Trailing 28-24, the Vikings defense forces a punt.







Game 5: Vikings 24, Dallas 21







First quarter: Favre loses a fumble at the Dallas 49. Eight plays later, the Cowboys score for a 7-0 lead.







Game 4: Jets 29, Vikings 20







Second quarter: Favre's fumble is recovered by Bart Scott at the Vikings 47. The Jets drive for a field goal and a 9-0 lead.







Third quarter: Favre's fumble is recovered by Darrelle Revis at the Jets 44. They drive for a field goal and a 12-0 lead.







Fourth quarter: Trailing 22-20 with 1:30 left, the Vikings have a third-and-5 at their own 21. Favre's pass is intercepted by Dwight Lowery and returned 26 yards for a TD.







Game 3: Vikings 24, Detroit 10







First quarter: Favre is intercepted by Corey Williams, who returns it 27 yards to the Vikings 12. Three plays later, Detroit takes a 7-0 lead.







Second quarter: Alphonso Smith intercepts Favre's pass at the Lions 49 with 1:02 left. Detroit kicks a field goal as time runs out.







Game 2: Miami 14, Vikings 10







Second quarter: Trailing 7-0, the Vikings have the ball at the Miami 13. On third-and-12, Favre is intercepted at the 1 by Vontae Davis. Miami, however, is forced to punt.







Third quarter: Favre is sacked and fumbles into the end zone where Koa Misi recovers for a 14-0 Miami lead.







Third quarter: Trailing 14-0, Favre is intercepted by Jason Allen at the Miami 2. The Dolphins fumble on the next play, setting up a Vikings touchdown.

Brett Favre Hints That He Could Sit Out

Brett Favre has started 289 consecutive regular season games…but that streak appears to be in serious jeopardy thanks to the elbow tendinitis the quarterback is currently battling.



The elbow issue first came to the media’s attention during practice week leading up to Monday night’s Jets game, though Favre says the situation has actually been around for a lot longer. During the game, Favre seemed to have full velocity, but was at times wildly inaccurate. This inaccuracy prevented the Vikings from finishing the furious second half comeback Favre started by flinging a long touchdown to Randy Moss.



In his Wednesday presser, Favre acknowledged that the elbow affected his throws.



“There were some throws that, blind-folded, I felt like I could have made, and made some good throws but missed on some that I don’t miss on,” Favre said. “That’s what I don’t want to happen. You’re not going to make every throw, but I would have made some of those throws.”



Favre also addressed the possibility of sitting out a game to rest the elbow. Perhaps surprisingly, the quarterback noted for his supreme toughness didn’t rule out the idea.



“Sure, I think any player would have to consider that,” Favre said. “Going through that type of situation where, I can [play], but will rest help? Yeah, that’d be a consideration.”



The Vikings face the Cowboys this weekend, in a game that could very well degenerate into a shoot-out. That being the case, this would be a very inconvenient time for Favre to hand the keys over to Tarvaris Jackson.



After that the Vikings face the Packers – there’s no way Favre misses that game – and then the Patriots, another team the Vikings probably can’t handle with T-Jack at the helm. The home game against a weak Arizona squad Week 9 would probably afford the best chance for Favre to sit and have it not badly cripple the team’s chances of winning – but by then the Vikings might already be out of serious playoff contention, rendering the whole situation moot.



Of course, there are some who have argued that an injured, distracted Favre isn’t any good to the Vikings anyway, and they would be better off if he retired now and they went with T-Jack the rest of the season. To these people I can only say, what short memories you have.

Is Brett Favre Helping or Hurting the Vikings' Chances at a Super Bowl?

Vikings PhotosOnce a trendy Super Bowl pick, the Minnesota Vikings have fallen to 1-3 through the first five weeks of the NFL season. So who's to blame for their poor start?








It's not the defense, which has kept the Vikings in every game.







It's not Adrian Peterson, who leads the league with 120 rush yards per game.







It's not that the Vikings don't have a plethora of elite playmaking pass catchers, because they do.







So what is it?!







It's got to be Brett Favre. Through four games Favre has thrown seven interceptions, tying the number he had all of last season and putting him on pace for 28 picks in 2010.







Even when he's not soft-tossing interceptions to the defense, Brett has looked much less accurate this season than in 2009. Multiple times Favre missed opportunities to make easy throws to a single-covered Randy Moss against the Jets. In the fourth quarter with the game on the line, No. 4 overthrew Percy Harvin, who was wide open after badly beating Darrelle Revis.







Brett Favre doesn't seem capable of making all the throws Brett Favre makes. He is no longer the three-time MVP, but a subpar 41-year-old quarterback with a bum ankle and tendinitis in his elbow.







Not only is Favre hurting the Vikings on the gridiron, he is becoming a problem off it too. With a pending NFL investigation and a possible suspension facing Favre, there is a lot more chatter going on in the locker room than just how they are going to turn their disappointing season around.







So what should the Vikings do? Tarvaris Jackson has shown nothing to prove he should replace Brett. Joe Webb is an exciting prospect who could add another dimension to the offense, but he is very raw as a rookie and shouldn't be handed the keys to a team with Super Bowl aspirations.







Even if there was an alternative option, how would it look if the Vikings replaced the man they fell over themselves to get back?







The Vikings may have no other choice than to hope Brett shakes off the rust and finds some of his old magic that made Minnesota fall in love with him a year ago.

The Vikings Take Long, Ugly Road Through October

If the Vikings can survive the October schedule, maybe this team is bound for a deep playoff run. Because the next four games will feel like the playoffs.








The schedule doesn't get much steeper: at New York Jets on Oct. 11, Cowboys at home on Oct. 17, at Green Bay on Oct. 24 and at New England on Oct. 31. Since 2000, these teams have combined for almost 400 wins, 22 playoff victories and, thanks to New England, three Super Bowls.







Here's a quick resume breakdown based on their NFL statistical ranking.







Jets (2-1)



26th passing (172 yards per game), 9th rushing (132.7 ypg), 21st total yards (304.7 ypg), 11th touchdowns (seven), 20th total defense (336.3 ypg), 27th pass defense (274.7 ypg), 4th rush defense (61.7 ypg)







Cowboys (1-2)



4th passing (311.2 ypg), 26th rushing (80 ypg), 5th total yards (391.7 ypg), T-18th touchdowns (six), 8th total defense (299.3 ypg), 14th pass defense (215.7 ypg), 7th rush defense (83.7 ypg)







Packers (2-1)



11th passing (246 ypg), 22nd rushing (95.3 ypg), 12th total yards (341.3 ypg), T-4th touchdowns (nine), 2nd total defense (260.7 ypg), 3rd pass defense (144 ypg), 18th rush defense (116.7 ypg)







Patriots (2-1)



10th passing (247.3 ypg), 10th rushing (123.3 ypg), 7th total yards (370.7 ypg), 1st touchdowns (12), 27th total defense (379.3 ypg), 25th pass defense (260.3 ypg), 20th rush defense (119 ypg)

Vikings Need Convincing Win To Forestall Panic

C'mon Seriously.......Let's Win

Vikings Need To Pummel The Lions

An 0-2 start by the Vikings is no reason to panic. However, a calamity against the Detroit Lions today at the Metrodome and card-carrying members of Purple Nation would be fully justified in jumping off the IDS Tower, throwing themselves on the tracks at the nearest light rail station and/or watching several hours of prime-time network television. The latter, death by boredom, might be the most horrible of all.



First, let's define calamity. Obviously, a loss qualifies. But a squeaker of a victory in which the Vikings luck out? Calamity. A come-from-behind last-minute rally for a victory? Calamity. Anything other than an impressive show of muscle on offense? Calamity.



It won't be enough for the Vikings simply to beat the Lions. They need to look good doing it. They need to look in sync.



"We could care less about looking like we're in sync," guard Anthony Herrera said. "Football isn't about looking pretty. It's about winning."



But Anthony, there's a panic brewing. Vikings fans are the new Red Sox fans, anyway. They are convinced that terrible events are inevitable. There is fatalism at work here. The locals believe in predetermined misery. It's as if free will has become a nonfactor. Am I getting too technical?



Put it this way, the overriding feeling appears to be: "What will be, will be. And it will be bad." An impressive, sharp-looking victory at least might put a smile on people's faces for a little while.



"We aren't here to please anybody," Herrera said. "We're here to win. People think that stuff's got to be pretty. That's Pop Warner. It's about winning football games."

He's right, of course. But so am I. If the Vikings look lousy against Detroit, win or lose, just imagine how interminably long the upcoming bye week will seem.



Obviously, it's all about the offense. Specifically, it's all about the passing game. Adrian Peterson ran hard and gained 145 yards against the Dolphins. Unfortunately, it was the one yard he didn't get — on fourth and goal from the 1 — that was the most important. Still, he's not the problem. What we have to figure out is if the wide receiver corps is underachieving or under-talented.



Big difference there. Under-talented can't do it. Underachievers might do it.



I'm undecided as to the answer. Bernard Berrian is playing like he's never been a primary target in his life. He's like a hockey player who suddenly is skating against the other team's top checkers. Or a mop-up relief pitcher who suddenly has been called on in a close, important game.



Greg Camarillo simply hasn't been used. Either he's running the wrong routes or not getting open. One of his primary strengths always has been his route running. And he never really gets open. At least, not wide open. He has made a career out of hanging on to the ball in traffic. So I don't know what the deal is.



Greg Lewis always seems like an afterthought. Once in a great while, a ball will be thrown in his general direction and we'll all say: "Oh, Greg Lewis. I forgot about him." Other than his last-second catch against San Francisco early last season, he's done virtually nothing.



Percy Harvin can't get healthy enough to be a factor. Normally, getting the ball in his hands is a very good thing. Right now, though, he's struggling and is as out of sync with Brett Favre as anybody.



Newcomer Hank Baskett at least can run fast downfield. Maybe he will be a significant upgrade to the receiving corps. What we do know for sure is that the wives' section of the Metrodome received an upgrade with the arrival of Baskett's wife, former Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson.



I just don't know what to make of that group. Two (Baskett and Camarillo) are newcomers, one (Harvin) is banged up, one (Lewis) is an afterthought and the other (Berrian) simply isn't getting the job done. Somebody needs to step up and be a hero.



The Detroit game is the perfect opportunity. The Lions are 0-2 — they're always 0-2 — and aren't going anywhere. They perhaps are better than in recent years but remain a team the Vikings should steamroll. This ought to be the game in which the receivers build their confidence. It should be the game that puts the Vikings back on track.



Most likely, it will be. Because if it isn't, well, the alternative is too depressing to think about.