I have been a Packer fan for as long as I can remember.
So, I felt a little out of place on Monday.
I have been working all summer as an intern at Fox 9, a television station in Minneapolis. Needless, to say, with Vikings training camp commencing, I was bound for Mankato.
Putting my Packer fan status behind me, I embraced being on the field with a great football team, purely for work purposes.
My main objective was to interview players, maybe drop in a question on Brett Favre, and get the latest scoop on training camp issues such as injuries with players and the development of rookies in camp.
With or without Brett Favre, the Vikings are a good football team. They could potentially return 22 starters (with Favre) and with a team that went to the NFC Championship game last season, it's Super Bowl or bust for the Vikings.
And they know it.
Yet, being the Packer fan that I am, I paid attention to the quarterbacks in camp. Closely. The Vikings three quarterbacks right now are veterans Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels along with converted rookie Joe Webb.
I think it's safe for me to safe for me to say, the Vikings are not nearly as dangerous without Brett Favre under center.
I watched Jackson, Rosenfels, and Webb all throughout practice, and not one of them jumped out as motivated to take the job. Obviously, Favre's return is purely speculation. But what if he truly doesn't return? You would think the quarterbacks would want to prove to Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell and Head Coach Brad Childress that they are ready to take over the offense. Well, you thought wrong.
They looked confused, out of sync with the receivers, and lackadaisical. Jackson threw a couple passes into the ground, Rosenfels continually couldn't connect with receivers, and Webb stared down all his passes before he hiked the ball. A Super Bowl contender without Favre? I think not.
And this was an improvement.
The previous day, rookie corner Chris Cook and Husain Abdullah feasted on the three quarterbacks, picking off four passes total, three by Cook.
Rosenfels was picked off twice by Cook, merely a day after he had been picked off four times in the night practice the day before. Joe Webb was 0-8 passing with two interceptions.
What does this have to do with the Packers? Everything.
The NFL has evolved into a quarterbacks league. The Saints won the Super Bowl last year because Drew Brees played a better game than Peyton Manning.
Regardless of whether or not Favre comes back or not, the Vikings are a totally different team without him. They lack enthusiasm, motivation, and the determination I would think a team fresh off a NFC Championship loss would have. The Vikings are the Packers main competition in the NFC North. Yet, from what I saw at Vikings training camp on Monday, I would immediately peg the Packers as the favorites in the division.
Yes, the Vikings still have Adrian Peterson, a stellar defensive line, and a plethora of breakout offensive weapons--Sidney Rice and Visanthe Shiancoe to name a few.
However, I interviewed Rice after practice and a reporter asked him if he was concerned at all about who would be throwing him the ball. (Uh, paging Brett Favre??)
His answer couldn't have been more rehearsed. He referred to trying to get healthy and in game shape. But he couldn't care less who was throwing the ball because he was just trying to run his routes.
Um, excuse me? Mr. Rice. You went from 15 receptions for 141 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2008 to 83 receptions for 1312 yards and 8 touchdowns, and you are trying to convince me that you don't care who is throwing you the ball? You want Mr. Favre under center so just come out and say it.
If there is only one thing I know for sure: the Vikings are on the Brett Favre retirement roller coaster after all. For Packer fans, here's to hoping it's a long ride with as many loops as possible.
We'll enjoy it while we can.
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