Bench Favre? Makes No Difference

So, bench Favre? Yes or no? The most popular quarterback in Minnesota is always the backup. See also: Wade Wilson in the late 80s.  Rich Gannon in the early 90s.  Brad Johnson in the mid 90s.  Jeff George in the late 90s.  Gus Frerotte in the mid 00s.  Right now Tarvaris Jackson jersey sales are probably up.

Now, I believe having Tar-Jack come in the middle of the game and starting Tar-Jack are two different things. He's going to be the most effective if you throw him in the mix in the middle of the game, much like Michael Vick in Green Bay back in Week 1. His legs would be the biggest difference and represent an entirely new aspect to the offense. I think that's a good option to have, to say the least, as I'm a little tired of having a someone with 450,000+ miles on his odometer under center.

On the other hand, starting Jackson allows your opponent to prepare for the running aspect, and then you're left with Tar-Jack The Below Average Quarterback we all got to see in '07 and '08. You know, the inaccurate guy always unsure if he should run or pass, always a little too scared to take a risk at throwing a deeper route to a wideout, and when he does, it's right to the free safety or middle linebacker he didn't see.

Some will say, and I don't blame them, that this is essentially the same team in 2008 that went 10-6 with Tar-Jack at the helm, so what's the big deal? Except it's not essentially the same team. The 2010 version can't get to the quarterback worth a damn (and they REFUSE to blitz), there's no Chester Taylor (who Toby Gerhart and Albert Young have combined to do a terrible impersonation of him), and there's no Cedric Griffin (who Chris Cook, Lito Sheppard and "Friggin" Frank Walker have combined to do an even worse impersonation). 

I may be willing to concede this point if Sidney Rice comes back healthy and effective this year, thus creating a Daunte Effect - three great WRs making a QB look 10 times more awesome than he is. That may work with Favre too, you know.  But realistically, the ceiling on this team this year is 9-7.  And that's very optimistic.  They'd have to go 7-3 with their remaining games. 

Silver lining - the rest of the NFC is garbage.  Rank the best teams right now, I dare you.  Falcons, Giants... who?  Last night's Packers?  The Saints, who just got taken apart by Cleveland, AT HOME?  The Eagles, who crapped themselves in the 4th quarter in Tennessee yesterday?  The Fraudulent Chicago Bears (their now official name the rest of 2010)?  The Effing Tampa Bay Bucs?  The RAMS?  So yeah, it's not over yet.

Still, our deal with the devil expired at the end of last year and we're paying for it.