Renton – Of the number of impressive performances Seahawks coach Jim Mora had seen on film while preparing to meet the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, one seemed to defy the laws of physical nature.
In his 19th season, at age 40, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre still managed to stun opponents. In this case, he was treating the NFL as if it were one of his Wrangler jeans commercials.
“You watch the games, you watch the tapes, and he’ll throw a little check down (pass) and he’s running down the field trying to block for the back,” Mora said. “You’re going, ‘This guy is 40, what’s he doing?’ But he’s always played with that youthful enthusiasm. It’s fun to watch a guy enjoy playing this game as much as he enjoys playing the game.”
It was more enjoyable for Mora watching Favre with the New York Jets at Qwest Field last December.
Favre looked every bit his age at the time, throwing two interceptions and doing very little to generate offense as the Seahawks topped the Jets, 13-3, in what surely would be his final season in the NFL.
“It came out that he had the shoulder problem (torn biceps tendon),” Mora said. “He doesn’t look like that guy right now. He wasn’t throwing the ball with a lot of velocity at that point of the season. But he is now.”
During his annual retirement, Favre healed up and belatedly signed with Minnesota. What’s happened since then is one for the medical journals. It has been 12 seasons since the last of Favre’s three league MVP honors, but he’s among the leading candidates for another such award.
While leading the Vikings to an 8-1 record, he leads the NFL in passer rating (107.5), and has thrown 17 touchdown passes against a mere three interceptions. Three interceptions in nine games? He had a league-high 22 last season. He twice threw three interceptions in single games.
Apparently, when you play the game 19 seasons, you pick up a few things.
“Obviously, the system is very familiar to me,” Favre told Minnesota reporters on Wednesday. “I think the run game has played a part in it; I think the threat of the run game has helped.”
But part of it has been his approach, too.
“I think the other thing that has definitely made a big difference is I haven’t made a lot of bad decisions,” he said.
And some of his few bad decisions have turned out fine. “The guys have saved me. (There were) games where guys have made plays that could have easily gone the other way.”
His coach, Brad Childress, dodged the issue of Favre’s few interceptions.
“I’m superstitious,” he said. “I really don’t want to talk about the lack of picks. The numbers stand as they are.”
The fact that Favre is even in Minnesota was a bit of a stretch in the first place, as most observers thought Favre was finally going to live up to this retirement decision.
But the Vikings were the perfect soft landing for Favre. Childress runs an offense that is derivative of the one Mike Holmgren used with Favre to great success in Green Bay. Running back Adrian Peterson leads the NFC in rushing with 917 yards and 11 touchdowns, which means defenses have to focus on him rather than Favre. The offensive line is considered one of the best in the business.
In the three days following Favre’s signing, the Vikings sold more than 4,000 season tickets and 5,000 Favre jerseys.
And now they’re leading the NFC North by three games over Green Bay.
Favre is literally one of the league’s gray-beards. Seahawks rookie defensive end Nick Reed was 3 years old when Favre was drafted in 1991, the third quarterback taken.
Seahawks fans might recall that one of those pre-Favre picks was at No. 16, Seattle’s pick of Dan McGwire, who threw a total of two career touchdown passes – 479 fewer than Favre. (Todd Marinovich was the other quarterback taken, by the Raiders, and he ended up throwing eight career TDs).
Favre, of course, has been a 10-time Pro Bowl selection. And he easily looks on pace for an 11th such honor.
“It’s about winning,” Favre said. “That’s the only thing that matters. We all get blinded by statistics. But the bottom line is it’s about winning and winning only.”
Favre might be more controlled as a passer these days, but he’s still running downfield to throw blocks, and he’s still consumed by a single primary motivation: winning.
That hasn’t changed with age.
Dave Boling: 253-597-8440
Dave.boling@thenewstribune.com
