NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

As promised in the game’s preview, game previews and stories this preseason will be replaced with analysis that will break down key aspects of the 2010 Seattle Seahawks.  The regular journalism stories for the game previews and postgame stories will return toward the end of the preseason and be in full swing for Week One of the regular season.

WILL SEATTLE'S SECONDARY HOLD UP?
In two words, not always.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers found ways to exploit the Seahawks’ secondary early and often.

On the Packers’ first offensive play of the game, the Pro Bowl quarterback found a streaking Greg Jennings down field for a 56-yard pickup.  Jennings caught the ball in stride after getting past Seattle’s last line of defense, rookie free safety Earl Thomas.

Green Bay’s first drive would finish with a one-yard play action touchdown pass, capping off a series that featured three completed passes out of four attempts for 69 yards.

Rodgers was at it again on Green Bay’s second possession.  Connecting twice with tight end Jermichael Finley, the Packers’ quarterback capitalized off space in the middle of the defense.  Finley’s second reception went for 12 yards and a touchdown as the third-year tight end slipped through the secondary untouched into the end zone.

It wasn’t all bad for the Seattle secondary, though.  During the Packers’ second drive, cornerback Marcus Trufant ripped the ball out of the hands of the Packers’ Jennings to break up a pass that would have been completed for a first down.  Later, rookie free safety Earl Thomas joined cornerback Kelly Jennings to break up a deep pass from Rodgers to Jennings down the left sideline.  Seattle’s Jennings injured an elbow on the play.

WHAT ABOUT CHRIS CLEMONS?
It wasn’t until Green Bay gave the football to its second-string quarterback that Seattle defensive end Chris Clemons came impacted the game.

While first-string quarterback Aaron Rodgers was in the game, Clemons was silent.  The first-year Seahawk got into the backfield, but was neutralized by Green Bay’s offensive line.

Once Rodgers came out and Matt Flynn took his place, Clemons became disruptive.  Early into Flynn’s playing time, Clemons helped force the former Louisiana State University product out of the pocket and scramble for an eight-yard gain.  Later in the first half, the defensive end pushed the offensive lineman blocking him in the backfield into Flynn’s face.  Under pressure, Flynn got too much air on his pass and sent it over the head of his target.

HOW WILL WIDE RECEIVER MIKE WILLIAMS FOLLOW UP HIS PERFORMANCE FROM LAST WEEKEND?
Mike Williams punched his ticket for a regular-season roster spot on the 2010 Seattle Seahawks tonight.

The former first-round draft choice worked extensively with the first-team offense against Green Bay and was an integral part of the team’s aerial attack.  Williams recorded the team’s first reception, a gain of 17 yards, after finding space amongst three Green Bay defenders with a down-and-out route near the right sideline.  Later in the first half, Williams brought in a four-yard reception over the middle from his knees.  Further showcasing his skills, the first-year Seahawk made a diving grab of a Matt Hasselbeck pass along the left sideline while keeping his body inbounds and with both hands under the ball for a pickup of 17 yards.

Williams finished the night second out of the team’s first unit in receiving yards with 44 coming off four catches.

Can't get enough NFLGridironGab?  Follow SeahawksGab Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

The Steelers are 2-0 in preseason after a 24-17 win over the New York Giants at the new Meadowlands Stadium on Saturday night. There were plenty of positives to talk about in the win, and plenty of game balls to give out as the team was a lot more impressive in their latest win than they were last Saturday at home against the Detroit Lions.

Here are some thoughts, good and bad, for the Steelers in their 7-point win against one the big boys in the NFC East.

The Good

1. For the 2nd straight week Dennis Dixon was the best Steeler QB on the field, and once again is making a huge case to be the starter over Byron Leftwich when the season kicks off. Dixon led a solid QB threesome for the Steelers and went 7-for-8 for 82 yards, and made things happen with his feet when the play broke down a few times. Dixon seems to know that the QB spot remains up for grabs, and is bent on getting the call to start against Atlanta on September 12th. It’s hard to beleive after these two games he won’t be.

2. The run game put up 161 yards on 41 carries, a solid 3.9 yards per carry average. They helped out an offense that had 412 yards to 280 for New York, and 8 different Steelers logged rushing attempts, led by Justin Vincent who had 37 yards on 6 carries, an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Rashard Mendenhall did have some issues going backwards on a few plays, but the O-line did a much better job opening holes against the Giants on Saturday night, and it showed with some big runs.

3. Rookie Antonio Brown did a good job on kick returns. His night could spell the end for Stefan Logan, as Brown looked sharp in going for 50 yards on two kick returns, and he had a nice 18-yard punt return, and had four punt returns for 43 yards. Brown looks like the real deal as a wide out and a kick returner, and could be a big player for this team in 2010.

4. The D laid some big hits on the Giants. It looked as if the defense was a little unhappy about the Lions having success agianst them last week, and they took it out on the Giants. All night you heard names like Farrior, Foote, Clark, Fox and others stepping up and making some rather big hits. It was good to see the Giants gain less than 300 yards of offense, and they were held to 3-of-10 on third downs while the offense was 6-for-12.

The Bad

1. Stupid move a few minutes into the game by Ike Taylor to get himself thrown out. What exactly do you have to prove in a preseason game that is so important it makes you get tossed? Taylor has simply got to show more maturity, and there’s no excuse for him to be throwing punches at any player. He’ll pay for it with a tongue lashing from Mike Tomlin, and a solid fine from the NFL.

2. While kick returns with Antonio Brown were pretty good, the kick return coverage was again an issue, as Aaron Ross took back a punt 45 yards for the Giants. This was a huge area of concern for the Steelers entering camp, and watching that 45-yard punt return brought back a lot of bad memories from a season ago. It’s an area they HAVE to fix.

3. Can someone tell me what exactly that was at the end of the first half? You don’t have a time out, and your within the five-yard line and you run Mewelde Moore basically off tackle? Where exactly is the logic in that? Then of course the clock ran out and the team wasn’t even able to trot Jeff Reed out for an extra point field goal attempt. The coaches have to be smarter than that – right?

The Panthers talked all week about a better offenisve showing against the New York Jets. Instead, it seemed as if the team went backwards Saturday night as the team fell at home 9-3 in an effort that could be described in one word – ugly.

The QB play remained spotty at best, as Matt Moore was 6-for-17 for 57 yards with a pick, and he couldn’t advance the team enough for even an attempt at any point at the end zone.

Rookie QB Jimmy Clausen wasn’t much better, going 9-for-22 for 72 yards with a pick. Seven Panthers drives in the first half saw them go 3-and-out five times, gain 30 yards on 6 plays but have to punt on another, and their first drive ended with the interception by Moore after five plays and 34 yards.

The only Panthers points of the night came via a Jets gift, as rookie RB Joe McKnight fumbled on the 2nd play of the second half, and the Panthers recovered. With Clausen in the game, the team went 3-and-out, and John Kasay kicked a 42-yard field goal to make it 6-3 Jets.

The next Panther drive seemed to have some legs, as Clausen took the team from the Panthers 20 to the Jets 44 where the drive stalled as he was incomplete looking down the middle on a 3rd-and-2. Instead of going for it, John Fox chose to punt, and the team really only had one halfway decent drive the rest of the night.

That drive came with the Jets leading 9-3 with 3:28 left. Clausen remained at QB, taking the team from the Panthers 22 to the Jets 37. With the game on the line, he was picked off on 2nd down by right corner Drew Coleman, ending any shot the Panthers had to steal a win.

On a positive note, the defense stepped up and held New York to just three field goals on the night. New York had just 7 first downs (the Panthers had 9), and the D held New York to 112 total yards, including 16 passing as Mark Sanchez was held to 5-for-10 passing for 12 yards.

The two teams combined for 20 punts, and the Jets were 5-for-19 on third downs, while the Panthers were 6-for-18. The Panthers, who have scored 15 points in two preseason losses, will take on the Titans next Saturday night at home.

If there is a plan in San Diego, things aren't going according to it.

First the refusal to offer long term contracts to their pair of Pro Bowl restricted free agents led to both Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill promising to hold out for the entire season.

Now their backup plan to the McNeill holdout issue has reportedly called it quits before he even straps it up for a regular season game.

Citing displeasure in his level of play, former Philadelphia Eagles first round pick Tra Thomas is retiring from football after a very productive 11-year career.

Here are some quotes from Thomas on his decision:

“I was just watching film and I don’t think I was playing as well in practice as I should be. If I’m not playing well in practice, I’m not going to play up to my standard in a game … I feel very good about the decision. I ‘m going out on my own terms. At least, I know I gave it everything I could.”

“I could have milked it for a year, but I have too much respect for the game to do that.”

Now that Thomas has called it quits and with no end in sight to McNeills’ holdout, second year tackle Brandyn Dombrowski will man the uber important position of protecting the quarterbacks blindside for now.

Jclombardi previews Seahawks preseason game.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com 

Basics: Packers (0-1) vs. Seahawks (1-0) at Qwest Field in Seattle on Saturday at 9 p.m.  You can watch on the NFL Network. 

Injury report: Packers – S Bigby (ankle) LB Matthews (hamstring), RB Lumpkin (hamstring), CB Harris (knee), RB Starks (hamstring) and LB Joseph (thigh) are not expected to play.  LB Hawk (ankle) and DT Harrell (personal) are questionable. 

Things to Watch:

1. Defense–No. 1 defense looked shaky in pass defense last week against the Browns.  This will be a severe test of the defensive line's ability to stay on its feet. The Seahawks' offensive line coach Gibbs is the architect of the zone blocking system.  It will be a good test for a defensive line trying to dominate in the run game. 

2. Backup CBs–While two-time Pro Bowl CB Harris may be returning to practice on Monday, the Packers are still wanting to get long looks at young CBs Lee and Underwood who are competing for the fourth cornerback spot in the dime defense and could be serving as the 3rd CB in the nickel if Harris isn't healthy enough to go in the Sept. 12 regular-season opener at Philadelphia

3. Key rookies–How well will rookies S Burnett, OL Bulaga, DE Neal, OL Newhouse, RB Porter, and TE Quarless play in their second game, especially S Burnett, who had an ok or up-and-down first game?  The rookies must improve in their second game.

4. 3rd receiver–How goes the competition between WRs Jones and Nelson for 3rd receiver? 

5. 1st Priority–Big 5 O–Packers need to  line up Driver, Jennings, Jones, Nelson and Finley in a variety of spots on the field so defenses can't predict what will come from specific formations.

6. Offensive Protection–last week, the Packers faced a Browns defense that blitzed an inordinate amount for a preseason game including 10 of QB Rodgers' 13 dropbacks. The Seahawks could bring more of the same, although they didn't during their preseason-opening victory over Titans.

7. Special teams–the same old special teams problems cropped up last week, including penalties and coverage issues. As the Packers get closer to the regular season, Slocum hopes to identify his No. 1 units and let them show what they can do with that process starts tonight.

8. KR Blackmon returns–Blackmon returned to practice this week and looked good returning kickoffs and punts. Can he answer the bell tonight, and will his knee withstand the rigors of all that cutting and stress?

9. Running game–how well RB Grant, RB Jackson, and rookie RB Porter do to get a decent running game going in the game?

Pre-Season Records

(0-1) (1-0)

2009 Records

(8-8, 3rd in AFC South) (10-6, NFC West Champs)

Game time: Monday, Aug. 23 @ 8:00 p.m. ET, ESPN, LP Field

Background: The Cards didn’t have to wait long for their national stage because they will be featured on ESPN for their second pre-season game, when the Cardinals will meet the Tennessee Titans. Most football fans will remember the game between these two in Week 12 last season. That game marked the Titans fifth straight victory after dropping their first six, snapping the Cardinals 3-game winning streak in the process. All that is in the past, though so let’s look at this pre-season match up.

What to Watch For:

The Cardinals’ first team offense needs to snap back from a very poor start to the pre-season. It would be nice to see Matt Leinart take control of the offense and drive down the field for some points (preferably six of them) before the second team takes over.

Hopefully rookie WR Andre Roberts can solve his problem with his shaky hands quickly. The Cardinals’ third round selection came into training camp as the favorite to win the 4th wide receiver spot, but has struggled mightily during camp and in the first pre-season game with drops galore. The coaches have been patient so far, but dropping passes doesn’t fly in the NFL for very long.

Now that John Skelton got his shot at quarterback, perhaps undrafted rookie Max Hall will be next. Derek Anderson is almost certain to immediately replace Leinart, but perhaps we’ll get a look at Hall, a BYU product, sometime in the fourth quarter.

The starting offensive tackles, Levi Brown and Brandon Keith have to turn in better efforts this week. They gave up a sack a piece even though the first team offense was on the field for a very limited time.

The first-team defense played pretty well, if briefly, during the first pre-season game. Perhaps we’ll get a longer look at the unit against the Titans. CB Greg Toler held up well in the limited action he saw, so hopefully he’ll be thoroughly tested at some point during the pre-season.

Don’t expect to see rookie LB Daryl Washington with the first unit just yet, but if he continues to build on his fast start it may happen sooner than we all thought. TCU’s most talented defender was all over the field against the Texans and makes up for his lack of size with great speed and aggression.

Last Meeting: Nov. 29, 2009, Week 12 @ Tennessee, Titans won 20-17.

Titans’ Key Returning Personnel

• Chris Johnson, RB
• Vince Young, QB
• Nate Washington, WR
• Kenny Britt, WR
• Justin Gauge, WR
• Bo Scaife, TE
• Stephen Tulloch, LB

Titans' Key Losses

• Keith Bullock, LB (N.Y. Giants)
• Samari Rolle, CB (retired)
• LenDale White, RB (Seattle Seahawks, then Denver Broncos)
• Kyle Vanden Bosch, DE (Detroit Lions)
• Kevin Mawae C, (free agency)
• Nick Harper CB, (free agency)
• TE Alge Crumpler, (New England Patriots)

Titans' Key Additions

• Derrick Morgan, DE, (first round draft pick)
• Will Witherspoon, LB (St. Louis Rams)
• Tye Hill, CB (Atlanta Falcons)
• Chris Simms, QB (Denver Broncos)

Titans’ 2009 Rankings

• Passing Yards: 23rd (189.4)
• Rushing Yards: 2nd (162)
• Opponents Passing Yards: 31st (258.7)
• Opponents Rushing Yards: 12th (106.9)

Titans’ 2010 Season Outlook: After a 13-3 2008 campaign, the Titans got off to a horrible start last year by losing their first six games. After that, however, Tennessee got it going, winning five in a row with the fifth coming against the Cardinals. In 2010, the Titans are looking to continue their hot second half run. If they can build on winning six of their last eight games in 2009, perhaps they can make a playoff run, but it will be tough sledding as they’re looking up in the division at Houston and Indianapolis. Former NCAA National Champion Vince Young will have to come out and be the team leading quarterback Jeff Fisher apparently thinks he is. We all know what Chris Johnson can do, but Javon Ringer looks to be an excellent compliment to Johnson. It seems, therefore, that the season will probably hinge on their very susceptible secondary.

Cardinals’ Goals

• Keep everyone healthy
• Build Matt Leinart’s confidence and move the ball down the field
• Execute on offense by eliminating mental errors
• Take a good look at CB Greg Toler against Titans’ athletic WRs
• Evaluate inside linebacker core, especially Daryl Washington

Injury Updates:

• Larry Fitzgerald started recovering from his sprained MCL. There’s no way he’s playing against the Titans; he’s probably done for the entire pre-season as well. He’s reportedly a few weeks away from being ready for game action.
• Early Doucet (abdominal strain) is still sitting out, but mostly as a precaution. He will likely slide into the number two spot, assuming he’s ready to go on Monday. Steve Breaston will take Fitzgerald’s position.
• Gerald Hayes is reportedly doing well in his recovery from back surgery in early July. There’s still some hope that he’ll be ready for the season opener, but his rehab protocol has him returning sometime after Week 1, according to Coach Whisenhunt.
• Safeties Aaron Rouse and Rashad Johnson were in a car accident. Johnson was driving when a car in front of them had a blow out. Rouse is suffering from whiplash-like symptoms and is sitting out of practice. Johnson is fine.
• Ben Patrick continues to miss action due to his knee injury, but he should be ready for the start of the season. Steven Spach has been taking the snaps at TE in Patrick’s absence.
• Reggie Walker (hamstring) continues to miss time in an already banged up ILB core. He may be back soon, however, as he was seen sprinting up and down the sidelines at practice on Monday (8/16).
• WR Ed Gant (sprained foot) is practicing on a limited basis. He shouldn’t miss too much time.

As all forms of media are more than amply covering, Brett Favre has "decided" to report to the Vikings and play in 2010. As a non-Packer fan living in Wisconsin for my whole life, I have had an up close and personal view of Brett Favre without the Packer fan bias. I will share with you one bit of advice when it comes to Brett Favre, don't believe a word.

Brett Favre has captivated the hardcore and casual football fan with his "Aww Shucks" personality and passion for the game. His playfulness on the field, his quotability off the field and "gunslinger" mentality have made him irresistible to the media and the fans, neither of which could get enough of him. Both are to blame for the narcissistic monster they created.

The image of Favre holding his helmet high above his head running around the field celebrating a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl is the most common memory fans have of Favre in the postseason. But the six interception meltdown against the Rams, his ill-fated interception in overtime against the Eagles and his game-blowing pick against the Giants in the NFC Championship game are always overlooked. Brett Favre has this sterling reputation as a winner, but the numbers tell a different story.

When Mike Holmgren was the Packers' head coach he worked his hardest to keep Favre under control. He made Favre study film, learn the offense inside and out and didn't pull any criticism that Favre deserved. Favre won two and a half MVPs and a Super Bowl under Holmgren and posted a 9-5 record in the postseason. After Holmgren, Favre never made First Team All Pro, had five 20+ interception seasons and went 4-6 in the playoffs.

Holmgren kept Favre and his massive ego under wraps, but after Holmgren left, Favre began his transformation into the self-serving attention starved diva he is today.

Favre began vocalizing his displeasure with OTAs and minicamps under Mike Sherman in the early 2000's and then the greatest "Get Out of Jail Free" card fell into Favre's lap when he was asked about retirement. The media firestorm that followed was epic. The fans collectively held their breath and the Packers organization flinched.

Pretty soon Favre was excused from offseason conditioning programs and minicamps. He'd hang out in Mississippi on his tractor while his teammates worked and then he'd show up for training camp. Favre always lamented the fact that he didn't have close friends on the Packers after all his buddies retired, but where was the time and effort to build new relationships?

Favre's play began to decline as he was cut more and more slack by the coaches and the media. His interception totals began to sky rocket as Favre realized he was immune from criticism from the press, fans and coaches. He could heave a pass downfield into double coverage and if he completed it, he was hailed as a hero. If it was intercepted, it was shrugged off as part of "being a gunslinger." He had the ultimate leverage if he was criticized, he'd just pop out the old retirement card and everybody would cringe and back off.

The Mike Sherman Era ended in disappointing playoff exits (usually caused by another pick-laden Favre performance) including the first ever playoff loss at home. Sherman had his general manager privileges revoked in 2005 after a string of terrible drafts and awful free agent signings. Ted Thompson was hired in January of 2005 to right the ship.

Thompson fired Sherman after the 2005 season and brought in Mike McCarthy, hoping to use his offensive background and familiarity with Favre to get the Packers turned around.

McCarthy began to crack down on Favre and put pressure on him to recapture his form from the mid-90's. Favre had his worst statistical season in 2006 under McCarthy, and that's when Favre's relationship with the Packers began to fall apart.

Favredidn't appreciate the fact that he was no longer getting the royal treatment and was being treated like one of the guys. He also was livid that Thompson put heat right back on Favre by drafting his eventual replacement in the 2005 Draft. So he busted out his retirement card and made the Packers sweat through the 2007 offseason. Favre then "decided" to come back after he thought his point was made. He put in the time and effort that he needed to and enjoyed a career year in 2007 as the Packers returned to the NFC Championship game after a 13-3 season.

Favre performed like he did in so many other postseason games after Holmgren, throwing an horrible interception in overtime that ended the Packers' season.

Determined to avoid the uncertainty of the previous offseason, the Packers gave Favre a deadline to decide if he was going to play in 2008. Favre would eventually announce his retirement in a tear-filled press conference with the Packers. Many believe that the retirement was heartfelt and sincere, I am skeptical that he ever intended to retire at that point.

I have been accused by some of a being a "Favre Hater" and a cynic when I have shared my opinion on what really happened after that retirement, but Favre said himself he wanted to "stick it to Ted" and the facts and his actions speak for themselves.

Favre had the most leverage he had ever had in his relationship with Thompson, why wouldn't he take advantage of it? He "retired" when the Packers were a game away from the Super Bowl, conceivably a piece or two away from bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. He "retired" as a hero, the fans begging him to return for one last run at the championship. Without him, the team would have to break in an unproven Aaron Rodgers which would make a title run all the more unlikely.

If he "retired" and then "changed his mind" he could skip out on the offseason stuff, cruise into training camp and be celebrated by everybody for coming back. There's no way that Thompson could say no, he'd have the fans, the media and the team ripping him for turning down the most celebrated player in franchise history. I whole-heartedly believe that Favre "retired" with every intention of "unretiring" and forcing Thompson into the biggest game of chicken ever played.

Thompson was tired of tiptoeing around Brett, and to some extent, Deanna. He knew the team would never be one unit as long as Favre was on it, so he wanted to move on. Thompson had an inkling of what could happen, so he quickly planned a ceremony to retire Brett's number before kickoff of the first game of the 2008 season. He had Favre's locker taken out and shipped to him in Mississippi as a gesture of appreciation/message that the team was moving on.

Favre decided that it was time to turn the screws to Thompson, so he began making unretirement overtures. Thompson and McCarthy flew down to Mississippi and met with Favre. Shortly after that meeting, word leaked out that the Packers offered Favre a $20 million marketing/stay retired deal. Some fans were outraged that the team wouldn't welcome him back with open arms, Favre believed the revolt was inevitable.

Favre had all the leverage he could ever ask for, the Packers had spent all offseason preparing Rodgers for the starting job and the fans had yet to embrace him. The Packers took a PR hit with the hush money episode and training camp was just starting. Favre announced his "unretirement" and got on a plane up to Green Bay to force Thompson's hand.

Thompson and McCarthy knew the relationship was broken and that there was no way Brett could play for the Packers. They dug in, braced for the backlash and issued a public statement that Favre was welcome to compete with Rodgers for the starting job.

The backlash came as expected, but nowhere near the level Favre was counting on. A "Bring Brett Back" rally was organized in Milwaukee and drew 200 Favre supporters, in a city of 620,000. The players weren't clamoring for Favre and when faced with the choice, the majority of the fans supported the team over the player.

Favre thought he was bigger than the Packers, and it shocked him to learn that he wasn't. He then requested his outright release so he could play for a divisional opponent to "stick it to Ted." The Packers now had all the leverage again, so despite an offer from the Buccaneers, coached by former Favre tutor Jon Gruden, they shipped him to the Jets. Thompson put a stipulation in the deal that if the Jets traded him to the NFC North they would have to send three first round picks to the Packers, effectively exiling Favre in New York.

Favre struggled to learn a new offense, never made any effort to get to know his teammates and played out the 2008 season. For the first time in his career, he wasn't being coddled by fans and the media and he faced tons of criticism as he collapsed down the stretch and the Jets missed the playoffs. In typical Favre fashion, he would later explain that his poor performance was due to an injury that was never reported on the injury reports. In order to save his reputation, he threw the Jets under the bus as they were fined for not disclosing his injury on multiple injury reports.

Favre never wanted to be in New York and had devised a plan to get out. The Jets were crippled with several huge salaries at the onset of the 2009 offseason, they needed to trim salaries in order to fit under the salary cap. If Favre "retired" again, he would come off the books and the Jets would have some breathing room. So he called in his retirement, this time without the tear-filled presser to preserve his image and the Jets moved on. This sham retirement would be revealed for what it was several weeks later when Favre asked for his release from the Jets. Why would a player who was retired and had no intention of playing need his release?

Once the Jets drafted Mark Sanchez, Favre had all he needed to force the Jets to do what the Packers wouldn't do. He announced his "unretirement" which meant the Jets had to add his salary back to their cap figure or release him. The Jets didn't have the cap space to activate him without cutting players, so they had no choice but release him.

Favre never had any desire to play for the Jets, he used them to satisfy his personal goal of playing for the Vikings which he had been planning since the spring of 2008. The Jets couldn't trade him there, so he needed to force them to release him. He used them to get away from the Packers and then leveraged them into releasing him without getting anything in return.

Favre used the impression of indecisivenessto protect his image and get out of all the offseason commitments, even though he planned to play for the Vikings the entire time. Isn't it odd how when he "decided" that he was going to play for the Vikings in August of 2009 his contract was already drafted and ready to be signed the day he "unretired?" The dog and pony show that took place over the summer months was to preserve Favre's image and Brad Childress' image, so it didn't look like he was holding Favreto different standards than the rest of the team. Favre even referred to the Vikings as "we" in an interview about how he was "undecided" on his future.

Favre truly wanted to play for the Vikings, so there were no team chemistry issues, he had all the leverage he needed on a team he wanted to be on. After providing a laundry list of alleged injuries to insulate himself against criticism if he struggled, Favre would have the best statistical year of his career beating up on a weak schedule for the bulk of the season. However, Favre struggled the last several weeks with home field advantage on the line. The Vikings lost three of five games and Favre threw four of his seven interceptions in those games.

Once again in an NFC Championship game, Favre tried to play the hero rather than playing it safe and giving his team a better chance to win. His interception dashed the Vikings' Super Bowl dreams and for the second time in two years he faced criticism from the fans and media. Conveniently, he had another injury to help insulate him from the criticism as pictures of his bruised and battered ankle were released to the media.

I remain very skeptical of the severity of his bicep and ankle injuries and the corresponding surgeries. Favre is the NFL's Ironman, but why didn't he ever feel the need to provide a full medical breakdown after every bad performance in Green Bay? These severe injuries started cropping up when he was faced with criticism and when he had something to gain by disclosing them. He severely injured his knee in a game against the Redskins in 2002, but there wasn't a peep about that injury because the Packers went 12-4 and made the playoffs.

The bicep surgery gave Favre the excuse to miss the 2009 offseason work with the Vikings and the ankle surgery allowed him to dodge the 2010 offseason work as well. In addition to dodging the offseason work, the ankle surgery offered a new opportunity.

Favrehas used the specter of retirement to get out of offseason work, get traded, get released and get out of training camp. In 2010, he added get more money to the list.

Favre once again played the retirement card on August 3rd for seemingly no reason. Favre had his ankle surgery and also had a wink nod agreement with the Vikings that he would be back. The organization made no effort to protect themselves if Favre was seriously contemplating retirement and their reaction to the newest "retirement" verified that they fully expected him back in 2010.

I was in Minneapolis the day that the infamous, but oft denied, texts were sent to his teammates. The Wilfs and Childress had a panicked meeting on the practice fields at training camp. Within hours, rumors leaked that the Vikings were offering a significant pay increase to get Favre to suit up in 2010.

Despite proof that the texts were sent, Favre denied that he sent them and continued to indicate that he planned to play if he was "healthy." He also denied that the "retirement" was a ploy to get more money, but if it wasn't about money, then why did he accept an adjusted contract? If he was seriously considering not playing, why did Deanna renew their gym membership a few days before the latest "retirement?"

Rich Eisen reported on the Dan Patrick show this morning that Favre's new contract for 2010 could reach $20 million with incentives. Funny how "healthy" that ankle got in 16 days.

Now Yahoo! Sports reports that unnamed Vikings teammates are revealing Favre's open disdain for Childress' playcalling and a lack of trust and respect for his head coach. Other have reported that those feelings may have been partially responsible (along with a desire for more money) for Favre's August 3rd "retirement" to leave Childress twisting in the wind for a couple weeks.

The three man groveling committee that was sent to Mississippi to "convince" him to play was just another chapter in the ever-growing farce this has become. If the Vikings were under the impression that Favre may not come back (even after the pay increase was put on the table) why did they play their starting quarterback (Tavaris Jackson) only one series in the preseason opener? Funny how Favre "decided" to play the week before an nationally televised preseason game…for the second straight year.

Brett Favre built a reputation as a fun-loving, hard-playing, kid in a man's body. He was quotable and likeable and everybody gave him the benefit of the doubt. Everybody talked about how tough he was to play through the pain, while looking past the fact that he was taking enough vicodin that you could cut off his leg without him feeling a thing. They supported him through his substance abuse, the interceptions, the down years and placed him on the highest pedestal.

His own friends from his Packer glory years have spoken out against him and how he has placed himself above his teammates, his team and the league he plays in. So many have wondered "what happened to Brett Favre?" I sit here and wonder "why didn't anybody else see this coming?"

LeBron James' "The Decision" debacle has been universallycriticized as a self aggrandizing affair fueled by immaturity and narcissism, but Brett Favre's faux indecision has been met with a series of "that's Brett being Brett" shrugs and a series of Sears commercials?

On the field, Favre's enthusiasm and passion for the game are infectious and it's almost enough to drown out the ugliness off the field, but each day his self-serving soap opera reaches new heights of absurdity. Favre has forever tainted his legacy with his actions over the last few years, and it's hard to imagine it can go on much longer. For the next several months we'll get a break from the "will he, won't he" charade, but whenever Brett does address 2011, don't believe a word.