Patriots Pass Rush Key Against Vikings

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

In the New England Patriots’ Week 8 showdown against the Minnesota Vikings, all eyes will be on Randy Moss, who makes his return to Gillette Stadium after being traded in Week 5.

Will he want to make his old team regret not giving him a contract extension and trading him? Will he outperform his replacement, Deion Branch? How will the young secondary, which has struggled this season, cover him?

While the Patriots will have to focus on their defense this week, specifically their pass defense, the man they will be most focused on is quarterback Brett Favre.

Yes, Favre has been in a boot all week and everyone has questioned whether he will play. Do you really buy it though? Favre loves the attention, loves having people talking about him and what he’s going to do, so he stirs up the controversy.

Much like his “retirement”, don’t believe Favre won’t be on the field until the whistle has blown and he isn’t in uniform. There is a reason he has a 291 consecutive games played streak (315 including playoffs).

Bill Belichick said the team would plan for Favre playing.

However, while the talk of him playing or not is questionable, what isn’t up for debate is that Favre is severely banged up.

Shoulder, elbow, and ankle injuries have plagued Favre this year. He is also 41-years-old. His body is suffering from the wear-and-tear of the league and he isn’t as mobile as he used to be.

What the Patriots need to do is pour on the pass rush. They need to let him know they will be coming after him, they need to hit him and make him uncomfortable, and they need to force him to throw those awful interceptions that he was called out for by head coach Brad Childress.

The Pats rank 30th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, giving up an average of 282 yards. Part of that is because of a young and inexperienced secondary. But part of the blame also goes to the pass rush.

New England is in the bottom half of the league in sacks, tied for 19th overall with 12. Defensive lineman Mike Wright leads the team with a disappointing three sacks. Thirty-five different players have more sacks than New England’s top guy.

The Vikings are in the middle of the pack in the NFL, allowing 14 sacks. Even worse, however, is that they are tied for fourth in the league with 10 interceptions.

The Patriots really need to have a strong pass rush in this game. Not only would it continue to have a negative effect on Favre’s play, it will also make life easier on the secondary, which will have its hands full with Moss, Percy Harvin, and Visanthe Shiancoe.

If the Pats can beat up Favre and force him into mistakes, it will be a long day for Minnesota.

If not, then Moss may have the field day he’s been hoping for.

When is enough, enough?

AP Photo/ Scott Audette

Editorial.

Enough already Brett. This act is getting old.

When does it stop? It seems like every offseason for the past five years has been about you and whether you’re done playing football or not. One minute you’re returning as a Packer, the next you’re retired but quickly change your mind and become a Jet, retire again, ask for a release, and now you want to play for the Vikings? It’s getting ridiculous. I respected you as a Packer. Now? I just want you to go away.

It isn’t my job to tell you when to retire. Only you know when the time is right. But at least make up your mind. Your indecisiveness has lost you a lot of credibility.

I understand that elite athletes hate to be without the game. Lance Armstrong is making a comeback, but he is doing so to support a cause. Michael Jordan came out of retirement twice, too. But there are a couple of differences between Jordan’s comebacks and yours. Jordan actually went away from the game for some time before returning. He missed almost two full seasons before his first comeback (he played in 17 games in the 1994-95 campaign), and sat out another two season before playing for the Wizards (not to mention also giving his entire Wizards’ salary to relief efforts for the attacks from September 11, 2001). His absence gave us a chance to miss him; to realize how good we had it as fans with him on the court, and how much the game was different without him. You, Brett, are just stringing us along. You’re taking advantage of our appreciation for your talents.

And when Jordan came back he was still the best player on the floor. You can’t say the same about your first comeback. When you retired you said you “didn’t want to” play anymore. Then you conveniently (purposely?) didn’t become a Jet until after team minicamps and training camps, and the lack of preparation showed. Your 22 interceptions and horrendous play down the stretch overshadowed your solid start to the year.

You retired again and told us “It’s time to leave.” We were skeptical, but you stayed out of the news for quite some time. That is, until Friday, April 29, when you (asked for?) were released by the Jets. You reassured us you were “retired and have no intention of returning to football.” Alas, now you are talking to the Vikings about possibly making another return? Really?

What is fueling this? Do you legitimately think you can win another Super Bowl if you join the Vikings (I mean, if Jeff George thinks he can take Minnesota to the promised land, certainly Favre can)? Do you still want revenge on the Packers (For what, I’m still confused about—once you retired they had every right to move on; just because you changed your mind doesn’t mean they have to change the direction they had taken their football team in)?

You know what though, Brett? I, for one, don’t care anymore. I’m tired of the rumors, the speculation. Be a man of your word. If you retire and say you don’t want to play anymore, don’t go back on your word and give us a half-hearted return. It’s disrespectful to the game, your teammates, the fans, and yourself.

No one wants to see you kill your own image, but you’re leaving us no choice. Please, save face. Let us remember you as the gun-slinging leader of a Super Bowl Packers team, not a liar and over-the-hill clubhouse killer of a Jets, or even worse, Vikings team.

Don’t let the great memories fade into oblivion. Keep dragging out the end of your career, making the glory days seem ages ago, and we may never remember how great you once were.

Remember this? Video from YouTube via NFL Network.