Brett Favre is passing the torch these days a lot better than he’s passing the football.
Whether his gift-wrapped game-breaking interception Sunday was one final Christmas present for the Bears doesn’t much matter anymore. Whether he comes back or not, it is clear things will never be the same in Green Bay.
The Bears replaced the three-time NFC North champion Packers on Sunday. Three months ago, that would have sounded preposterous. On Sunday, it was expected. The score was close, but only one team and one quarterback looked like they had a future.
Favre’s marvelous career is winding down on its own, making his annual decisions about retirement seem less and less relevant. For the second time in a week, Favre failed to hold his usual postgame news conference, forcing teammates to speak for him after the team’s eighth loss by a touchdown or less.
Coach Mike Sherman said Favre gave them a chance to win at the end with one great pass and catch by Donald Driver, but the same feeling of anticipation that used to grip Lambeau Field never really visited Sunday.
This one ended with Favre buried under the Bears’ pass rush after he had missed more big plays than he made. Bears fans would figure he owes them more than he could ever repay. Packers fans are stunned at the suddenness of it all.
By the end of Sunday’s game, the Packers had lost two more offensive starters, center Mike Flanagan and tight end David Martin. Favre joined Driver and tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher as the only offensive players who had started most of the season.
The Packers watched in frustration as punter Ryan Flinn, a bartender a week ago now subbing for injured B.J. Sander as a holder, couldn’t get the ball to stop spinning when he spotted it for kicker Ryan Longwell. It’s been such a season for the Packers.
Yet Longwell’s missed field goals from 38 and 39 yards were preceded by errant Favre throws that might have been touchdowns. He overthrew an open Driver in the end zone and overthrew Antonio Chatman on a crossing pattern with nobody in front of him.
“Oh, yeah, I would have scored,” Chatman said. “He had somebody in his face, and it was hard to make an accurate throw.”
Likewise, when Favre aimed for fullback William Henderson in the flat, it didn’t look like he saw linebacker Lance Briggs, who scored on the easy interception.
Brian Urlacher was coming on a delayed blitz, and even though he wasn’t really that close to Favre, the ball came out.
“At the last minute he got a flash of pressure, which would have caused Brett to possibly not see that defensive player to the outside of me,” Henderson said.
The Packers’ struggles increased as soon as Flanagan went out, forcing guard Grey Ruegamer to switch to center and Scott Wells to play guard.
“He doesn’t like to get hit,” Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said of Favre. “If a quarterback doesn’t like to get hit, he’s not going to get hit. He’s going to throw the ball away.
“I think he’s not confident or something. Maybe it’s the two guards or something. He wasn’t going to take sacks, and he was throwing the ball up.”
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The numbers that have helped define Favre’s great career are now tugging at his shirttails, dragging him down. His 28 interceptions this season lead the league and are one off the Packers’ record of Lynn Dickey.
His 21-7 record against the Bears no longer means as much in Chicago as the 1-3 in his last four starts. The favorite number now for Bears fans is 2-0 by Rex Grossman against Favre, both games in Green Bay.
The Lambeau Field magic is gone. The Packers are 2-5 at home this season. They were 4-5 last season, including a playoff loss to Minnesota. They are 12-13 at home over the last three years.
Their last four playoff seasons have ended in disappointing Favre performances: four interceptions against Minnesota, an interception that led to an overtime loss in Philadelphia, two interceptions against the Falcons at Lambeau, and six interceptions against the Rams in St. Louis.
Grossman was the quarterback the Packers might have drafted had he lasted until the second round in 2003. They took middle linebacker Nick Barnett in the first round instead.
The Packers weren’t ready to usher in a new Bears era Sunday night. Asked if there is much difference between the teams, Sherman said: “This is a tough time to ask me that when you’re talking about a team that’s had so many injuries. The Bears were in a similar situation last year.”
Barnett said the Bears are certainly more of a two-dimensional team with Grossman. Everybody admitted he made more big plays than Kyle Orton, but nobody in the Green Bay locker room wanted to say Grossman made more big plays than Favre.
“That guy is amazing,” Henderson said, coming to Favre’s defense.
“He comes to battle every week. This one wasn’t his best. But I know next week during practice and during the game, he’s going to give us everything he’s got.”
Sherman reiterated Favre would start the season finale and rookie Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t play unless the score got out of hand.
“It’s sad,” Chatman said of Sunday’s loss. “We won three times in a row. We didn’t want them to win it here.”
Said Ogunleye: “All good things must come to an end, you know.”
Ogunleye hasn’t lived in Chicago long enough to understand there never is much good about Packer dominance. But he made his point.
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