Coming off a tremendous season in which he put up career numbers across the board, Brett Favre and the Vikings coaching staff had every reason to believe that this year would bring more of the same.
But injuries , off the field distractions, and a well documented rift with head coach Brad Childress have derailed Favre’s season to the point that Minnesota almost has to consider removing him from the huddle for the time being, in an effort to kick start their season before it falls apart completely.
NFL Network’s Rich Eisen recently posed a similar question to former NFL quarterbacks Trent Green and Kurt Warner, asking them if the Vikings could potentially keep Favre on the bench after he recovers from the ankle injury he suffered last Sunday night.
“In a normal situation, I would say, ‘No way,’ with Favre, but I think there are a couple of factors,” Warner said. “First you see coach (Brad) Childress and the relationship, and you start wondering if something is deteriorating there. Favre has not played that well this year. Now Jackson comes in and you win. You see the trend all around the league. Who gives us the best chance to win? …
“If somebody is winning, you stick with that. I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility if this happens, and Jackson plays well, that he becomes the starting quarterback, at least for a while, if he can show that he can be successful with this football team.”
Prior to Favre’s arrival, Jackson had every opportunity to show himself capable of being the franchise quarterback the Vikings needed to take the next step towards a Super Bowl championship, but failed to do so, leaving Minnesota no other alternative than to bring in Favre, along with all his baggage.
Now that he’s sat on the bench behind Favre for the past year and a half, the thinking is that Jackson should be ready to live up to the promise and potential he’s displayed on the practice field, and given the talent around him, he should be successful.
Whether or not his promotion would lead to more victories by the Vikings this season is anyone’s best guess, but it’s almost certain that he would give Minnesota a better opportunity to win than an injured and distracted Favre.
Green shared his two cents as well, saying that the situation has become so dire for Childress that he almost has to resort to benching Favre, in an effort to retain his position through the end of the year.
Obviously, a healthy Favre gives the Vikings a much better chance than Jackson, but that’s not the case right now, and if he continues to throw interceptions at the rate he’s been going in recent weeks, Minnesota’s season will be over without as much as a whimper from a team expected to be a bona fide contender this year.
That combined with Childress finding himself on the hot seat, should be more than enough to force Favre to the bench for the time being, and keep him there until he shows that he’s ready to play within the system and not for himself.
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Written by Chris Kolb
Topics: Minnesota Vikings