Mason:
No athlete made more headlines this summer than quarterback Brett Favre. First, he retired in March, then several months later had the “itch” to play again and eventually decided to un-retire. Turns out the Packers didn’t want him back, so they shipped him to the New York Jets.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, as the saying goes, and Favre is easily the Jets’ treasure.
Let’s face it, the J-E-T-S were going nowhere with either of their options for starting quarterback — Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens — before making the deal for Favre. Now, with No. 4 in the Big Apple, the Jets have instantly become a much better squad.
Looking at the offenses both Favre and his successor Aaron Rodgers will be playing with, it’s actually a pretty even fight. Both have veteran offensive lines, a solid running game and dependable receivers. The edge may in fact go to Green Bay as far as talent is concerned at most positions.
Except quarterback.
The three signal callers on the Packers roster have combined to start as many NFL games as I have. (Hint: zero.) Meanwhile, that Brett guy has started his fair share — 253 in a row, to be exact.
With a 13-3 record and a berth in the NFC Championship game last season, the Packers exceeded everybody’s expectations. The Jets, on the other hand, limped to a 4-12 finish. There’s no way Rodgers will lead the Pack to a repeat performance of that magnitude, and with Favre at the helm, the Jets are destined for more than four wins.
The better 2008 season? B-R-E-T-T and the J-E-T-S — JETS JETS JETS.
Zetlin:
Oh Mason, when will you learn? I’ll agree, today Favre is light years ahead of Rodgers, but don’t expect greatness from No. 4 like last season. Don’t underestimate the adjustment from the land of cheese to the Big Apple in terms of lifestyle, media and playbooks. Plus, the Jets’ supporting cast is nothing to write home about, either. They’ll put up some points on the Favre-to-Cotchery/Coles connection, but the loss of Jonathan Vilma will prove to hurt them a great deal on D.
Oh, and did I mention they have to play the Patriots twice?
Other than Favre, the Packers are essentially bringing back the same team that got them a play away from the Super Bowl a season ago. Ryan Grant will take a lot of pressure off Rodgers, who has looked great in the preseason thus far, by the way. Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and Donald Lee are great options for any quarterback, especially one looking to get settled in. The Pack will again boast one of the stingiest defenses in the NFC, which will allow them to beat up on a weak North division.
Experience is great, but when your arm is fatigued during training camp, and you say, “I’m not gonna lie: I feel like I’m 38,” you might as well bring Bart Starr out of retirement.
Favre had the “itch” to play football, assuming he’d be donned in Packer green and gold. Now that he’s sporting a darker shade, don’t expect a surplus of Meadowland Leaps (man, that sounds bad) this season.
Take the geezer. I’ll take the young gun with the better squad. Go, Pack, Go!
