The best of Brett Favre: Top 10 moments in historic NFL career Updated 10h 22m ago |
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By
Nate Davis, USA TODAY Is
Brett Favre calling it quits after 19 NFL seasons? Perhaps ... and maybe not — after all, the
Minnesota Vikings' regular-season opener at the
New Orleans Saints is still more than a month away. But if this is
finally it for ol' No. 4, we thought it was appropriate to take a look back at the three-time MVP's career. (And though we still remember him engineering a stunning upset of Alabama in 1990 while playing for Southern Miss — this just six weeks after Favre had 30 inches of his small intestine removed following a car accident — our top 10 Favre moments will be limited to his NFL career.)
THE HUDDLE: Latest updates on Brett Favre WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Reaction around the NFL to Favre' potential retirement PHOTOS: Brett Favre in pictures Envelope, please:
10. Into the saddle— Every story has a beginning, and for Favre it came when he relieved injured
Green Bay Packers starter Don Majikowski on Sept. 20, 1992, against the
Cincinnati Bengals. In his first significant NFL playing time, the second-year quarterback passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 35-yard strike to
Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds remaining. Seven days after that 24-23 victory, Favre led the
Packers past the
Pittsburgh Steelers to notch the first of his NFL record 181 wins as a starter while making the first of his record 285 consecutive starts.
9. Six-pack— Favre's lone season as a member of the
New York Jets was an up-then-down affair, ultimately marred by his injured passing arm. But on his way to leading the
Jets to an 8-3 start (before their season-ending 1-4 tailspin), Favre fired a career-high six touchdown passes in a 56-35 defeat of the
Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 28, 2008.
8. Snowbird— Lambeau Field looked like a snow globe when Favre and the Packers hosted the
Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the 2007 NFC playoffs. Early miscues put the Pack in a 14-0 hole. But the old gunslinger brought Green Bay back in a classic Favre performance — under-hand passes, throwing snowballs at teammates after scores — by connecting on three touchdowns in a 42-20 victory. It proved to be Favre's last victory as a member of the Packers.
7. Bronco buster— Favre lofted a rainbow down the left sideline to
Greg Jennings that went for an 82-yard touchdown on the first play of overtime as the Packers beat the
Broncos in Denver 19-13 on Oct. 29, 2007, on
Monday Night Football.
6. Striking gold— After two efficient but fairly pedestrian starts for the Minnesota Vikings, Favre provided his first magical moment for his former divisional rivals on Sept. 20, 2009. With the
San Francisco 49ers leading 24-20 with 12 seconds to go, Favre took the snap and scrambled right while eluding the
Niners pass rush. Before being taken to the ground, he smoked a 32-yard pass to the back line of the end zone (the ball actually traveled 50 yards in the air on a clothesline) where Minnesota receiver
Greg Lewis reeled it in for the decisive points. Ball game.
5. Sharpe image— Trailing 24-21 at the Silverdome in his first playoff start, Favre scrambled left then reset and fired a 40-yard rocket across the width field to a wide-open
Sterling Sharpe in the right corner of the end zone for a game-winning touchdown against the
Detroit Lions on Jan. 8, 1994. It was the Packers' first postseason win in 11 years and the first of Favre's 13 playoff victories.
4. Dethroning Marino— Favre found Jennings on a 16-yard touchdown hookup in the first quarter of a 23-16 win over the Vikings on Sept. 30, 2007. It was Favre's 421st career TD pass, giving him the top spot on the NFL's all-time list over
Dan Marino. Later in the season, Favre would also eclipse Marino's record of 61,361 passing yards. If Favre opts to play in 2010, he'll almost certainly reach 500 TD passes (he currently has 497) and 70,000 passing yards (he has 69,329) early in the season.
3. Lord of Lambeau— In his highly anticipated return to Lambeau as a member of the archrival Vikings on Nov. 1, 2009, Favre smacked the Packers with four TD passes in a 38-26 Minnesota victory. This performance came four weeks after Favre burned Green Bay for 271 yards and three TDs in a 30-23 win at the Metrodome.
2. Irv's tribute— One day after his father Irvin unexpectedly died, Favre had arguably the greatest game of his career. Playing in front of a
Monday Night Football audience and an
Oakland Raiders home crowd that cheered him, Favre passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns (mostly in the first half) in a stirring tribute to his father. His 154.9 QB rating for the game is still Favre's personal best.
1. Super Sunday— Playing an hour from his hometown of Kiln, Miss., Favre helped the Packers break their 29-year title drought by leading the way in a 35-21 victory over the
New England Patriots at the Superdome in New Orleans for
Super Bowl XXXI. Though kick returner
Desmond Howard was named the game's MVP, Favre made a strong case by passing for 246 yards and two TDs while running for another score. The image of Favre running downfield with his helmet held high over his head (yes,
cheap Nike Shox,Brand popular HANDBAG,sunglass,jerseys, that would draw a penalty today) after launching a 54-yard TD to
Andre Rison in the first quarter for the game's first points remains one of the defining images of his iconic career.
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