4th and 26 ranks the top five worst offseason NFL moves of 2008.
1 – The Green Bay Packers trading Brett Favre to the New York Jets. Imagine if your favorite team was 1 game away from the championship and traded away their franchise quarterback the following season? I can’t even begin to fathom how frustrating and depressing it must be to be a Green Bay Packers this season. One game away never looked so far.
The Packers are at 5-7 and for all practical arguments, out of the playoff hunt. At the same time last year the Packers were 10-2. What is the biggest difference between this season and last season? Of course the quarterback would be the biggest difference between both seasons. It certainly isn’t fair to put it all on Aaron Rodgers, but it is hard not to do so when Rodgers is following a legend.
Brett Favre hasn’t had the same offensive year this year as he had last year by the numbers. However, the acquisition of Favre has by no coincidence made the Jets one of the top favorites to win the AFC at this point in the season. Favre may not have the arm that Rodgers has, but he has experience. Favre was the unquestioned leader of the Packers and a team without a leader is due to fail.The Packers just can’t seem to get any momentum this season. The Packers are missing that spark that #4 gave them every game day. The old man had plenty left to give and unfortunately for Packers fans, he is giving it to someone else. All good things must come to an end in the NFL, but now was not the time for the Green Bay Packers. The Green Bay Packers will go down as not only making one of the worst moves of the year, but maybe one of the worst moves in NFL history.
This was the worst offseason move in 2008? Sucka what? Yes, Favre has lifted the Jets this season, but the reason why the Packers are losing has little to do with Aaron Rodgers. They’re losing because they can’t stop the run, don’t generate a consistent pass rush and didn’t have much of a running game for the first half of the season. Rodgers has thrown for 2,897 yards, 20 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and has a QB rating of 91.2. Favre’s thrown for 2,708 yards, 20 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and has a QB rating of 90.4.
The difference is that Jet Favre had a defense last year in Green Bay. Rodgers doesn’t.