If the Vikings lose on Sunday, would signing Favre have been a waste?
The Minnesota Vikings didn’t just sign Brett Favre in the offseason: They jumped through every hoop and hopped every hurdle in front of them in order to acquire the ageless one, including alienating Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson in the process. (And while I can’t prove it, I also fully believe that Brad Childress sold his soul in order to sign Favre as well.)
That’s why if the Vikings lose this Sunday to the Dallas Cowboys, signing Favre would have arguably been a waste. A team like Minnesota doesn’t subject itself the way it did this offseason to sign a 40-year old quarterback to lose in the second round of the playoffs. It signs a 40-year old drama queen because he’s worth it and to ensure that the team is going to have a shot at winning the Super Bowl.
Okay, so there are no sure things in pro football. Signing Favre didn’t guarantee anything for the Vikings, but they knew that they were a legit passing attack away from being a Super Bowl contender and so far, suffering through Favre’s drama this offseason has been worth it.
But if they lose this weekend, then they would have accomplished nothing. Favre isn’t going to play forever (uh, I think) and the Vikings’ window of opportunity to win a Super Bowl has been shrinking since Week 1. If they lose to the Cowboys, then the Vikes will have won precisely the same amount of playoff games with Tarvaris Jackson under center last year: Zero.
Favre is 3-7 in his last 10 postseason appearances and the Cowboys are red-hot. The Vikings have also managed to somehow stop running the ball effectively despite having Adrian Peterson in the backfield, and Dallas will no doubt utilize its outstanding pass-rush to force Favre into making mistakes. In other words, the Vikings have quite the challenge on their hands.
There’s no shame in losing to a better team, but the Vikings are built to win now. Yes, their defense still has holes – especially in the secondary. But this team proved throughout the season that it’s one of the top three teams in the conference and has enough talent to reach the title game. Winning the division was a great accomplishment for Minnesota, but expectations have hardly been met. If they advance to the NFC Championship Game, then at least they could say that they improved from last year and was close to a Super Bowl berth.
But if they lose this Sunday, then what would signing Favre have amounted to? A division title? The Vikings already achieved that last year with a similar roster. No, this team signed Favre for much more and anything short of a Super Bowl appearance would be a grave disappointment.
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Posted in: Barstool Debates, NFL
Tags: 2010 NFL Divisional Round Playoffs, Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Brett Favre Vikings, Brett Favre Vikings Super Bowl, Brett Favre waste signing, Cowboys Vikings playoff preview, Cowboys vs. Vikings, Cowboys vs. Vikings Playoffs, Headlines, Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl, Sage Rosenfels, Tarvaris Jackson, Vikings sign Brett Favre
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This is the key:
“Okay, so there are no sure things in pro football. Signing Favre didn’t guarantee anything for the Vikings, but they knew that they were a legit passing attack away from being a Super Bowl contender and so far, suffering through Favre’s drama this offseason has been worth it.”
Whatever happens Sunday, signing Favre was worth it for the Vikings. They knew going in that Favre didn’t guarantee a Super Bowl win, but they also knew that he gave them a better chance at winning the big one than either of their other QBs. And despite the team’s late-season slump, Favre had the offense firing on all cylinders for much of the season. Is he without flaws? Of course not. Would the Vikings and their fans be disappointed if they went one-and-done this weekend? Obviously, and for good reason. But failing to reach a goal doesn’t make the steps taken along the way worthless.
They did what they thought they had to do to win the Super Bowl. Plus, regardless of what happens during the playoffs, Favre made Sidney Rice into a legitimate big-time receiver, he broke Percy Harvin in and probably shared invaluable knowledge with everyone else on that roster. These guys are better players now after spending the season with Favre.
No matter what happens from this point on, signing Favre was the right move.
If Favre goes out and stinks up the joint, Anthony is dead on…it was a waste. This is what they signed him for, a chance to win. But if he goes out and throws 4 td’s and the defense plays like the Packers did against the Cards, then you can’t say he was a waste. He gives them a much greater chance to win than any of the guys they had before him. Now he has to give them their money’s worth.
Jamey & T-Bone – good points.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the Vikings have no idea what they have in Sage Rosenfels and signing Favre signals the end of Jackson’s time in Minnesota. So if they lose on Sunday because Favre was brutal and he decides to retire at the end of the year, then they lost an entire season of developing another player at that position. They’ll essentially have to start over next year.
Keep in mind that my argument for the signing being a waste is dependent on if they lose on Sunday and Favre plays poorly. This same roster (minus Harvin) got the Vikings to the playoffs last year with Jackson and Frerotte under center. The team already knew it had a playoff roster, but it took the steps necessary (including bending over backwards for Favre during the offseason – let’s not forget that) to try and win a Super Bowl.
If they go one and done, then what was it all for? To develop Sidney Rice? Not a chance. Favre has to win this Sunday or else this all goes for naught; or at the very least, he has to put them in position to win. I’m not going to call this a waste if the defense allows 90 points and the Vikes lose 90-87.
Yes, it would be a waste. The Vikings have the 3rd easiest schedule in the NFL this year and, arguably, the roster vastly improved from the prior year. This year was already tailor made for a deep, deep playoff run. Last year, a lesser team with a more difficult schedule went 10-6. A better record with one-and-done would be utter failure.
Just about everyone here agrees that Favre gives the Vikings a better chance to win than Jackson or Rosenfels. That alone makes the move worth it, even if it doesn’t pan out. The job of a coach, GM and front office is to put their team in the best position possible to win. Signing Favre accomplished that objective, so how can you say it wasn’t worth it, regardless of what happens tomorrow? I’m sure the Vikings don’t regret the decision.
It’s way too easy to criticize a decision with the benefit of hindsight. Just because you don’t reach your ultimate goal doesn’t mean the steps you took along the way were in vain. Respect the process, not just the final outcome.
By the way, Anthony, I find it interesting that you talk about the Vikings losing a year of development for another QB but discount what Favre’s presence has meant to the development of Sidney Rice (and Harvin, of course). Rice hadn’t amounted to much of anything before Favre came, and now the Vikings have one of the NFC’s most dangerous big-play receivers. Favre’s affect on the rest of the Vikings’ roster absolutely is part of the equation here.
Anthony, I think the Vikings knew exactly what they have in Rosenfels, which is why they were desperate to sign Favre. There’s no way they could put their trust in Rosenfels to get them to the postseason, let alone the superbowl.
Jamey, so you’re saying they brought Favre in for the development of 1 or 2 players, and the superbowl was not the primary reason? There’s no way that was their objective…to make Sidney Rice a better player. That would happen as cause and effect of bringing Favre in anyway. The superbowl is the sole reason they signed Favre. The Jets were in search of a playoff appearance from him last year, but this is much different. The Vikings were already a playoff team…they need to improve on that and they upgraded at QB to do it.
If the Vikings don’t make it to the superbowl and Favre goes down in flames in the process, the season should be considered an ultimate failure. They sold their soul to get this guy and for one reason, a shot at the championship. Not to get them to the playoffs. Not to get to the NFC Championship game. They got him to get them to a superbowl and no other reason. And if you don’t believe that, ask yourself for what other reason would they sign a player for one season?
Jamey – we’ll see how Rice does next year. You’re right, he’s developed into a nice player. But the guy has disappointed for years and you should know more than anyone that one great season doesn’t mean a player is all of a sudden going to wind up turning his career around. (See: Braylon Edwards.)
Anthony, I think the Vikings knew exactly what they have in Rosenfels, which is why they were desperate to sign Favre. There’s no way they could put their trust in Rosenfels to get them to the postseason, let alone the superbowl.
Then why trade for him, T?
A: because Rosenfels has shown signs potential that Jackson had not. They weren’t satisfied with Jackson’s play and Favre had not decided at that time to return for another season. They had to do something because Jackson just isn’t very good. You’ll say that Jackson and Frerotte got them to the playoffs last year but that certainly wouldn’t have been a guarantee going into this season.
Q: Why would they sign Favre if they believed Rosenfels could get them to the playoffs or even the superbowl?
Watching the Sports Reporters and John Saunders went to commercial with the tease for the next segment and said “The Vikings got Brett Favre to get them to the superbowl…”. Not the playoffs, not “to give them a chance at the superbowl”, not to develop their wide receivers…”to get them to the superbowl”.
I guess everyone knows it but Jamey.
Re: Sidney Rice. Let’s not give all the credit to Favre. Rice just finished his third season and that’s a common year for wideouts to break out. Plus, Favre has helped decent to good WRs have great seasons before. Antonio Freeman, Robert Brooks, Bill Schroeder, Donald Driver — these guys all led the Packers in receiving for at least one season. Favre does this by putting the ball where his guys can catch it with incredible strength and very good accuracy. Will Sidney Rice be a Pro Bowler after Favre leaves? Only time will tell. With Bernard Berrian dinged up, the Vikings needed somebody to throw the ball to and Rice (and Harvin) stepped up.
Re: Hindsight. Signing Favre was a short-term decision. If they don’t go to the Super Bowl, then it was a short-term decision that didn’t work out the way they had hoped. For Jamey, it’s enough that Minnesota has a chance at a Super Bowl, but if the Vikings fail to make it, then it wasn’t in the best long-term interests of the franchise. If they lose, they may very well be Favre’s date to his next retirement dance, and they might end up bringing him back another year. If they fail to reach the Super Bowl again, then they will be two years removed from finding their QB of the future.
Two summers ago, the Packers made the choice to put the long-term ahead of the short-term and, last summer, the Vikings chose to put the short-term ahead of the long-term.
T-Bone,
They signed Favre because Sage Rosenfels is Sage Rosenfels. My point is that they traded for him before the Favre mess, so obviously they thought he upgraded the quarterback position. They didn’t know at the time that Favre would give his left testicle to come to Minnesota, but they still found value in Rosenfels.
I think they traded for Rosenfels because they thought he could at least get them back to the postseason and be an upgrade over Jackson. But when Favre emerged as a legitimate option, then they scrapped the Rosenfels project and went forward.
T-Bone, please don’t oversimplify my point. Of course the Vikings got Favre to get to the Super Bowl. Nobody’s denying that. But there’s no doubt that the Vikings have received other benefits from signing Favre. The development (physical and mental) of Rice, Harvin and other players he’s worked with is one of those benefits. So is the extra money Favre has earned the franchise (ticket sales on the road and at home, merchandise sales, whatever). And now that Favre played out of his mind on the way to leading the Vikes to the NFC Championship Game, that’s even more money for the franchise (and players) on top of the vital experience the other players gained in just getting to the title game. This team will be better prepared for future SB runs because of what they’ve experienced this season.
And you’re telling me none of that matters — that it’s all a waste — if the Vikings lose next week? Come on.
As for the idea that the Vikings have potentially wasted a year in their search for the QB of the future, it’s safe to say they don’t think Jackson or Rosenfels are the answer. So what exactly have they lost? A year of watching one of those guys play mediocre football while the fans and media say the other guy should get a shot? Nothing like a QB controversy to boost a contender’s chances. Favre hasn’t prevented the Vikings from looking for their QB of the future. They weren’t going to find him this year anyway. And even if this argument were valid, isn’t one year worth the risk of making it to the Super Bowl?
I’ll go back to what I said earlier: The job of a coach and front office is to put their team in the best position to win. Period. There are no guarantees after that. The Vikings did exactly that by signing Favre. They didn’t book their tickets for the Super Bowl when they signed him, but they instantly improved their chances of getting there. That’s what matters. Was it a risk? Sure. Could it have backfired on them? Absolutely. But it was a risk worth taking, especially considering their other options at QB.
But you guys seem to think that if a risk doesn’t pay off, it was a waste. Seems like a cynical way to evaluate a situation.
Jamey,
I’m just looking at this particular situation – not all risks. I’m factoring in what Childress and the Vikings had to go through in order to sign Favre. It wasn’t like they just signed a street free agent and took a chance – they put themselves through the ringer this offseason to get that guy in a No. 4 jersey. He’s coming, he’s not, he’s coming, he’s not. Sage you’re our guy, no you’re not, you’re our guy, no you’re not.
And had they lost today, would it have all been worth it? Not in my opinion. Sucking his crank for an entire offseason and having him hold the franchise hostage waiting on his decision isn’t worth a divisional title and a second round knockout. They already got that last year without all the drama.
But I digress. This entire piece – which you’ve ruined, Jamey
– was based on whether or not the Vikings lost today. They didn’t – they rolled. So now this is a moot point. (And Jamey’s new favorite player, Sidney Rice, played like Randy Moss.)