We begin with a trivia question. Many people know that Brett Favre's first career completion was to himself when the ball was batted back and Favre caught it for a 7-yard loss.
But to whom was his first conventional pass completed? Answer at the end ... no cheating.
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| Packers coach Mike McCarthy has convinced Brett Favre not to play the game at '100 miles per hour.' (AP) |
"I was shaking," Favre said, "terrified."
That's hardly the image we have of Favre now.
This past Sunday against Carolina, he completed 22 of 30 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns and no turnovers. It means in 10 games, he has passed for 2,975 yards for a career total of 60,475 (closing in on Dan Marino's 61,361) and 433 touchdowns, an NFL record.
"My game has changed," he said. "I'm not always going for the home run now, I'll take a short pass -- even a shovel pass. I figure it's like a bloop single; it's still a hit."
Favre is still charming, still a scamp. Last Saturday, he sat down to talk. It was 35 degrees outside, and he was wearing shorts.
"I study more now," he said. "When I was younger, I didn't know what I was studying. I still have a rifle arm if I need it, but I've traded that raw energy for seeing the field better."
This year, it's evident how Favre is taking advantage of his experience. For the first time, the Packers are going with five wideouts, all true receivers, and Favre has the ability to calmly go through his options and find the open man.
"When I was younger," Favre said, "I just looked once and took off."
Sterling Sharpe said Favre basically didn't know what he was doing 17 years ago.
"He had tremendous talent, natural ability and great quickness," Sharpe said. "But I used to tell him, 'Brett, remember your progression is 84, 84, 84.' I just wanted him to look for me."
