NFL Thoughts: Brett Favre Needs To Hang It Up...Seriously

Listen, no one here will profess to know what an NFL level hit feels like—don't want to know—but it seems that Brett Favre may need to rethink his decision to keep bringing his "41-year old man" body out on the football field.

After all, like the announcer says in the clip above, the defense is gunning for him on a weekly basis, they don't give a damn how old he is. He's got the ball, he's the quarterback, and they want to lay his pass-throwing backside out as much as possible.

At last check, that's how the game of football is played. No one should feel any obligation to keep Favre upright just because he's the oldest man on the football field—he made the choice to be out there so it's open-season.
  
It's high time that Brett took a longer look at how he wants to spend the remainder of his young days because, if this is the kind of hit that's going to require him to be carted off like a man who just had his jock strap set on fire, then he's beyond the iron man stage—he's just a man—and it won't be long before someone really knocks his butt out.

Randy Moss to New England Patriots: "I Love You, Man..."

Randy Moss...wow...this guy is a laugh a minute, eh? After his new team, the Minnesota Vikings, lost to his old team, the New England Patriots, Moss decided to let the love flow—literally.

He seemed, at times, troubled, and at others incoherent as he rambled and tripped his way through a soliloquy at the post-game press conference.

The entire transcript of everything he said is offered here, but here are just a few excerpts:

"... I'm not going to answer any more questions for the rest of this year. If it's going to be an interview, I'm going to conduct it. So, I'll answer my own questions, ask myself the questions and then give you all the answers. So, from here on out, I'm not answering any more questions for the rest of this season..."

Moss was fined $25,000 earlier in the week for "failing to cooperate with the news media". He, apparently, took offense to that and hence the above decision to not speak to the media anymore this season. Well, that's all fine and good, Randy, but you look like a bit of a head case saying you'll conduct your own interviews and ask yourself the questions—seriously, dude, get a grip.


"Man, I miss them guys, man. I miss the team. It was hard for me to come here and play. Been an up-and-down rollercoaster emotionally all week. And then to be able to come in here and see those guys running plays that I know what they're doing, and the success they had on the field, the running game -- so, I kind of know what kind of feeling they have in their locker room, man, and I just want to be able to tell the guys that I miss the hell out of them. Every last helmet in that locker room, man."

Wasn't this the same guy who felt unappreciated in New England a few weeks ago? Jeez, you'd think he'd forgotten why he's back in Minnesota in the first place—you talk too much, Randy.


"I tried to prepare. Tried to talk to the players and coaches about how this game was going to be played and a couple tendencies here, couple tendencies here...It hurts as a player that you put a lot of hard work in all week, and toward the end of the week, Sunday, when you get on the field, that's when they acknowledge about the hard work you put in throughout the week. That's actually a disappointment."

Hmmm, now where have we heard this "I feel unappreciated" song before...*thinking*...oh yeah:





Randy, Randy, Randy...when will you ever learn?

Here was the best part of the tirade:


"I don't know how many more times I'm going to be up here in New England, but I'm going to leave the New England Patriots, Coach Belichick, man, with a salute, man. I love you guys, I miss you, I'm out."

Good grief, you'd think the Patriots birthed Moss' children. Wonder how the Minnesota fans will react to his Patriot love fest? 

Related articles

• Minnesota Vikings' Randy Moss nonfactor, declares media silence (sports.espn.go.com)

Randy Moss Became Expendable In New England—Plain and Simple

Randy Moss is talented. No, scratch, check, and rethink that a moment, Randy Moss is supremely talented. There can be no denying that fact.

At only 32-years of age, Moss currently ranks 10th in receptions (935), 5th in receiving yards (14,604), 2nd in touchdown receptions (151)—trailing the great Jerry Rice by only 46—, and 4th in receiving yards per game (77.3).

In short...he's a beast.

So, why on earth would the New England Patriots trade a guy who can do nothing but be an asset to their team? It seems bizarre and idiotic on the part of coach Bill Belichik to do something so mind-numbingly stupid.

Well, you can accuse Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots of many things, but stupidity isn't one of them. Trust in this much, Randy Moss would not have been traded if he was really thought to be a worthwhile asset to the team. The Patriots are 3-1 on this young season, and the presence of Randy Moss has little to do with that fact.

Moss has only caught for 139 yards so far this year, and the Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, has looked quite comfortable throwing passes to his other receiving options. Both Wes Welker and, rookie tight end, Aaron Hernandez, have outpaced Moss in yards this season—having already surpassed the 200 yard mark.

Whether it was by design, or by circumstance, Moss was no longer trotted out as the focal point of the Patriots offense. By stark contrast, he was just another player on the field who, if he got open, Brady gave a look.

How did Moss become so unimportant to the Patriots organization? For one, the running game looks more promising this season than in year's past. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the third year running back out of Mississippi, has averaged better than 4.5 yards per carry, and established a solid rushing attack for the Pats.

That's an important factor to consider when you recall the lack of luck Belichick has experienced with the position during his tenure in New England. In the previous 10 seasons, he saw two 1,000 yard seasons from the tailback spot—2002 with Antowain Smith and 2004 with Corey Dillon. Laurence Maroney was supposed to solve those issues, but he ended up spending more time on the injured list than on the playing field.

So, seeing a legitimate hope for success with the hard-running of Green-Ellis has to have Belichick smiling—on the inside of course.

Secondly, the 2008, season-ending, injury to Tom Brady had to put a scare into the powers that be in Boston. Brady is clearly the franchise player and the most important thing to have for Brady to succeed, at this point in his career, is a balanced offense.

Brady doesn't need to chuck the ball 45-55 times a game. That will only expose him to more sacks and increase the odds of his getting injured again and that would be a much tougher road for the Patriots to hoe—seriously doubt there's another Matt Cassell lurking on the bench.

Lastly, who wants the kind of distraction that Moss was bringing into the locker room? It was becoming clear to everyone that he wasn't feeling the love in New England anymore, and his attitude off the field reflected that mood:



The Patriots have never been ones to bend for those who suddenly feel they are bigger than the team. Just ask Deion Branch how his self-importance played out? Last check, he hasn't had a legitimate season in the NFL since his MVP winning one, with the Patriots, in 2005—point for Belichick.

Will the loss of Moss be hurtful to the Patriots? Yes, in the short-term, they will miss what he brings to the field as far as his ability to open up the offense and pose match-up problems in the secondary. However, his presence was becoming a distraction to the team and, no matter how good he is, he's not worth that much.

But, this much has to be said about Randy...it was a good run while it lasted:

Laurence Maroney Traded To The Denver Broncos—Should Knowshon Moreno Be Worried?

The New England Patriots finally gave up on Laurence Maroney. The 25-year old back who, once was thought to be full of untapped potential, was traded to the Denver Broncos—reuniting with former Patriots offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

Maroney was drafted in the first-round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of the University of Minnesota. Although he was never a full-time starter for the Gophers, he still managed to collect three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons—sharing time with Marion Barber.

When New England selected him No. 21st overall, it was clear that he was going to be there back of the future. Corey Dillon was getting older and they needed a guy who had both the size and the skill-set to make the transition into their offense. Maroney fit the bill as he was not only an explosive runner with above-average field vision, but a strong back who was capable of moving the pile and churning out the hard yards.

That said, he also came into the league with a red flag attached because he was routinely beset by injuries in college—despite receiving minimal carries. The Pats felt the reward outweighed the risk, however, and rolled the dice.

Today, that risk became expendable as the Patriots seem more than willing to ride the veteran legs of Fred Taylor this season—using Green-Ellis and Faulk to spell him when needed.

So, what's next for Maroney? The Denver Broncos already have a feature back in second year man,
Knowshon Moreno. Does this mean that his job is suddenly in jeopardy? After all, Moreno did struggle towards the end of last season—both with ball protection and injuries—and he's yet to be pushed by any other backs on the roster.

Could the the acquisition of Maroney light a fire under the talented young running back?

Some might say that Maroney isn't good enough to be anything more than a reliable second option to Moreno—his injury history makes him a question mark at best. However, Maroney is nothing if not a team player and, he has the veteran attitude that McDaniels wants to foster in his young locker room.

For Maroney, his departure from New England was met with surprise and a bit of sadness because he was truly hoping to get back to his 2007 form again soon. Now he will have to prove himself worthy someplace else.

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• Laurence Maroney was traded from the New England Patriots to the Denver Broncos (sports.espn.go.com)

NFL Outlook 2010: 10 Bold, Slightly Insane, Predictions For The Coming Season

I'm into making the most of what I say. Sometimes, the words that roll out onto the screen can be interpreted as complete idiocy—but mostly it's just a rant gone wrong.

So, in the spirit of being completely off-the-cuff and minus a censor, it seemed fitting to start spouting off some bold predictions for the 2010 football season.

Why not?

At this point, no one can say for certain that any of these predictions will be proved wrong and, honestly, if I get called to the carpet, I can just plead insanity...right?


1. San Francisco will win the NFC West.

There, I said it. I'm not taking it back and, seriously, looking at the NFC West this season, I don't see a reason to.
Forget the chatter about not having a quarterback and all that, have you seen the Niners defense? If not, it's that unit on the field that was near the top of the league in points allowed per game last season (17.8). They have a ton of talent and a whole lot of attitude when they step on the field—with a player like Patrick Willis to call your own, why not?

That said, the Niners were also first in penalties received. They need to play a lot smarter on Sunday's if they expect to parlay that 8-8 season into the 11-5 one I easily see them achieving in 2010.

2. Speaking of the NFC West, look for the Cardinals to fall flat without Kurt Warner. 

Here's the thing, with both Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin on the field in 2009, the Cardinals went 10-6—better than the year before when they rode a 9-7 record to the Super Bowl. However, that was in a weak division where their best competition was offered by San Francisco (a team that beat them twice).

This year they not only don't have Kurt Warner to lend both his veteran preference and his big arm to the equation, but they lost Anquan Boldin too—a key compliment to Larry Fitzgerald. Some might say that there is plenty of talent left in both Steve Breaston and Early Doucet, but, did I mention they no longer have Kurt Warner?

I'm not buying that the defense in 'Zona will be the difference and I am not a believer in Tim Hightower or Beanie Wells' ability to carry the offense on the ground. The Cardinals are about to do some slipping—7-9 will be the end result (if they're lucky).

3. The Green Bay Packers will win the NFC North.

Brett Favre may or may not change his mind and decide to take up residence in Minnesota—it won't matter if he does. Whether it be Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, or Fran Tarkenton, the Vikings aren't going to win the north this season.

Green Bay got accustomed to the 3-4 rather quickly in 2009, and ended up fielding one of the best defensive units in the league. Aaron Rodgers showed that he is more than capable of filling the tremendously big shoes that Brett Favre left behind—despite the woodshed beat down that Favre put him through in both their meetings.

The one question mark was/is the offensive line. They had a tendency to let too many guys get through and that resulted in Rodgers seeing the turf a bit more than he should have—Bryan Bulaga will hopefully offer a cure for that problem.

If he can, the Pack should be one of the most well-rounded teams in the north and they should be the early favorite to win their division.

4. Terrell Owens won't make a difference in Cincinnati.

My feelings about Terrell Owens aside, the move to bring him into the Bengals organization won't make much difference as far as the production of Carson Palmer is concerned. Owens, along with Ochocinco, will make a lovely sideshow but the offensive line troubles me—they seemed to be off during the HOF Game on Sunday and, considering Carson Palmer's injury history, that's not a good thing.

The defense had some bright spots but, for the most part, there is still work to be done and that means the Bengals will likely lose more than they'd like and the T.O./Ochocinco Show will largely be a publicity stunt with little gas left by mid-season.

9-7 is believable, 10-6 is probable, but this team isn't going to the Super Bowl—not this season.

5. Chris Johnson will return to earth in 2010 and be happy to settle for a reasonable contract by season's end. 

Johnson is feeling himself right now. He thinks he's the most explosive offensive player in the league and he figures he's due a pretty big payday in the near-future. The Titans, obviously, don't share that same opinion and declined to offer him the big money deal he was looking for—much to his chagrin.

So, now he will play on a one-year contract and hope to blow the doors off the league yet again. Once he does, he will likely be looking to put himself on the market so he can get what's coming to him.

In my opinion, Johnson won't come close to the 2,000 yard mark. He'll top out at 1,300 yards and he'll get the contract that befits a guy of that caliber. 2009 was impressive but this is a new year and Johnson's day in the sun is about to see some cloud cover.

6. The Pittsburgh Steelers will miss the playoffs.

I like the Steelers. No, check that, I LOVE the Steelers, but I think all of the issues surrounding their slightly immature quarterback will be their undoing this season. Neither Byron Leftwich nor Dennis Dixon are going to be the answer for an absentee Ben this year (who will serve a four-to-six game suspension), and Charlie Batch is long overdue for his pension check.

The defense is still formidable, but it's older and the loss of Troy Polamalu for the better part of last season showed some chinks in the armor of that once stellar secondary unit. If the offense sputters and the defense is forced to carry the team, things could get tight for Mike Tomlin's crew pretty quick.

It's still the Steelers, though, and you almost expect them to find a way to come out on top but I see a 2-4 start at best and an uphill battle the rest of the way.


7. The Denver Broncos will lose more games than last season.

Everyone is so in love with the Broncos right now. They have Tim Tebow! They have talent at wide receiver! They have good running backs!...uhhhh, how about these points: THEY HAVE NO O-LINE!! THEY LOST BRANDON MARSHALL!!! THEY LOST EIGHT OF THEIR LAST TEN GAMES IN 2009!!...how about that?

*scratches head*

Listen to me, the Broncos might be the second-coming of the New England Patriots in about two years, but do not get caught up in the hype that's coming from the big name sitting on their roster. Tebow will play but he isn't ready to lead a team to victory. Kyle Orton is still average and now he won't have Marshall to throw it to anymore. Moreno and Buckhalter are both good but they are nothing without a strong offensive line—which the Broncos do not have.

Don't believe the hype, you'll be disappointed.

8. Neither the Colts nor the Saints will be making a return trip to the Super Bowl.

I like the Baltimore Ravens and the Green Bay Packers to go deep into the playoffs. Baltimore is, by far, one of the most balanced teams in the AFC—they have very few holes to speak of at this point. Green Bay is solid as well, if they can keep Rodgers upright, I like their chances to get back to the big game this season. If not them, then you have to figure this is the year that Tony Romo will finally lead his team to the promised land.

Either way, the love train for both the Saints and the Colts ends in 2010—mark it!


9. C.J. Spiller will be a candidate for Rookie of The Year.

The Bills are going to run the ball, that's a given, but whether or not the man toting the rock is C.J. Spiller or Fred Jackson will be the ultimate question. Spiller was a phenom at Clemson and is as dynamic as they come where the running game is concerned—he will battle Fred Jackson for the big time carries this season.

If he wins, expect him to produce and be quite the spark plug on a Bills team that has been mired in mediocrity for far too long—now, if they could just get that quarterback spot locked down.

10. The Oakland Raiders will win eight games this season.

Did I just make myself sound crazy? Well, that's okay (see intro). I don't think much of Jason Campbell but I think a lot more of him than I did JaMarcus Russell. I expect the soft-spoken QB who was tossed away by Washington to play with a renewed vigor this season as he attempts to lead the Raiders back to AFC significance.

The pieces are in place in Oakland and the only thing missing was a decent quarterback to lead the way. Look for Zach Miller to have his best season yet and watch both Louis Murphy and Darren McFadden mature into the players they were meant to become when they were brought to Oakland.

I sound insane again, right?...(again, check the intro).

Are you ready for some football?!?...I know I am.

The Lady's Georgia Bulldogs/Sports Links For Thursday (7/15)

Former Georgia Linebacker, Rennie Curran, has come to terms with the Tennessee Titans on a four-year deal worth $1.79 million. Curran was drafted in the third-round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Sophomore DB, Shawn Williams' family lost their home in a fire late Tuesday night. The NCAA has allowed donations to be made to assist the family. Click here for more info or to make a donation.

This writer, featured at The Northpoint Gazette, feels that Georgia has as good a chance as anyone in the SEC East to make it to the SEC Championship Game in December—if they can beat Florida. The author cites Florida's tough schedule (having to play both Alabama and LSU) and Georgia's relatively manageable opposition as factors in his analysis. 

Stewart Mandel of SI.com says that Aaron Murray could end up being just as successful as Florida's John Brantley in 2010—citing Brantley's spring game performance and time in the system as the main reasons that many media outlets keep giving Brantley the edge over Murray in the East.

Terrell Owens states he is "definitely open" to joining the New England Patriots. He says, "I'm like LeBron (James). I can go there and take less of a role, take less money and put everything aside and make it work." Ummm...LOL, you wold think the Pats actually NEED his arrogant backside. Puh-Leeze.

Last night at the ESPY's, former Georgia tennis star, John Isner, won the award for a "Record-Breaking Performance" after winning the longest match in Wimbledon history.

Pete Carroll is promoting his book this summer, "Win Forever", but is finding that all people really want to know is why he ditched USC just before the sanction hammer came down. Carroll continues to say that he didn't know the sanctions were coming because he didn't know what was going on at the time. He wasn't made aware of any wrongdoing. Uh-huh, sounds to me like Pete is telling lies again—where on earth is Pinocchio's nose?

Georgia Tech QB, Josh Nesbitt, has been named to the Davey O'Brien Watch list. The O'Brien award is given to the nation's best quarterback.

The Detroit Lions feels that they may finally have their guy in former Georgia QB, Matthew Stafford.

Georgia LB, Justin Houston, is named as one of the SEC's Top 20 Defensive Players for 2010.

Tennessee Titans RB, Chris Johnson, wants to get paid handsomely after totaling more than 2,000+ yards rushing for the Titans in 2009. Personally, I think Johnson needs to back up off his demands a bit because he likely will NEVER duplicate those numbers again and there is no way he's worth as much money as he thinks he is.

Bill King muses on how Mark Richt's decision to cut out two-a-days could work for or against him in the long run.