Prior to Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, Brett Favre gave his word that he’d sing the R&B hit “Pants on the Ground” after the game if the Vikings won. Check out the video on this page.

So while you were crying in your beer (or in my case, my green tea), Favre was getting his groove on… sort of.

It’s time to get pumped up for this game! Are you ready? Let’s talk Vikes. Know thy enemy. Well, boys and girls, here he is. ENEMY #1 for the week is Brett “Prima Donna” Favre. He took the Burger King slogan to heart and he’s having it HIS way. No single player in the NFL draws media attention like Brett Favre. Sorry, T.O.

Now it’s time to see what this 40 year-old quarterback is made of. Are you ready?

The Warmup: Playoff Edition

It’s official: The Dallas Cowboys 13-year playoff victory drought is OVER! Last weekend the Cowboys did what only few other teams have done in the NFL, they defeated an opponent for the third time in one season. Dallas claimed their third win over division foe Philadelphia Saturday night allowing them to advance to the next round of the NFL Playoffs.

The Cowboys will be headed to Minnesota to take on Brett Favre and the second-seeded Vikings in one of the loudest stadiums in the country. The Vikings showed a little weakness headed toward the end of their schedule, but they ended nicely with an absolute rout of the New York Giants to finish off the regular season.

The Cowboys continued to fire on all cylinders in the third meeting with the Eagles, and they will have to keep up the pace if they are going to beat a Minnesota team who has yet to lose a game at home this season. With Favre at Quarterback, and it being this late in the season… you really don’t know what you’re going to get?

The point of view I am taking is that this game will come down to one stat. That stat has everything to with the defense… but it is offensive: The number of yards rushing that Adrian Peterson will have when the game is over. This, in my mind, will be the statistic that will tell the story of how this game turned out. The lower the number, the better the chances for Dallas to come out on top.

There are many important factors to think about besides the one facet of the game that I will be focusing on, and here’s a few more stats to look for Sunday afternoon:

• The run/pass ratio from Minnesota
• The turnover margin (especially Favre, he throws INTs this time of year)
• The number of sacks by Dallas

This game is all about whether or not Dallas can continue to feed off that intensity on the defensive side of the ball that has just destroyed everything in its path the last month. I say this because on the offensive side of the ball, Dallas matches up well and I believe they will score points. Minnesota was exposed by Chicago and Carolina late in the season first with Carolina’s dominant running; then Jay Cutler lighting up the secondary on Monday Night Football… JAY CUTLER!?

This matchup is all about the Dallas defense taking on a potent Minnesota offense… but limiting the rushing attack, and getting to a QB that can be gotten to could be the way to win. We will find out in only a few days fellow Dallas fans.

GO COWBOYS!

For the first time in probably seven, eight years I am drinking the #4 colored/Favre flavored Kool-Aid that was made in Mississippi. And if you have read my blog earlier this season on the media’s worshipfulness of this NFL icon, you might have been able to determine that I was tired of him; yes I was sick of his antics, his legacy, etc. But I realized, after he wore J-E-T-S green last year and then wore Purple & Gold this year, that I have rediscovered a long lost appreciation for just what he is.

Brett Favre means EVERYTHING to the game. Agree? Disagree? I do, so please humor me…

NOTE: The reason it took me eight weeks into the season to realize this fact I am laying squarely on the shoulders of John Madden. More on that comment later. For now I want to talk about how for the last several years and right up to 3:06PM last Sunday I was a Favre skeptic and critic of the worst kind. But something happened between then and 6:15 PM.

During that brief window I now confess to once again to jump on the Brett Bandwagon, heaping praises and shouting his Canton, Ohio, worthiness to the rooftops like any new convert new to Favrism would.

Let’s start with that game in which I converted: Brett was effective, efficient and effervescent: 24/31, 271 yards, 3 TDs for a QB rating of 135.3. More importantly though, he had ZERO turnovers. For the year he is 174/256, 1925 yards, 16 TDs with 3 picks and a lost fumble. I’m not sure about the circumstances of all of the INTs, but at least one, where Keyaron Fox got the pick in the game against the Steelers, it was not Brett’s fault – we can adjust.

Now let’s look at this season: Favre’s current pace will give him a seasonal QB rating of over 100 (first time in his career), and a TD to INT ratio of 84% (also a career best). HELLO! These are the products of man 40 years old?! Simply amazing! Why the hell would you NOT shelf a future starter (Rogers, Quinn, Ryan, Flacco) if this were your option, riddle me this? A starter’s competition in OTA and training? Get real?

Brett debated retirement two years ago and signed with the New York Jets; a horrible organization that only has it’s historic winning ties to 30 years past. Looking back, what did that mean? There is probably a book deal or two in the future about that decision, but he inked the deal and did generate some “NFL Press” electricity for most of the season. A win/win for both and maybe a black eye to Wisconsin?

All things considered, though, New York isn’t Green Bay, so what was his motive? Did he just want to play? Was Green Bay SOOO bad? Whatever, Favre seemed content to come out of retirement, when Green Bay clearly did not want him, and play…for the J-E-T-S.

Favre had a rather pedestrian season, 22 TDs and 22 INTs, which projected to typical career stats and seemed pretty much par for the course for a guy long of tooth and short of skills. And during his last 4 weeks of that season he fell apart, throwing 2 Ds and 8 INTs; the game had passed him by we penned. He ought to go the way of Elway, Young, Marino, et.al.: Retire and let the NFL move on

But then in the off season we hear about some torn thing in his throwing arm. Are you for real? What’s the Scoop? Surely John Madden will let us know since he is the strongest proponet of Favre, if there is one. But then Madden announces his retirement. WTF? John used to go on and on as he waxed poetically about Favre:

He’s the best at this…
He can do that better than…
When it comes to this, no one is better…

It did get old, but for better or worse it seemed Madden was the voice behind Favre’s accomplishments. And I, for one, looking back, likened it to the reason I lost my appreciation for Favre week end and week out. John would start an endless dialog with himself when it came to Favre (or so I recall) and seemed to preach to the choir. Perhaps Favre was the fulfilling QB that Kenny Stabler was not? Who knows?

Quietly this season ‘Brett 2009’ dominated the pre-season headlines: Minnesota is interested. Will he un-retire yet again? Yawn! Who gives a flipping flap! The economy sucks, do I have a job?

In the end he did un-retire and NFL life moved on. Although this time there was little to no headline coverage. Hoo hum…

Too bad.

Brett has found a new life in Minnesota, and perhaps it is the best life he has known in his illustrious career. He has a new identity, one in which he has not experienced in a long time: just a QB playing behind and handing off to a future superstar running back, all the while knowing the defense will hold.

So just for kicks, let’s remember once again a typical type of Packer play that Madden would comment on when Green & Yellow #4 was under center:

3Rd and long. Throw down field/ behind late in the game/screw the running game cuz the defense cannot keep an offense off field/drop three to seven steps and either hand off or throw it away or scramble/improvise/…boom!

Certainly at times these were magical moments. But otherwise we recall an interception, right? That’s what I remember…

With the Vikings, we get to see a quarterback that is calm, cool, and collected. His snap decision should be almost 50/50: hand off to AP, or read the defense and look for openings to Rice, Harvin or Berrian. In Minnesota, no longer does Favre need to scramble and try to make something out of nothing. Or in goal line situations, read similar, but now look to Shiancoe. He also knows this is the best defense to back him since the Rev Reggie White wore Packer green.

Bottom line: Since he has unretired twice, Favre has revealed to me that he may just be the best QB to ever play the position. Long may he play.

If you haven’t seen it, read about it or been made aware of it yet, on Monday night ESPN preseason football QB Brett Favre of the Minnesota Vikings made an illegal ‘crackback block’ on Houston Texans safety Eugene Wilson. It was an obvious penalty and Favre was flagged for it. He probably will be fined by the NFL. There seem to be no significant or even minor injuries as a result, and the game concluded. It pretty much ought to be a non-story as far as I am concerned.

Here’s the play:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv7JgR9iGKc]

The talking heads of ESPN, especially Mike Tirico and Ron “Jaws” Jaworski, went on and on and on about Brett ‘the Evil One’ Favre. I hope I didn’t make you choke, but you read that correctly. Favre was painted as a pretty nasty villain and league malcontent. This is blasphemy right? I mean isn’t Favre the anointed one? Hasn’t the press made him the standard bearer these last 10 years or so? I just don’t get how they can suddenly change and throw him under the bus. Wait a minute. I can!

It’s the herd mentality of the media. For years Favre was Untouchable. In games where he threw horrible INT(s), into double coverage, tried to scramble way from a busted play only to suffer a 15 yard sack he was labeled a ‘gun slinger’. Such comments as ‘you gotta love his competitive spirit’ were often repeated like a favorite mantra.

Now there is a change in the coverage of Favre. I’ve noticed Brett isn’t getting the love he once commanded. It seems he is no longer the poster boy for the NFL. Has the media turned on him for some reason? Are you all pissed he un-retired yet again? And specifically, all this non-love for an illegal block (1 play).

You professional media guys are as effin wishy washy as my 7 year old niece.

Why Patrick Crayton felt the need to speak up publicly about Brett Favre and the Packers situation is beyond me. It’s amusing that the one Dallas Cowboy player to make a comment to gain traction is the one who cost the Cowboys a playoff win. And yet, I find it difficult to reprimand him. Crayton called the Packer situation a “soap opera”, and also noted that Cowboys training camp has been controversy free.

We’ve heard varying theories on the Cowboys wide receiver situation, from no good 2 receiver to everyone underestimates Crayton. He DID miss the biggest catch of his career. But even that is forgivable if he contributes solid play this year and helps Dallas win in the playoffs.

But something about Crayton’s comments smacks of confidence. Something we need to see from our underpublicized #2 receiver. Speak up, as long as you keep it in line, and show us that you have some confidence. I like that. Better than cowering in the corner thinking everyone hates him for dropping a perfect pass. That’s Roy Williams’ job. And even he seems to be putting the past behind him this offseason.

Time will tell, but it’s good to get a little moxie from the Crayster.

Brett Favre is a mess. We don’t care about him. We don’t want to hear about him anymore. But as non-Green Bay Packer fans, we would LOVE to see him suit up in Vikings purple.

The only people who don’t want to see Favre as a Viking work for the Packers organization. But it’s good for football. The NFL would greatly benefit from a Favre/Minnesota combo. More tickets would sell. More jerseys would sell. More people would watch games. The season opener would be ridiculous. What’s not to love?

If they really want to screw the pooch, trade him to Chicago. Much less sensational of a story, but Chicago is impotent at this point and won’t be a serious threat. Favre makes Minnesota a contender and Chicago a little more than a joke.

Adrian Peterson would welcome the air support to keep the defense on their toes while he racks up another 1,400+ yard season.

As a fan, I want Favre in purple. Make it happen. Do whatever it takes. Make the NFC interesting again. Give us three legitimate contenders in NYG, Dallas, and Minnesota. Then we’ll have some great football to watch this Fall as the greats battle it out.

Or don’t. Let Favre sit on the sidelines for $12 million or whatever ridiculous amount he makes. Maybe get him to make the drinks. Get something for your money! Sheesh.

I’m watching the Cowboys vs. Packers on NFL Network via KDFI Channel 27. It’s been one of those crazy games where Brett Favre has taken WAY TOO MANY chances and it’s cost him two interceptions in the first half. Favre kept looking for the long bomb and kept missing his target when he should have been looking to hit a mid-range receiver in the middle of the field.

The Packers are walking out of the locker room as I type. Dallas is leading Green Bay, 27-17. In the second quarter, Brett Favre took a hit to his throwing arm.

We’re into the second half now. Favre is on the sidelines. Let’s see how Green Bay handles this injury.

***

At the commercial break (9:27pm CST), Green Bay actually managed to score a touchdown! Figures that they would rally after Brett Favre gets hurt. It’s 27-24. Dallas leads by three.

***

God, I love watching Marion Barber run! He looks and acts and plays like a warrior!

In the largest game of the NFC this season, Brett Favre will lead his Green Bay Packers down to Texas and try to reverse his 0-9 losing streak at Texas Stadium. It’s NFL Thursday, and the game is only available on the NFL Network.

With Patrick Crayton healthy and the Cowboys defense on the upswing, give the points on this one. Cowboys beat the Packers by 8-10 points at least this week. But don’t you worry. This won’t be a snoozer. Expect this game to be one aerial display after another.

Expect Owens to score two TDs and either Crayton, Hurd, or Witten to score another. You should probably throw in at least one rushing touchdown for good measure. Favre will put up at least three touchdowns, only to be outdone by his pupil, the soon-to-be-great Tony Romo. Yes, I nearly called him great. Romo doesn’t have the championships yet, so we’ll relegate him to “almost” status.

But mark my words. The nearly great Romo will not cease to amaze this Thursday. Only I and millions of Americans won’t know it until Friday morning since we don’t have the stupid NFL Network… How exclusionary.