A very bad 2008 for Brett Favre (football-wise) has the potential to get even worse Sunday.
The legend, the icon, the mythological gunslingin, butt-slappin, MVP-winnin greatest quarterback in NFL history (to some) is about to get Buster Douglassed by Chad Pennington.
This little game Sunday between Favres Jets and Penningtons Miami Dolphins? The one that will basically decide the AFC East?
Despite what youll hear, this is not the kind of game for which the Jets brought Favre to New York.
Playoff games, conference championships, Super Bowls. Thats why he was imported. Not so that on the season's final weekend the Jets would be looking up at a Miami team that was 1-15 last year. Or, for that matter, a New England Patriots team that played almost the entire season without Tom Brady.
The Jets' braintrust of GM Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Eric Mangini didnt jettison Pennington and bring in Favre as the cherry on top of their offseason sundae for, for this!
But here are the Jets, 9-6 after an 8-3 start. The lone win in their last four being a pennies from heaven job against Buffalo.
The Legend has thrown six picks and a touchdown in the last four games. Not the kind of finishing kick hes supposed to bring.
And then theres Pennington. Drafted by New York in 2000, he was sanctified and vilified during his tenure. He's a player whose on-field strengths are accuracy, measured decision-making and off the field are selflessness and stoicism. Still, he and his noodle-arm were sent by packing by Tannenbaum when Favre came to town. And Favres game and persona are to be sure the polar opposite of Penningtons.
Youll hear a lot of people hype the game, It duddnt git any better than this! Yeah, well, not for the Jets. This is the worst-case scenario. Lose and Miami wins the AFC East. Win and, quite likely, the hated New England Patriots will win the AFC East.
Even though Mangini said that Pennington and Favre, Aren't in a cage match (on Sunday), the fact is that one of them will treat it as such. For a win Sunday, Pennington would roll naked on broken glass.
He gave a lot to the Jets. And even if he didnt have Favre's natural talent, hes every bit the tough guy/great teammate Favres been built up to be. And New York showed him the door. As Miami teammate [and former Packer] Vonnie Holliday said earlier this week, that hurt Penningtons pride.
Now hes poised to get his revenge. Not so much on Favre, but on the Jets team that jilted him.
And to hear his ex-teammates talk, they wont be happy if they lose to him. But Penningtons success would be the silver lining in a dark cloud season.
It couldn't happen to a better guy, says Jets safety Kerry Rhodes. Hes a real warrior. Ive had a lot of respect for him ever since I got here (in 2005). He has gone down there and changed that franchise. He has been playing great ball.
Says tight end Chris Baker, I'm happy for him. He deserves it. He works extremely hard and hes a pro. How could you not root for a guy like that? Hes a good guy.
And hes outplayed Favre this season. Look at the numbers.
Favres thrown 21 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Penningtons thrown 17 and 7. Both men have completed 67 percent of their passes, but Penningtons yards per attempt (7.7) is a full yard higher than Favres. Penningtons thrown for 213 more yards on 36 fewer attempts. Favres taken 30 sacks behind an offensive line dotted with first-round picks. Penningtons taken 23 behind an offensive line of retreads. Kinda puts the lie to all those Favre fans who claimed Favre did more with less for all those years in Green Bay.
And whos going to the Pro Bowl? Favre, not Pennington.
From last Januarys dream-ending pick in the NFC Championship, to his teary-eyed retirement in the spring, to his awkward attempt at a forced re-entry into Green Bay, through his trade to the Jets that seems poised to be a punch line, 2008 hasnt been awesome for Favre.
And while Sundays game means plenty to him, it doesnt mean near as much to him as it does to a guy like Pennington. Two weeks ago, Favre fatalistically discussed the Jets downward trending season.
Im a firm believer in (playing these final) three weeks (hard) and if that's not good enough, I can go home. Yes, Ill be upset, but I can go home with my head held high and say, We did all we could do, Favre says. I care about whats happening in the next three weeks. I care about whats happening this week. Three months from now, who cares? A year from now, who cares? (The conversation) is going to be about next year. Its going to be about the draft. Its going to be about this, its going to be about that. Ten years from now, its not going to matter. Theres no sense in hitting the panic button. You hit the panic button when its over. If were not good enough, so be it.
Anyone out there think that thought occurred to Chad Pennington even once this season?