The showdown between quarterbacks Brett Favre and John Elway this Sunday in Lambeau Field may have to wait until further notice, leaving the faceoff between Most Valuable Player candidates to the imagination.
If it is postponed until Jan. 26 in New Orleans, it will be all right with both players because the Packers and Broncos would be squaring off in the Super Bowl.
On whether Elway will sit out and rest his ailing left hamstring this week, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Monday “chances are that probably could happen, but we’ll have to wait.”
The 12-1 Broncos wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs Sunday with Elway hobbling in and out of a romp over the Seahawks. The hamstring has bothered him since Nov. 4, but he has played four games.
Another reason to rest Elway is the loss of left tackle Gary Zimmerman, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder on Monday after playing despite pain all season. He is expected to miss at least two games, but Shanahan has no intention of giving his players a month off before the playoffs.
“If a person is healthy, then they will play with the same intensity we’ve played all season,” Shanahan said.
Elway wants to play. Said Shanahan: “That’s the nature of his makeup.”
“Right now, it looks like it’s feeling pretty good,” the coach said. “But it’s got to feel real good for us to have him go in there and take a chance of playing him in an environment where it’s cold and a little bit harder to warm up that hamstring.”
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Shanahan said running back Terrell Davis and tight end Shannon Sharpe also could rest sore ankles.
“Believe me, there will be a strong evaluation to see how they feel. If their ankles are bothering them, then they will not play but a limited time,” Shanahan said.
As to why he just doesn’t give his starters the week off and go easy on his team until January, Shanahan compared the situation to the preseason:
“In four preseason games, we didn’t play our starters any more than a half. Then in our first two games, our players had a tough time. They were not used to playing a full football game. I don’t want to get away from playing shape. If you don’t play somebody two or three weeks and take a bye week (in the playoffs), believe me a football team is not ready to go and compete 60 minutes at a level you need.”
Elway has not missed a game since the 1994 season finale. His backup is Bill Musgrave.
Packers coach Mike Holmgren had this warning: “There’s a danger from our standpoint to think Denver would do anything but come in here loaded for bear. We haven’t clinched anything yet, have we?”
Chicago hope: How come the Packers didn’t clinch a playoff spot by beating the Bears and improving their record to an NFC-leading 10-3? Chicago fans will love this, but the Packers could still miss the playoffs altogether. Here’s how:
They lose their last three and finish 10-6. The Vikings win their last three and finish 10-6, winning the NFC Central by sweeping the Pack.
The Eagles and Redskins win their last three and finish 11-5. The Panthers and 49ers lock up two other spots with 11-5 records.
The Cowboys win two of three and finish 10-6. Because the Cowboys beat the Packers, they wrap up the sixth and final spot in the NFC playoffs, leaving the Packers home alone in January.
Odds anyone?
Rison to occasion: Andre Rison caught only two passes in his second game as a Packer, but blocked downfield and enjoyed his Lambeau Field debut.
“He’s done a great job of really trying to learn this stuff,” Holmgren said. “If you noticed, when Desmond (Howard) made his return, he’s being swept into the feeling of those guys and I love it. He’s going to help us big down the stretch.”
Holmgren said he is still “somewhat limited” on the number of plays he can call for Rison. Normally, Rison’s flanker position is the go-to receiver in the offense.
Air mail: The eagerly-awaited emergence of quarterback Steve McNair may have quietly arrived in Houston.
The second-year player started against the Jets in place of the injured Chris Chandler, out at least two games with a badly sprained ankle. McNair threw touchdown passes of 23 and 83 yards in the first quarter, jump-starting an offense that failed to score a touchdown the previous week when Chandler and McNair split time.
McNair has played in six games this season. His only other start was against Seattle, a 23-16 loss on a last-second field-goal block returned for the winning touchdown. McNair started the last two games of last season and beat the Jets and Bills. He also started against the Jets in the exhibition season.