Vikings in Big Hole After Mistake-Filled Day by Brett Favre
9/19/2010 4:30 PM ET By Michael David Smith
NFL Writer
I defended Brett Favre after his good but not good enough performance in the Vikings' Week 1 loss to the Saints. I can't defend Favre after the way he played in the Vikings' Week 2 loss to the Dolphins.
Favre was, frankly, terrible against the Dolphins. He threw three interceptions. He lost a fumble. He missed receivers.
And perhaps most importantly, Favre seemed to misjudge his own arm strength. On several passes it looked like he thought he could whip one of his legendary fastballs through coverage, only to find that the ball didn't get to its preferred destination when he wanted it to. That's a serious problem: The ageless Favre is looking old.
Other than Favre, the Vikings actually played well against the Dolphins -- that's why they were still in it until the final minute, when a Favre fourth-down incompletion ended their last chance at victory. On a day when Adrian Peterson had 145 yards and a touchdown, and the Vikings' defense was stout, the Vikings lost 14-10. That loss is on Favre, period.
And the worst news for the Vikings is that both the Bears and the Packers won, improving their records to 2-0. The Vikings' loss drops them to 0-2. Yes, it's only September, and yes, there are still 14 games to go, but the Vikings are going to have an awfully tough time repeating as NFC North champions, based on where they sit today.
The Vikings are in a hole, and it's a hole that Favre dug deeper on Sunday. Now they need Favre to pull them out.