Brett Favre threw the 300th touchdown of his 12-year career yesterday, becoming just the fourth member of an exclusive club which counts Fran Tarkenton, Dan Marino and John Elway among its members.
The pass, an eight-yard toss to Ahman Green in the second quarter of the Packers’ 28-10 victory over the sinking New England Patriots, was one of three on the day for Favre, who would later pass Elway to move into third place all-time with 301 touchdowns.
In doing so, Favre cemented his status as one of the National Football League’s greatest quarterbacks. In fact, if the Packers win another Super Bowl with Favre at the helm, he will undoubtedly be considered by many to be the greatest of all time.
With all due respect to Elway, Marino, Johnny Unitas and Joe Montana, he may already be.
Favre’s stats are stunning. Consider this: Favre reached the 300-touchdown plateau with just 175 interceptions, 51 less than Elway. For his career, he has completed 61 percent of his passes, better than everyone but Montana. Granted, Favre’s sheer numbers cannot compare to Marino’s, but if you take into account the fact this is just his 12th season, assuming continued good health, he could come close. Plus, Favre has won the championship that always eluded the Dolphin QB.
Speaking of good health, it should be pointed out that Favre has not missed a game since 1992. That’s a streak of 162 regular season games, an NFL record for quarterbacks and a stat that says a lot about the kind of grit that Favre brings to the table.
Oh yeah, there’s the little issue of the three MVP awards Favre has won, the most by any player — which he won consecutively from 1995-97.
All those things make for an impressive resume, but then there are also Favre’s intangibles: he plays for Green Bay, a place that is synonymous with football. He has played for the Packers his entire career, except his first few months, which he spent in Atlanta. Mix in Favre’s charisma and unflinching honesty, and you’ve got a great person, as well as a great player.
Whether or not he can be considered the greatest signal caller yet, another ring would certainly help No. 4’s claim, and with the Packers at 4-1 on the season, another run does not seem out of the question. With Ahman Green blossoming into a consistent All-Pro and a strong group of wideouts running under his spirals, it certainly seems possible. Add to that the recent demise of the Rams and the relative weakness of the usually potent NFC North, and Favre’s road to canonization appears to be paved.
Random Thoughts: Week 6
Tampa Bay 17, Cleveland 3
Pewter beats Brown in one of the ugliest uniform clashes in NFL history.
Atlanta 17, NY Giants 10
Give the Giants credit, nobody else thought Doug Johnson could run either.
Indianapolis 22, Baltimore 20
Mid-day Massacre? Indianapolis breaks Baltimore’s heart again.
San Diego 35, Kansas City 34
Chargers comeback leaves Vermeil crying.
Buffalo 31, Houston 24
When you give up 24 to the Texans, you’ve got a bad defense.
Dallas 14, Carolina 13
Cowboys: Worst 3-3 team ever?
New Orleans 43, Washington 27
N’Awlins shows Ramsey that NFL quarterbacking ain’t one Big Easy.
St. Louis 28, Oakland 13
Cohan Column Curse? Raiders lose battle of the Bulger, fall back to earth.
Green Bay 28, New England 10
New England’s defense: Fallen, can’t get up.
Minnesota 31, Detroit 24
Whoda thunk it: Vikings over Lions considered an upset win.
Tennessee 23, Jacksonville 14
Jekyll Titans go Hyde on unsuspecting Jags.
Pittsburgh 34, Cincinnati 7
Bus visits Bengals’ shop for busted ‘backs, comes out purring.
Monday Night Preview: San Francisco at Seattle
The Seahawks have a new stadium, so John, Al, Melissa and the gang will make an obligatory visit. It won’t be pretty. Holmgren will have to pull out an entirely new playbook if he wants to beat the 49ers. Suffice it to say, he won’t. San Francisco 34, Seattle 17.