Is this Favre’s best team yet?

Talk to me in January after Brett chokes away another playoff game for a super bowl quality roster.

Talk to me after we bust you up at Solider, Brett.... GO BEAR.

I do not think it is Favre sticking it to the Packers. I think he telling the truth.

Vikings had 6 Pro Bowl players last year, - Hutchinson, Peterson, Pat and Kevin Williams, Jared Allen, Winflied. Plus a few players who are near that level - EJ Henderson - Chad Greenway and Bryant McKennie.

Add in the Rookie Percy Harvin and other skilled players like a Berrian - Shanicoe and Sidney Rice.

A good Kicker, Punter and better special teams coverage with Heath Farwell back from injury.

This is a good team.

Can't the guy just be positive about his current team? Like every other player in the league tries to (or should) be?

You may not realize it Matt, but this is not exactly the first time Brett has used these exact words, for example:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2536010

SO, was calling the 2006 Packers the most talented team he'd ever been on ALSO an insult and tweak of those Superbowl teams?

As a leader, I'd assume Favre would want to inspire his team. NFL players talk about having that swagger of a playoff caliber team and/or Super Bowl contender. This kind of talk adds to this.

I don't think it is disputable that Favre does have the best RB that he has ever had to hand the ball off to. The Vikings are a great team. I wouldn't take offense over Favre's comments. What is he supposed to do? Say they are "not as good" as other teams he has been part of?

Gosh, Brett loves to rub that 5-0 start in the face of Green bay fans.

Why can't you just acknowledge that this Vikings team is very strong and will be competing in the playoffs if their key players stay healthy. I suggest you stop writing about the Vikings and Favre. Your bias poisons your column.

So what if Brett thinks this is his best team? It might be. Or maybe not. Time will tell. But right now Brett feels like it is the best. 5-0 is Brett's best start in his career. If the Vikings fall to 5-3 or 6-2 over the next three weeks then his opinion might change. Or - if the Vikings are 8-0 or 7-1 then maybe yours will...

Chad,
They just beat the rams--relax there bud. I am with Matt on this one. Beat the Bears and win the North first before you book your plane tickets to Miami.

And, of course there is bias, that is what we call an "opinion column." Vikings fans are amazing to me...still. I hope GB pounds you guys.

Favre, this morning: "Gosh, this is the best cereal I think I have ever eaten, and I am not just saying this, Deanna!"

Favre, earlier this year: "Man, I think these are the most comfortable jeans I have ever worn, no kiddin!"

Favre, earlier this decade: "I know it sounds crazy, but this is probably, from a pure talent standpoint, the most talented team I have ever played on."

Favre, 16 years ago: "I know this sounds crazy, since I was just traded from the Falcons...Bleeeegggghhhhhh! (Vomits pills, and a little vodka)....blegh! cough cough...but thi......this has to be one of the most talented teams I have ever played on."

Favre, upon entering the locker room at Southern Mississippi: "I know there are 16 of us, but I can't help but get the feeling that these are the most talented group of quarterbacks ever assembled by one university."

Favre, immediately following being born: "I know that it's still early, but this is the best hospital I have ever been born in!"

Boo, Brett.

I know it is only the Rams. And I know that the Vikings are only 5-0 - there is still a long season left. No team is a sure thing yet. All I was saying is that it is pointless to bash Brett for having an emotional response to his current team. This is his best start ever. This team is loaded with all-stars and has the best running back in football. Why is it inconceivable for Brett to believe this is the best team he has been on? Time will tell if it is or isn't. But why slam Brett for his optimism?

Heck - the Vikings won their division last year with Jackson at QB. This year they have added Favre and Harvin; and Rice is maturing as a receiver. Yet - every win and every solid performance by Favre is criticized here. (The other 5-0 teams are all praised.) It just gets stale... Matt should take off the green & gold (and here I thought he was a Bears fan!) colored glasses and give some credit where it is due. That's all. (And I love Matt's other articles. Just the Favre and Purple bashing - without merit or substance that bother me.)

The best Southern Mississippi team had Hanford Dixon, Louis Lipps, Sammy Winder, Reggie Collier and I can't think of the others.
I guess Brett could have played mop up duty against Florida State.
BTW, Reggie was O.G. dual purpose quarterback.

While he and the Viqueens are playing well let's just see who they have beaten...

The Packers arguably beat themselves last Monday only losing by 7 points..

Take the Woodson phantom INT in the endzone call and despite everything, the Packers STILL could have won.

The Vikings have beat let's see

the hapless Browns, Rams & Lions, arguably should have lost to SF...

Let's see how TALENTED these guys are after facing the Steelers and Ravens in back to back weeks..

Great article Matt. I love your insight and you always have a slight Packers bias which we love!

It might be the best team he's been on but its MUCH weaker at the QB position......

Matt - as others have noted, Brett often makes his "Best team I've been on" comment so it shouldn't be taken too seriously one way or the other. Now, I have no issues with openly displaying my anti-Vikings bias but where they're going to run into problems is with their defense, and potentially down the road with Favre.

Historically, Favre's performance declines dramatically after about 11 games - it's happened every year for the last five. This season offers his best hope of overcoming that issue but it is a potential problem but any observer can see that Favre is still putting some poor throws into the air and defenders aren't making the play... yet... And for all the hot air blowing around about Rice, Berrian and Harvin, as I predicted he would before the season, Shiancoe is leading the charge in TD receptions because like it or not, he is still the best receiving option on that team. Not a single WR is averaging 50yds per game.

The bigger one though is their defense. Currently ranking middle of the road and they really haven't faced strong opponents yet, or at least strong opponents that are playing well. A plus 8 turnover ratio is masking the fact that they really aren't stopping anybody outside of the red zone. Take the debacle against the GB O-line out of the equation and they are allowing more sacks than they are making - Jared Allen has 1.5 sacks against opponents other than GB, kinda puts that into perspective.

Looking at their remaining schedule - the epitome of brutal. Other than Detroit and Carolina, every single game is against quality teams or has circumstances that will make it harder for them to succeed.

They've done very well to this point but they have a LONG road ahead of them.

Matt, oh Matt, oh Matt! Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Its astounding how much effort you've put into exclaiming your dislike for Brett Favre by covering it up with platitudes and hyperbole of your own past experiences on the gridiron! You just don't like or care about Brett Favre, the Minnesota Viking! We get it!

Take some of your own advice given to the NO-OBS and "Get past it already!" Move on with your life and please start writing something tangible for once! My Bird didn't seem too interested in this piece when I relined his cage with it! ;)

One thing is undeniable- Brett is still a lightning rod...people either love him or hate him. I agree it's early- only time will tell how good this Vikings team really is...

I just know I love that he's playing for the Vikings- I know some people hate it, but last I checked we still live in America- and last I checked it's still a free country- so if he wants to retire, un-retire, re-retire, it's his choice- I'm just glad he chose the Vikings- because he is an upgrade for us at the QB position. If he chokes later in the season like every Brett- hater predicts- so be it- it was a fun ride- added a little spice to the NFL. I feel bad for Aaron Rogers- he's a good QB- but most Packer fans still more interested in Favre than they are their own QB.

Favre: "I think physically and from a talent level, this is the best team I’ve ever been on."

Favre: "I've retired."

Favre: "I've retired."

Favre: "I've retired."

The Lesson: Pay more attention to what Favre eventually does instead of what he says.

One thing is undeniable- Brett is still a lightning rod...people either love him or hate him. I agree it's early- only time will tell how good this Vikings team really is...

I just know I love that he's playing for the Vikings- I know some people hate it, but last I checked we still live in America- and last I checked it's still a free country- so if he wants to retire, un-retire, re-retire, it's his choice- I'm just glad he chose the Vikings- because he is an upgrade for us at the QB position. If he chokes later in the season like every Brett- hater predicts- so be it- it was a fun ride- added a little spice to the NFL. I feel bad for Aaron Rogers- he's a good QB- but most Packer fans still more interested in Favre than they are their own QB.

Wasn't Andre Rison their third receiver in '96? ...with Keith Jackson as the back-up tight-end? D-line of Reggie White, Santana Dotson, Gilbert Brown and Sean Jones... I can't recall if three of their offensive linemen went to Honolulu or just two? LeRoy Butler and Eugene Robinson at safety?

People forget how absolutely stacked that team was. It would be interesting to add up the total number of pro-bowls that the memebers of that team went to during their career.

Not to mention the team that lost to the Broncos the next year. They were possibly more talented, top to bottom, having drafted Darren Sharper and (I believe) Vonnie Holliday. They only lost because A) they ran into a buzz-saw in Mike Shannahan, with the newly-unveiled zone blocking scheme, and B) Favre didn't play very well at all (don't forget, he had the ball in the final minutes with the chance to win it and crapped out).

He was on the best team 2 years ago until he decided to audible out of a run (which McCarthy supposedly told him to absolutely not to do) in the NFC championship and threw a pick, basically giving the OT win to the giants.

Only now he decides to listen to the coaches and play smarter with my most hated team in sports--The ViQueens.

Thanks Brett --errr - or is it Brent?

Gee, sorry about that, but I've already moved on like you asked us to do.

It's very possible...Brett Favre is telling like it is.
He did say the Green Bay team a few years ago was the best talent wise &...he was correct.
They had a great record yet missed the BIG game.
For the most part, that was the same team which has been on the field the last two years & so far...has a very poor record. Of course, Brett Favre is not on those teams.

It's a shame there is not a smart leader in the Packers management which could fire Ted Thompson, McCarthy & that President we don;t hear much about. They have ruined the team together...it's been a team effort.

The Vikings have lots of talent on their team. They stand the best shot again to win the division & this year, go further.

Maybe rooting for Brett Favre & the Vikings to go all the way would be the best solution?
If he wins "another" Superbowl, he may just retire & the media wouldn't have the frenzy they have now talking about it.

I respect Brett Favre even more everytime I read one of these bias sounding articles.
Bret Favre... that guys got talent & he keeps showing it on the field.

Go Packers...I'll always love them. They are just going in the wrong direction from poor leadership.

Go Brett & the Vikings.....it's entertainment @ it's best.

Matt:
Please do me and the rest of the people who read this column the following (3) courtesies:

1. Just admit now, you're jealous of Favre...jealous of how he can command $12 million, miss the entire offseason and training camp, and still lead a team to 5-0...all the while leading the league in jersey sales and putting butts in the seats, raking in the ratings for TV, and yes, sadly, (generously) giving alleged experts like you the page hits you so desperately need to read your spewings.

2. That you're so proud that you're a former NFL player, that you NEVER, EVER forget to mention that you were a former player in any column you've written on this blog...even despite the fact you weren't a very good player.

3. Whether or not Favre continues to play awesome into November, December, January and even possibly February...doesn't change the fact that he's playing awesome right now in September and early October. So stop being so freakin' petty and give the man his due!

Thanks Matt.

@Phil,

Why don't you do us a favor and stop sending comments from your mommy's basement at 3 AM.
Hey, we all know you could have been a pro player, but like all the Vikings fans I know, you just can't handle when someone says something bad about your team.

It's always interesting to me reading the comments on this site because it appears the same people post over and over so there is base of readership for the NFP that is both consistent and vocal. I have to agree with some of the posters here in that lately there seems to be a personal bias against Favre by Matt Bowen, Andrew Brandt, and Michael Lombardi. Obviously everyone is entitled to their biases but it would make for a more honest presentation if the writers just owned their biases as many of the articles couch their words and come off disingenuous.

@Big C
Oh dude, you're so unoriginal. Nice copy and paste job you did with the 'from your mom's basement' talk...did you find that so funny from the, I don't know, thousand other times you've seen it used on the internet, and feel like now was the perfect time for you to drop it in? Very proud of ya...

Meanwhile, your weak attempt at putting me in my place had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that MATT BOWEN IS STILL JEALOUS OF BRETT FAVRE. And come to think of it, you sound a bit bitter yourself...the fact that my 'new favorite team,' the Vikings, kicked your Packers butts up and down the field on October 5th. Hopefully your wife's safety from domestic violence wasn't compromised based on that fat dough-boy McCarthy's ability to coach in big games. That would be a bummer.

I'd look for you on a future episode of "COPS," but unfortunately I don't watch the show.

All the best.
-Phil

As a Packer fan (not a Favre fan), I would have to say that he has a point.

On the offensive line, the Vikings are superior to what the 96-97 Packer teams had.

At running back, Edgar Bennet & Dorsey Levins vs Adrian Petersen. Petersen the better ball carrier but Levins the superior pass catcher - still advantage to Petersen

Wide Receivers - Freeman, Bebe, Mickens (Brooks injured in the SF game) Rison later in the year. The Packers despite injuries, made more big plays likely due to Favre's arm strength at the time - Advantage Packers but time will tell

Tight End - Chmura and Jackson - No contest - Packers

Special teams

Punter - Hentrich - still kicking, what a loss he was
Kicker - Jacke vs Longwell - Ironically Longwell took over in 97 Jacke had a stronger leg but Longwell more accuracy - Its a wash.

Defense:

Linebackers - Its Vikings as a unit, The Packers were playing with Ron Cox subbing in the middle for the Super Bowl. However, Wayne Simmons was better than any current Viking Linebacker

The line - Reggie - Santana - Gilbert - Sean vs Edward - Williams - Williams - Allen

Tough, the Vikings have some of the best run blocking in memory. The Packers could collapse the pocket almost at will. Allen is proving from 07-09 that he could be one of the top. lets see if he can sustain it. Reggie was, well, Reggie. He scared people. Allen is respected but I think he can be game planned for unless you are Clifton or College. The Vikings might get a razor thin win here due to the run defense

Corners and Safties - No contest, the Packers were just better and were a league best.

Overall - the Packers were the top defensive team in the NFL in 1996.


It comes down to other stuff that the Vikings have not proven yet. The Packers lost Robert Brooks for most of the season, Freeman broke his arm and missed a couple of games. Chmura missed time too. The Packers lost consecutive games against the Chiefs and Cowboys and were losing against the Rams before Doug Evans picked a ball off and reset the momentum.

The Packers overcame adversity to win their title. Will the Vikings? Will there be adversity? almost certainly. How they handle it can answer the question.

Oh.. I forgot Desmond Howard. He was such a game changer. I think he tips it in favor of the 96 Packers. Favre might be right about the Vikings being more physical on sides of the line but the Packer secondary hit harder and more often.

They used to compare the 60's Colts to the Lombardi Packers too. The Colts had more all pros and the Packers more NFL titles

At this point in the 1996 season the Packers were 4-1 (lost to Minnesota) and had beaten teams with a combined record of 12-13 (.480 winning percentage if I know my math)

The 2009 Vikings are 5-0 and have beaten teams with a combined record of 7-17 (.291)

Maybe the Vikings of 2009 are better than the 1996 Packers but we sure can't tell at this point.

Lol, yeah. It's Favre stirring the pot. LMAO! You wouldn't be writing about Favre for your own benefit now would you? Give the ratings that Monday night game got?

Seriously, enough with all the fake drama and the obsessing and hanging on every word the man utters. He plays football. That's what he's about. All this sour grapes, Favre hating, media frenzy ridiculousness isn't what will be remembered. His records and how he played the game will. So.... whatever. *rollseyes*