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By D. Orlando Ledbetter
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The media circus surrounding the return of Brett Favre to the NFL is a fleeting memory.
He came out of retirement -- a second time -- and now has the Minnesota Vikings ready to face the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs at 1 p.m. Sunday in Minnesota.
"Over the course of a 19-year career, he's done just about everything," Fox game analyst Troy Aikman said. "From visiting with him, I know he wants to win as badly as he ever has. He came back because he wants a chance to go back and win another world championship."
Favre, a former Falcons draft pick, won a Super Bowl in Green Bay, but was pushed out the door two seasons ago and retired. He came out of retirement to play with the New York Jets last season, before retiring again.
He "un-retired" for a second time in August and signed with the Vikings.
Minnesota has not made it to the Super Bowl since the 1976 season. The signing of Favre was expected to give them the needed boost to get to football's grandest game.
Favre had a spectacular regular season. There were some hiccups along the way, such as his high-profile disagreement with coach Brad Childress over whether Favre should have been removed from a game. But now, Favre is expected to lead the Vikings to the promised land.
"He's been there," Fox pregame analyst Jimmy Johnson said. "He's seen everything."
Peterson will be needed
Favre was expected to just bail out the Vikings if the running attack, which is led by Adrian Peterson, stalled. But the Vikings had no idea that Favre could still pass on a high level.
"It's the passing game that puts points up," Johnson said.
But against the Cowboys and their potent pass rush, which is led by DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff, Favre will have to lean a bit more on Peterson.
"Can they play the type of game where they can keep the rushing attempts at a reasonable number so that they don’t become one-dimensional?" Aikman said. "I think that's one of the things that hurt Philadelphia last week."
Interception factor
Favre's last pass as a Packer was an interception thrown into coverage in overtime.
He has been a gunslinger most of his career, but now is probably not the time.
"The biggest surprise to me has been the lack of interceptions," Aikman said. "Over [his] career, he's averaged 17 interceptions a year. Yet, here he is this year, and he's only thrown seven. That's remarkable. I kept waiting for that four- or five-interception game to take place."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The media circus surrounding the return of Brett Favre to the NFL is a fleeting memory.
He came out of retirement -- a second time -- and now has the Minnesota Vikings ready to face the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs at 1 p.m. Sunday in Minnesota.
"Over the course of a 19-year career, he's done just about everything," Fox game analyst Troy Aikman said. "From visiting with him, I know he wants to win as badly as he ever has. He came back because he wants a chance to go back and win another world championship."
Favre, a former Falcons draft pick, won a Super Bowl in Green Bay, but was pushed out the door two seasons ago and retired. He came out of retirement to play with the New York Jets last season, before retiring again.
He "un-retired" for a second time in August and signed with the Vikings.
Minnesota has not made it to the Super Bowl since the 1976 season. The signing of Favre was expected to give them the needed boost to get to football's grandest game.
Favre had a spectacular regular season. There were some hiccups along the way, such as his high-profile disagreement with coach Brad Childress over whether Favre should have been removed from a game. But now, Favre is expected to lead the Vikings to the promised land.
"He's been there," Fox pregame analyst Jimmy Johnson said. "He's seen everything."
Peterson will be needed
Favre was expected to just bail out the Vikings if the running attack, which is led by Adrian Peterson, stalled. But the Vikings had no idea that Favre could still pass on a high level.
"It's the passing game that puts points up," Johnson said.
But against the Cowboys and their potent pass rush, which is led by DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff, Favre will have to lean a bit more on Peterson.
"Can they play the type of game where they can keep the rushing attempts at a reasonable number so that they don’t become one-dimensional?" Aikman said. "I think that's one of the things that hurt Philadelphia last week."
Interception factor
Favre's last pass as a Packer was an interception thrown into coverage in overtime.
He has been a gunslinger most of his career, but now is probably not the time.
"The biggest surprise to me has been the lack of interceptions," Aikman said. "Over [his] career, he's averaged 17 interceptions a year. Yet, here he is this year, and he's only thrown seven. That's remarkable. I kept waiting for that four- or five-interception game to take place."