Brett Favre is Disgustingly Overrated

Bob on 02 1, 2009

Brett Favre. To some, a hero; others regard him as a legend. You may hear that he is arguably one of the best quarterbacks to have graced a football field. However, few people dare to blurt out the forbidden ‘O’ word, that is, OVERRATED. Certainly his record of 269 consecutive starts(regular season), three(3) Most Valuable Player awards, a super bowl ring and a slew of other records are quite impressive, but does Brett Favre truly deserve to have his name mentioned in the same sentence as some of the all-time greats such as Dan Marino, Joe Montana, John Elway, Steve Young and Johnny Unitas? Absolutely not! Favre’s career football resume should not be anywhere near the vicinity of these all-time greats.

Favre’s ‘magical’ moments, brass-balls attitude and child-like style of play are admirable and enjoyable to watch. But contrary to what countless fans and analysts seem to accept as true, the attributes which Favre possesses do not make him a great QB.

Favre undoubtedly has played great football in his time, hence his 3 consecutive Most Valuable Player Awards (1995-97) and a Super Bowl win (1996), but the extent of #4’s greatness came to a screeching halt after his 3rd MVP season. Following the 1997 season, Favre has compiled a measly 3-7 playoff record. He single-handedly cost the Packers a trip to the Super Bowl last year by trying to complete his trademark (if it’s caught I’m a hero, if not, I’m still Brett Favre) ball. Don’t worry Green Bay, you weren’t the only team’s dreams he so nonchalantly shattered. The New York Jets essentially had a playoff spot secured at the Week 12 mark, boasting an impressive 8-3 record, but lackadaisical Favre managed to throw only 2 touchdown passes, along with 9 interceptions while amassing a 55.38 QB rating to lose 4 of their last 5, while all the Jets players could do was watch their washed up gray-bearded QB flush their season down the shitter. Do not let the name ‘Brett Favre’ fool you. The veteran gun slinger’s got great charisma and is fun to watch, but unfortunately, it has outweighed his actual play on the football field. If popularity measured greatness, Favre would be atop the list.

Take a look at these stats from this season and decide which player seems more deserving of a trip to the Pro Bowl:

Quarterback A – (4,009 pass yds., 34 TD, 11 INT, 105.5 passer rating) Led his team to the playoffs.
Quarterback B – (3,472 pass yds., 22 TD, 22 INT, 85.4 passer rating) Cost his team, which seemed to be a lock, a trip to the playoffs.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see who had a more respectable season. Quarterback A, Philip Rivers, was snubbed, while quarterback B, Favre, made his 10th career Pro Bowl(which we knew he wouldn’t participate in anyways.)  Rivers got sloppy seconds on a roster spot in the Pro Bowl after Favre declined but passed…can’t blame him. I’m sorry; simply putting the name ‘Favre’ in front of those mediocre at best stats should by no means give him the upper hand. But that’s the story of Favre’s career, and it’s a god damn shame.

To the Brett Favre die-hards, this upcoming off-season, when Favre has you all on his puppet strings again awaiting his immense decision on whether to play in the NFL for another season or retire, maybe you should hope for the latter. It’s getting painful to watch.

Note to all professional athletes: It’s better to burn out than fade away.

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  • DunkinOnWhiteboys
    Can I get a hell yeah?
  • MATT
    Bob,

    As a long-time Packer fan I was THRILLED to get Favre out of Green Bay when they did. The circus around that guy had gotten tired and my recent memories of him were losing games to the Eagles and Giants in the playoffs where he looked like a rookie QB. He was acting as if he were the Green Bay Packers and that is simply insulting to the fans who remember that of the 13 titles in Title Town he only contributed one.

    However I do agree with some that you are not giving Brett his due. He probably should have done more with the talent that Ron Wolf left in Green Bay, but that cannot ALL be laid at his feet. The Packers had a coaching carosel after Holmgren left and that is NEVER a good thing for even the best players. The guy has virtually all of the passing records right now until Manning or someone else can catch him.

    The funny thing to me is that you claim to be guru and yet you call out Terry Bradshaw as a QB with better skills than Favre. Are you really going to pull at that string? The Steelers won Four Super Bowls with T.B., but he will be the first to admit that much of their success was not due to him. In fact Terry finished his career with more interceptions than touchdowns and had what would be viewed today as a mediocre quarterback rating. This is better than Favre?

    Outside the simple numbers I actually think that Brett and Terry are great comparisons. Brett was drafted by Atlanta and used to sleep through Glanville's meetings. Terry struggled mightily as a starter early in his career. The fans in Pittsburgh wanted his head and he used to hide from the public in his first few years. The one thing that they both have in common is their adjustment from small town Southern living to big city lights. Favre was probably blessed that he played his career in the NFL backwaters of Green Bay. If he had played in a major market like New York he may never have cut it. Terry suffered from depression and made the most of his opportunities when they came along. Brett did the same and also had to publicly battle pain-killer addiction. You cannot compare dissimilar experience and come out with a who is better and Farve must be overrated. If anything I suggest that you look at the list of Brett's back up quarterbacks that made it in the NFL as starters (T. Detmer, D. Petersen, A. Brooks, M. Brunell, A. Rodgers, and K. Warner just to name a few). For some reason he was able to beat all of these guys out in camp and Holmgren was not going to start a guy just because he was the starter the year before. There are many ways to measure an NFL players success and it just shows that much of the talk is baseless.

    Quarterback play is as much about leadership as it is about skill. There have been quite a few players that inspired confidence in their cohorts with far less physical ability than Brett. There have also been many Quarterbacks that have failed with much greater athletic ability than Brett (how will we remember the once vaunted Vince Young?). The biggest problem that Favre has right now is that his skills have diminished and his playing style has not evolved enough to keep him relevant. This in turn has hurt his ability to lead other players (see the Jets player quotes after the season). He simply cannot lead by example as he once did.

    It is sad that he came back for this year as it will not do him any favors for posterity. His behavior toward Green Bay has made him persona-non-grata to many loyal to the Green & Gold. His stop in NY has not won him any supporters either and I am sure there will be many more Bob's to criticize him over the next few years until he gets into the Hall.

    Once Favre is in the Hall Bob can start telling us that Peyton Manning is "Overrated" because he only won that Super Bowl against the Bears and even though he has many passing records he is not close the the great players before him such as Montana, Marino, Elway, and FAVRE.
  • Bob
    Skonnie-
    My argument isn't that I don't think he is a good passer.... Yeah he's a great team guy, is that why he had his personal office while with the Jets in which he spent most of his time? Isolate yourself in an office away from the team, great team chemistry. And to your statement about not seeing anyone else in the nation that can purely win like Favre, did you watch the Super Bowl? If yes, then you just saw one in Ben Roethlisberger. Tom Brady? Have you ever watched Peyton Manning conduct his offense? I'd say he knows how to manage his offense...
  • Skonnie
    First of all BOB,
    Brett is one of the greatest team guys and I don't care if you dont think he is a good passer or not it really doesn't matter. He is a winner. He knows how to manage a team and how to get the job done which i haven't seen anyone else in the nation that can purely win like that guy can since i'm guessing you didn't play football at any point in your life this is why you dont know how to be a good leader or to be a great manager of a football team
  • Ken
    Oh one last thing ...

    I think it is silly to cut down a player of the stature of those listed above. Favre owns the quarterbacking records for wins, yardage, touchdowns and the like. His come-from-behind victories are among the most. He, himself, considers Marino the best. But truth is, how do you compare players, let alone generations. You can go by records, total wins, total championships and on & on. But if we're into this comparison mood - which as I indicated is a bit silly - all quarterbacks will have a difficult time comparing to Otto Graham (mentioned above). As a Cleveland Brown, his teams compiled a 105-17-4 record, a career passer rating of 86.6 , along with 188 touchdowns in ten seasons of play. He played six seasons in the NFL and took the Cleveland Browns to the NFL Championship Game all six seasons, winning three NFL titles.

    Including four seasons in which his team captured four AAFC titles, Graham played ten total seasons of professional football and made the league championship game all ten seasons, winning seven league titles.

    Then again, that was before free agency when your opponents could go from worst to best in a single year. His teammates were his teammates for a career, unlike today. So how do we really compare and judge? We don't. We just enjoy the game and those few spectacular players who consistently perform spectacular and never make excuses.
  • Ken
    I agree with Scott. First, I live in Wisconsin and have watched Favre since he came to the Packers. With season tickets, I've attended many games over the years. There is no question that the Packers have lost some games in which they were leading because of a Favre fumble or errant pass. But I will also tell you they won a whole lot more because of his "gunslinger" attitude. He has always played to win, and what NO ONE has noted - unlike many quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame - he did it without Hall of Fame personnel on the offensive side of the ball. He's never had Hall of Fame receivers. It is a team sport, but every sport has a player now and again who can put a team on their shoulders and carry them. And that doesn't make them perfect or invincible, but it shows leadership through gutty, never-say-die performances. While there, Favre WAS the Green Bay Packers. That doesn't mean he was a one-man-band, but his heart & soul were the guts of the organization. While the post-Favre Packers have considerable talent and will do fine, they are searching for that face that for so long belonged to Brett Favre. Lesser athletes would have folded under the pressure Favre endured as the team's leader. Both Holmgren and the only Hall-of-Fame Packer to ever play with Favre - defensive end Reggie White - indicated as goes Favre, so go the Packers. They understood his presence, his magic, his love of the game. Most importantly, Favre has only had one losing season, and while that team finished 4-12, it conceivably could have gone 10=6 or even 12-4. Go back and look at that season. Six or seven of those games were lost by a total of 35 or 40 points despite having sparse talent for two years.

    I do not understand why people must tear down someone who has meant so much to the game ... to the NFL. And another thing, Brett Favre's name not only brought millions of dollars into the Packer organization, but also into the NFL. His face was equated world-wide with the NFL. His jersey continues to be a top seller. Let's give the man his due, recognize he once again played through the last 5 games with a serious injury - as he has so many times before - and never made it an excuse. All the other quarterbacks you mentioned - as great & deserving as they were - missed many games due to injury. You don't win 3 MVPs, be runner up or in the top 3 or 4 much of your career (and 2nd in 2007), own every major passing and win record in existence, and not be considered one of the greatest quarterbacks - perhaps player in his/her sport - ever. Brett Favre - regardless your bias feelings - has earned the respect so many are showing him.

    One last note ... It's remarkable that Peyton Manning may very well top many of those records ... assuming he stays healthy. More than anything else, Brett Favre's toughness, and the toughness exhibited to date by Manning, set the two of them apart as remarkable athletes. But they are 7 years apart in age, and Peyton has the task of staying healthy until he's 40 to reach the same altitude as Favre.
  • Josh
    This is ridiculous. Steve Young doesn't belong in the same class as Favre. How many times did Favre end Young's season. Young ended Favre's season once and you all know Jerry Rice fumbled that ball (pre-instant replay). You can have your own opinions as to whether or not Favre is overrated (personally I don't think so). However, if Favre is overrated, then Steve Young is ENORMOUSLY OVERRATED!!!
  • iowachick
    Well, Bob, I see on your profile your goal is to knock down every hero people might have for the fun of it. You are just getting a rise out of people.

    I noticed that Warner threw two interceptions that resulted in scoring by the Patriots--funny no one is discussing him as over the hill.

    Brett Favre is an exceptional icon in NFL football. For his longevity, and his ability to throw miraculous or horrible long balls. You never know which and he keeps the game exciting. This year it did look like the stress of the summer and then a new team and offense wore him out. At the same time, the team went bust and he has taken all the blame.

    I admire the kind of man Brett is, with his family and wife. I also admire his willingness to give extra to make a wish kids. I do not think there will be as exciting and charismatic football player as Favre this generation.

    Don't bother replying. I am not interested in getting my hackles up for someone doing it just because...
  • Bob
    Haha thanks Eric - you're not too bad either.
  • Eric
    This is hands on when the author of the article is commenting! I love whoever this Bob guy is
  • Bob
    Basically, Favre is a mental midget. He has turned the ball over so much throughout his career, and one thing I know from watching football for awhile is that turnovers absolutely kill you. Someone who turns the ball over as frequently as Favre, especially at such crucial times, can not be considered great. I mean, think of Brady and Manning, you pretty much know what you're going to get from them. Favre is hit or miss, he steps up to take the snap with the game on the line and you might as well flip a coin. I think I actually saw Favre throwing the ball with his eyes closed in that NFC championship game last year.
  • Bob
    Scott -

    Marino never really had a legit team, nothing like these other guys, but still managed to put up great numbers. Secondly, have you seen Marino throw a ball? It's a goddamn beautiful thing. It's too bad he didn't have a little more talent around him.

    Elway took the Broncos to 5 Super Bowls, the most by any QB... beating Favre's Packers and then repeating.

    I left out several other names as well. I mean, how can there even be talk about Brett Favre being the best ever when he's not even the best ever to have played for the Pack? Funny how people forget about Bart Starr. Just to name a few others: Peyton Manning. Tom Brady. Otto Graham. Terry Bradshaw. Kurt Warner, yes I said it. Shit, the list goes on.

    To answer your question, I've been watching football long enough to know my shit.
  • Eric
    You can not assume that everyone knows something and age probably should not have been mentioned. I agree with the dan marino comment as well
  • Dan
    Silly article by a silly guy.
  • Ben W.
    For the record and I know this is off topic, but as more of an Elway fan then a Denver fan, I'd have to say I disagree with Scott as to what was the deciding factor in Elway's SB appearances. Many argue that Dan Reeves hindered Elway's throwing ability by forcing the running game on Elway. Only when Shanahan arrived was he allowed to showcase his throwing abilities and lead his team to the Superbowl. Just my thought's, no need to agree.
  • Scott
    Bob - When did you start watching football? You obviously have something against Favre, which is fine. Explain this to me though, why do you put Dan Marino ahead of Favre then? How many times did Dan take his teams to the SuperBowl? Steve Young took over a Championship caliber team and John Elway did not win a superbowl until he got a running game. Favre made the Packers relevant again. Before he got their, the were nothing. He has only had one losing season as a quarteback? Look at Elways stats in Superbowl games. Favre actuaully outplayed Elway in their Superbowl meeting.

    Also, Favre was the runner-up for league MVP just last year.

    To say Favre is overated, is a joke.

    He joined the Jets half way through trainging camp and had to learn a new offense. Through 11 games, everyone was calling him the MVP of the league. I agree he had an awful last 5 games and his age is definetly showing. However, he is by no mean overated.

    Also, football is the ultimate team game. I am a Favre fan but I also like Elway and Marino and Young etc.. They were all great but when they won superbowls, they were on great teams. That is why the Lombardi trophy goes to the winning team not the winning player
  • Bob
    I thought it was a great comparison, I guess I gotta break this down....

    Favre's reputation being a different argument?....Favre's reputation is the focal point of my argument.

    I wasn't surprised someone got snubbed to make a spot for Favre, that's pretty much a given now...but snubbing a player who led all quarterbacks in QB rating by at least 8 pts., had the highest 1st down %, was tied for first with the most TD passes and led a team that looked like they were down and out to the post season is outrageous. Shit, Rivers finished the season ahead of the MVP, Peyton Manning, in almost every category.

    I CLEARLY understand that reputation and popularity are factors in determining the Pro Bowl roster, I just didn't mention it because I assumed everyone knows that....Generally, these factors play a bigger role when two players have had similar seasons, or are at least somewhat comparable...but not in this case. Favre didn't beat out some Average Joe with slightly better numbers, he beat out the QB with the best numbers across the board, a player that received a couple MVP votes (I was surprised he didn't get more). A player that did what Favre didn't; take his team to the post season, finish the season 1st in several important and positive categories(Favre was 1st in INTs).

    And to answer your question on why I didn't mention age: It means absolutely nothing to me. Are you implying that Favre's mediocre stats are better because of the fact that he is 39 yrs old? I think it's time to hang it up once someone's age is an excuse for a lack of production.
  • Eric
    Why don't you mention that QB A is 27 and QB B is 39. I guess you may also not understand that reputation also can get you a spot on the pro bowl. I understand that it may not be right but it is the truth. He was not the first and he will not be the last. You may say he does not deserve that reputation but that is a different argument. That comparison is used poorly and I am disappointed BOB. Yes he may be overrated but you could have portrayed that better. Also Rivers bad reputation of being a cocky piece of shit on the field also hurt him. And also Favre's team had a better record this year.
  • Ben W.
    Younger is going to kill you lol. Good work though Bob-o.
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