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February 11, 2010

Brett Favre: the big unkown

By Chad Courrier Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO — Saw the other day that Indianapolis is the early favorite at 6-1 to win the next Super Bowl, which seemed odd, given what more than 100 million viewers witnessed Sunday.

Sure seems like New Orleans should have been given that honor, but the Saints and San Diego have both been set at 8-1 by this oddsmaker. Gotta say that the Saints seem like a better investment than the Colts, again given what was seen Sunday.

However, the eye-catcher was that the Minnesota Vikings were the fifth choice to win, sitting at 12-1 with Dallas, Green Bay, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. You can have a lively debate that the 2010 Vikings have a better chance to win the Super Bowl than those other four teams, but it seems preposterous right now to wager on this team’s chances, given the uncertainty of this offseason.

Of course, the big unknown is Brett Favre.

Who quarterbacks this team is a large factor in its chances of winning a championship. With Favre, you could argue that the Vikings are better than Dallas, Green Bay, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. Without Favre, meaning with Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson, you have to bleed deep purple to sell that one.

And nobody, outside of the Mississippi compound, has anything more than a hunch or gut feeling what Favre’s decision will be. Will he return for training camp? In time for the season-opener? At all?

It’s enough indecision that you might want to save your fun money on Super Bowl futures bets.

There are other factors, such as the healthy return of linebacker E.J. Henderson or cornerback Cedric Griffin or the improvement of an inconsistent offensive line, that also will determine this team’s Super Bowl chances. But those are more tangible.

Rookie Jasper Brinkley seemed to fill in adequately for Henderson, and if Benny Sapp is resigned, he can replace Griffin in the short term. Sure, Bryant McKinnie was a complete buffoon at the Pro Bowl, but if all five linemen come back, it’s reasonable to expect better play from that unit.

Favre — that’s a great unknown.

Battered and bruised from the pounding he took in the NFC Championship game, he didn’t look like someone who would want to return. But as we all know, he’s been known to change his mind.

Fans in Minnesota used to laugh at Favre and the indecision regarding his future. Now, they’re living it, waiting on any word that he or someone in the know or someone without direct knowledge will leak. This offseason is a gamble, and it seems like the Saints are a safer play right now than the Vikings.



Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353 or e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com or check out his local sports blog at www.mankatofreepress.com.

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