A few notes from Sunday’s games:
• Brett Favre stayed away from the “No!” throws virtually all season but then threw one at the most inopportune time. At the moment of the interception, I received many messages from those who took sides in the Favre-Packers divorce and had been predicting that throw for months. I think that’s a bit unfair; there was so much more to the game than that throw, especially the unforgiveable penalty for illegal substitution right before it. No disrespect to the Saints, but that game was lost more than it was won. Despite that pass, I thought Brett showed all the toughness that has defined his career; he was a warrior.
• Peyton Manning is so good that the lingering question from the AFC Championship game is whether players like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are really the quality players they appeared to be or whether it was due to the incomparable Manning. The Colts lost one starting receiver to injury, Anthony Gonzalez, and made little to no effort to sign their best receiver the past decade – Marvin Harrison. Instead, they went with unknown players who looked like seasoned and valuable pros. Is it them or is it Manning?
• Maybe now we can lose the chatter about how to coach a team when it has clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Colts and Saints were purposely a shell of themselves in the waning weeks of the season and now they’re in the Super Bowl. The goal is not to win the regular season; the goal is to win the postseason.
Now, a look behind the scenes at what’s going on – or not going on -- in bargaining for next season in the NFL, following the one game left on the schedule this season.
We’re sure hearing a lot of rhetoric in the ongoing labor quarrel between the NFL owners and players. It seems like the media blackout that existed for a few minutes has been lifted, with both sides ratcheting up the dialogue and trying to win over a public that doesn’t want to support either side.
Last week, we heard from Giants owner John Mara speaking on behalf the ownership group, and Robbie Gould and Kevin Mawae speaking for the players. The message, although coming from different viewpoints, was essentially the same: We are getting nowhere. The difference, of course, is where to lay the blame, as each side is predictably blaming the other.
As we’ve been saying for months, the end of the business of the NFL as we know it is coming, and it’s coming soon. Negotiations do not appear to be gaining any promise that we’ll have a deal by the announced start of the new league year on March 5. Of course, deadlines spur action, but the sides appear locked in on this one.
There’s certainly evidence that both sides are in for a fight. No teams carried forward salary cap money into 2010, leaving millions on the table. Tampa Bay, which rolled over $27 million in cap room from 2008 to 2009, will leave millions on the 2009 table rather than bringing it forward into 2010. This is a strong indication/belief that there will not be a cap or a new agreement this year.
The union has a strike fund growing by the day. The NFL has deals in place – especially with DirecTV – that provide funding during a potential lockout in 2011. And, as noted previously, Bob Batterman, the attorney who guided the NHL through its 2004-2005 lockout, is advising the NFL and its teams.
As I’ve said often, this is the most unique labor negotiation ever between a major professional sports league and its union. In an amazingly backward state of affairs, the NFL appears to embracing life without a salary cap, a cap it fought so hard to have and maintain. And the union appears to be hoping against hope for life with a cap, something every union has fought hard to keep out (with only the baseball union succeeding).
The reason for both stances is that without a salary cap there is no salary floor, which is presently at $108M. Without a salary floor, teams can spend as little as they want, meaning there may be teams spending as little as perhaps $75-$80M on players, even less.
So the big question in an uncapped year becomes not whether the presumed Steinbrenner-esque spenders – the Redskins and Cowboys tend to be mentioned the most – will spend loosely, but whether a host of other teams – the Jaguars, Bills, Chiefs and Bucs, to name a few – become the Marlins and Pirates of the NFL, spending far below the current cap threshold for minimum spending.
Tuesday, we’ll look at the key issue in the negotiations – how much each side gets – and the back and forth about NFL teams “showing their books” to the union.
In order to give every reader a primer on what you need to know about the new way of doing business in the NFL starting in March, the National Football Post has just announced our first NFP Webinar on Feb. 17, “The End of the NFL as we know it.” I will go through all you need to know (and some you don’t) about the new NFL landscape in 2010. It will be “must-have” information for every football fan.
Follow me on Twitter: adbrandt
Andrew - It isn't unfair to predict that throw by Favre
Nobody will ever question his toughness or desire - just his capacity for judgement.
Brett played terrific all year by standing behaind that huge line and trusting his receivers like he always has. This year, he stood behind the best offensive line he has ever played with. Still in this situation with a 3rd and 15, he really needed to try and pick up about half of it to give Longwell the best chance. Go back and watch the replay, he had a receiver who ran to the 30 yard line at the sideline and stopped. His man was four or five yards away from him. Brett was on that side of the field but chose to throw across his body towards a receiver with coverage fast converging on him. Sure he could have made the completion but was a tick late. He also could have seen that open receiver waiting for the ball and the chance to step out, thus preserving the fieldgoal chance. Throwing to that receiver would have overcome the preveous penalty.
You are right, it was more lost than won but the Vikings had a chance to win it and Brett once again like 2003 and 2007 - threw away his chance. Team loss, absolutely but the guy who makes the last mistake is usually the guy people remember most. Once again it is Brett
Andrew - It isn't unfair to predict that throw by Favre
Nobody will ever question his toughness or desire - just his capacity for judgement.
Brett played terrific all year by standing behind that huge line and trusting his receivers like he always has. This year, he stood behind the best offensive line he has ever played with. Still in this situation he really needed to try and pick up about half of it to give Longwell the best chance. Go back and watch the replay, he had a receiver who ran to the 30 yard line at the sideline and stopped. His man was four or five yards away from him. Brett was on that side of the field but chose to throw across his body towards a receiver with coverage fast converging on him. Sure he could have made the completion but was a tick late. He also could have seen that open receiver waiting for the ball and the chance to step out, thus preserving the fieldgoal chance. Throwing to that receiver would have overcome the preveous penalty.
You are right, it was more lost than won but the Vikings had a chance to win it and Brett once again like 2003 and 2007 - threw away his chance. Team loss, absolutely but the guy who makes the last mistake is usually the guy people remember most. Once again it is Brett
I agree with mack, it is not unfair to predict that throw. It was inevitable. There are a few facts that Favre lovers don't want to hear, but those are inevitable too. Are the Packers better off without him? Yes, they have their franchise QB at the moment and used a pick they got for Favre to trade up and get Clay Matthews. Are the Jets better off without Favre? Yes, they just got to the AFC Championship game. The Vikings - they brought him in supposedly for games like the one yesterday, but he lost it for them. One fumble lost at the Saints 10 close to halftime, two INTs in the second half - he was a major contributor to the loss. No he didn't lose all by himself, but he didn't win the 13 games they had won this year by himself either. Matter of fact is, the last 3 times he was in the playoffs, his INTs close to the end of games or in OT cost his teams the games. The Vikings had a great team this season, but they needed a better QB to win the one yesterday.
Nobody ever questioned his toughness, but nobody can deny that the teams he played on could have one 5 or 6 SBs during the time he played, not just 1.
Do the contracts that secure funding for the NFL during a potential strike year also require a good faith effort on their part to complete a labor deal? What kind of duty do the owners have under these deals to get a team on the field?
that illegal sub penalty should be 100% on Chilly. It was 3rd down and troy/buck were saying that longwell was consistently hitting from 52 in practice. why not just kick it?
this is the first story I've read in the national press emphasizing that penalty as contributing to the vikes loss.
as a packers fan that supported favre over mgmt up until this year, I went to bed very happy last night, however feel weird today.
If Favre were to retire today, his last throw for each of the teams he played for would be an interception.
Cadillac arm,..... Chevette head. Please stop kissing this interception machine's Pumpkin.
Amen Snake
And until some Packer QB can win five NFL titles in seven years - Bart Starr remains the undisputed leader of the Pack
Favre tough? You betcha! His consecutive games streak is truly remarkable. He also won one Super Bowl in 1997. The third leg of his legacy, though, is that in the last 10 years, he has also choked big time when it mattered most – in the playoffs. Check it out:
2002 playoff loss to Rams: 53.5 passer rating, 6 interceptions.
2003 playoff loss to Atlanta: 54.4 passer rating, 2 interceptions.
2004 playoff loss to Philadelphia: 82.4 passer rating, but threw the OT interception that led to opponent's game-winning FG.
2005 playoff loss to Vikings: 55.4 passer rating, 4 interceptions.
2008 playoffs: 70.7 passer rating, 2 interceptions, including OT interception that led to opponent's game-winning FG.
2010 playoffs: 70.0 passer rating, 2 interceptions, including one in the last minutes of regulation that killed a potential game-winning scoring drive and led to opponent's game-winning FG in OT.
Finally, to everyone who kept saying that the Vikings wouldn't be where they were this year without Favre, just compare last season with this one:
2008-2009: NFC North champions (10-6 regular season record), lost 1 playoff game, no Super Bowl appearance.
2009-2010: NFC North champions (12-4 regular season record), won 1 playoff game, lost 1 playoff game, no Super Bowl appearance.
About the same result, in the end, but with one exception: All the hype did win Brad Childress a big-money extension on the head coaching job. No wonder he picked him up at the airport!
Here are Favre's last 5 games in regular season play for the 4 years previous to this year.
This Mr. Brandt is why people were predicting an implosion.
2008: 2 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 54.90 passer rating
2007: 6 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 73.33 passer rating
2006: 4 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 61.22 passer rating
2005: 1 touchdown, 10 interceptions, 54.40 passer rating
That’s 13 touchdowns, 34 interceptions, and a passer rating of 59.92 in those 20 games.
Andrew, I have a question I hope you will elaborate on....
People have been saying that no salary floor will really help teams financially. My question is, where is the opportunity to save money? What I mean is, teams already have the majority of their players locked up in contracts that cannot be changed, so there's not much opportunity to save money on that front. There still will be no rookie wage scale for this upcoming draft so rookies will still command top dollar for one more year. So that just leaves free agents. Is there really that much of an opportunity to save money on free agents to justify the owner's push for an uncapped year or are they really looking to capitalize on the increase in time served to become an UFA? Just wondering where the real money saving opportunities are.
A response or article would be much appreciated.
Andrew, my respect for Brett Favre grew immensily in the NFC title game. He got pounded physically by the Vikings defence and hung in there making some really tough throws while under strong pressure. The INT at the end was a tough one because he clearly had an easy 10 yard run under his belt if he had tucked the ball down and ran. We all get tired of his off season posturing but you have to hand it to OLD MAN RIVER for giving us old guys a run just as Tom Watson did last year at the British Open before making a miscue on the final hole. Thanks Brett!
Typical Raider fan.
Can't spell and has no idea what team was rushing at Favre.
Your article read as if teams had the opportunity to roll cap space forward into 2010, but didn't. My understanding was that the loophole that allowed this had closed. Is that understanding wrong? Was there a way to roll cap money forward?
Also, isn't it the case that the Eagles, for example, would get a substantial credit of cap space back if they were to, say, trade Donovan McNabb or Michael Vick prior to payment on their roster bonuses, because they prorated those roster bonuses backwards because of Last Capped Year rules, as well as counting guaranteed salary from 2010 against the 2009 cap for the same reason? Meaning that they effectively rolled that cap space forward (again, assuming the unlikely event that there is a cap and those two players are both traded)?
Brett's legacy is in tact. He is a guy that plays great in the regular season, but makes a bad play in the playoffs. I have been a Pack fan for years and have had to deal with it. Now it is the Vikings turn.
Rodgers made the same kind of throw and mistake early in his playoff loss. Both quarterbacks are competitors to the point of excess. It's something the best strive for, both have "The Right Stuff" and the sport is great with both playing their best.
Brett's throw came at a time when he was put in bad position by the play selection and the penalty. Such is the magic of this sport, the heat and pressure of competition can react to produce a diamond, which team mines that diamond is determined by the winners.
You produce good or bad luck. Brett has produced records in each category. When you've got something good in life, you take the good with the bad, and in the long run you are better for that commitment. This fan hopes Brett returns, his meeting former team mate Mark Brunnel after the game gave me that kind of sense, of respect and of opportunity. If one of those great players can be part of the game as a backup, the other is still fit to lead now in a coming year.
The hits that man took and the effort his team showed were all time moments, the stuff of yore and legend, like men on a quest of treasures in a new world. These Vikings were great to watch play. In an era where outsourcing or downsizing, discarding the experience of many a worker has happened, that person has someone in his corner. Both quarterbacks in that game have that in them, overcoming injuries or setbacks to become bona fide Icons at the highest level of play.
Drew Brees' interview with Pam Oliver that was aired on that week was also inspiring, the man talked of a city rebuilding, it really is something he has taken to heart in his own career. After an injury and losing out career dibs to a younger team mate, he turned the tables on that. The Crescent City played host to some great Super Bowls, it finally plays for that trophy. A town that parties like no others, now parties harder than it ever has!
The underdogs are now top dawgs, Drew is still Top Gun, to the chant he leads before the game. He employs a philosophy in his playing style. More could be written about him and will, the amazing thing is that this past game was not the end of a book or story, it is another chapter in the NFL experience. The story goes on, let the good times roll!
The ending was classic Brett. The gambling man, looking to throw across the body into triple coverage when he could have walked for 5 or 6 yards. Not a throw that all pro players make. Would Manning or Warner have considered making that pass? Doubtful.
I'm a NE fan, and never particularly liked Favre. However, yesterday's game really showed me a player that played well under adverse circumstances. If his own team did not drop the ball so many times that game was won. Five fumbles? That's insane. Give Brett his credit, he played like a star. The Vikings Defense played very well too.
Breet Favre played tuff - no doubt, but in the end he did not play smart. I agree with 10-s Manning and Warner would not have attempted that fatal pass, especially with another player open, I think running for the yards was probably beyond what Favre's 40 year old body could have managed after the beating he took, and he probably flinched at the thought of it - that doesn't take away his toughness though.
I thnk that both the players union and the owners had better take a long, long look at the third party in the equation of a lock-out - the fans. Lose the fans and the money is gone. I do not think the NFL fans are going to look at either side in favor if they either miss an entire season or have to put up with "substitute" players.
Agree with all your comments regarding yesterday's games.
Regarding the negotiations: As long as the NFL is allowed to put teams out on the field that are NOT playing to win, they will continue to lose the fans that allowed them to make all that money they are fighting over. The only losers have been the fans. The NFL is going to become the No Fan League if it continues to play games that don't reach all the people (NFL network) while it competes with itself (NFL network vs the networks), forces fans to pay ridiculous amounts for meaningless games (pre-season & "I already won it so who cares? games"). It will take time, but it WILL happen. Baseball thought it was king too.
Alright, time for Packer fans to stop living on the dark side, hating more than loving. We'll let the Vikings fans have that limb all to themselves again.
...that interception was very cathardic, though, I will say. Having been on the other side of that throw for so many years, it was gratifying in the extreme to know it was coming, know it was coming, know it was coming, and then... boom goes the dynamite.
heheheh ...sweeet!
The 12 men in the huddle hurt the Vikings. Favre should take a page from Rodgers. During substitutions, Rodgers steps back from the huddle until he's certain he's dealing with only ten other players. While standing back from the huddle, Rodgers can direct the extra player off the field before entering the huddle without concern of penalty. Had Favre done the same, the Vikes could have called one more running play and lined up Longwell for the win.
Why do people keep trying to divert attention from Favre's choke to the 5 turnovers? 3 of the five turnovers were FROM Favre! Sure there were a bunch of other drops, but many of them were covered up by the vikes again. Brett threw 2 picks, and owns at least 50% of the blame for the goal line handoff fumble.
Favre showed his toughness... and he also showed why the Packers split way with him - stupid decisions at the absolute worst times. That will forever be his legacy. His ego took a far bigger bearing than his body on Sunday, and that hurts the guy more than anything. His entire "stick it to the Packers" season went down the toilet with one "I told you so" throw.
I love the Packers Fans and their Schadenfreude. WAKE UP!! Your QB hasn't proven anything yet, while the guy you got rid of is still one of the premier players in the game. Let's actually see Rodgers win a playoff game, any playoff game, before you anoint the Packers as being better off without Favre.
As popular the game is, and that all the ratings are all back showing just how popular are you think the two sides could see this and come to something.
Its just sad
@scot,
Why do you assume all the schadenfreude is from packers fans? Personally, I don't care one way or the other about the packers, but I enjoy seeing Favre lose. Its not about him personally so much as the vindication of the fact that football is a team sport and not an individual narrative, and thats part of whats so beautiful about the game.
As a Pats fan, I actually like to think about how the Giants won the '07 Superbowl. The defensive front 7 played a dominant game and really limited what plays the Pats could use. The secondary came up huge jamming Moss early and keeping tight coverage in the last 20 seconds. The offensive line played solid, and combined with Jacobs to pick a do or die 4th down. Plaxico Burress mirrored Moss' goal line move to get wide open for a go-ahead score. Manning did just enough to keep the chains moving and displayed some real mental toughness in keeping his composure on the big stage... and even with all that... it took a miracle catch the likes of which no one has ever seen to make it all happen.
It was a painful ending for me as a Pats fan, but I have nothing but love for the game of football, and the Giants earned that win the right way.
When I hear Favre Favre Favre Favre Favre Favre... I get sad because magic of the game of football is being ignored in favor of hyping Brett Favre. Usually I just don't watch his games until the playoffs when I know he'll choke and the game football will be the real winner.
Harris' post reminded me of something. Let's say the cap goes away, and the salary floor goes with it. Will fans even consider showing up for the games of the cheapest 7 or 8 teams? Imagine if Jacksonville wouldn't even bother so spend enough money to be competetive. NOBODY would show up. That's interesting that the cap has become an issue where the owners suddenly don't want it because of the salary floor that comes with it. Of course I don't know a lot about the big issues, but I find it hard to believe that the NFLPA wouldn't at least agree to give, for example, half of the coming years' increases in the cap to teams for a defined period of time to help defray the massive costs of stadia. For example, if the cap were to increase ten million dollars per team in 2010, it would actually increase $5 million, with the remainder of that increase going to stadia cost...even if it was league-wide, and not team by team. That way, the cap doesn't go down, it just increases at a slower rate. Nobody takes an actual cut in pay. Define it by a percentage gain, and then cut it off at the end of the labor deal. Seems to me like there would be a lot of potential for negotiation there.
Regarding Favre...I'm still just stupefied that he threw that ball.
It is not unfair to say "I told you so". The only surprise is that it didn't happen sooner or a lot more often. How can you say such a thing when it is exactly the same ending as the last time he was in an NFC Championship game? It validates the decision to move on for the Packers. Thompson was right. Favre went to Minnesota to get into a situation where he could prove that he could get past that stuff. He failed. He reverted to his old behavior under pressure. His fatal flaw is always lurking there waiting to rear its ugly head.
Farve is worst then a woman with her period. He thinks hes bigger then the team. Pulls the same crap every year. He will say hes retiring until training camp starts and then like herpies he always shows up. Loved the beating he took last week.
Cap and cash ramifications of...
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Signs point to the end of an era
Jan 25, 2010
12:23 PM
Favre is amazingly tough and he is an all- time warrior.
Unfortunately, neither of those things puts a Trophy in the cabinet - as Packers fans, Jets fans and now vikefans have learned the hard way.
The Football Gods have spoken and indeed there are no shortcuts - just hard work, shared sacrifice and a common worthy goal are whats needed to win it all.
No place for selfish, petty revenge if you wanna hoist a Lombardi;
The ultimate TEAM victory in the ultimate TEAM sport demands more.