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| Brett Favre Smiles After Being Sacked |
| Patrick Willis Sacks Brett Favre On His 3rd Play |
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| Trench Battle At CandleStick Park |
One proclamation and three preseason practices were all Vikings quarterback Brett Favre needed to leverage a start Sunday night in his 2010 debut against the 49ers.
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| Peterson Redeems Himself After |
One brief offensive series and leaky pass protection were all it took to convince coach Brad Childress to put Favre back in the box and let the more prepared Tarvaris Jackson line up behind the first-team offensive line.
Favre was on the field for only four plays during the Vikings' 15-10 loss at Candlestick Park before he was seen donning a baseball cap and basking in the northern California sunshine on the sideline.
Afterward, with little to evaluate about his appearance, Favre did damage control, scoffing at a report last week that he does not trust Childress because they clashed several times last season about how the offense should be managed.
"I would say at times we disagreed on certain things but our relationship is fine. It really is," Favre told reporters after the game. "We were fine the next day. We worked it out. I thought our results last year spoke for themselves."
On Wednesday, the day after Favre reported to Minnesota, Yahoo! Sports quoted an anonymous teammate saying Favre had little respect for Childress and questioned Childress' clumsy attempts to control news about the three-man reconnaissance mission to bring him back.
Favre called a team meeting Thursday, when Childress was visiting Percy Harvin at the hospital after the receiver collapsed during practice, to dismiss the Yahoo! story and caution his teammates about unfounded leaks.
"I felt like it was important that we cleared the air and made sure that we were together in that room when we left, and we were," Favre said. "(Childress) was made out to be the scapegoat but it was a totally ridiculous article. The guys that spoke in that meeting said, 'Hey, if someone has a problem with another player or another coach in here, speak up like a man.'
"No one obviously spoke up. That's not to say there would be someone who would say that. But I don't believe it. I really don't. That was addressed, and I think that's behind us now."
Much like his first preseason start last year against Kansas City, when Favre was leveled by Chiefs linebacker Corey Mays on his third snap, Favre's ordinary series Sunday will be remembered for him getting flattened by another blitzing linebacker.
The 49ers' Patrick Willis easily shed Adrian Peterson's block in the backfield and teamed with fellow linebacker Takeo Spikes to swarm Favre and drive him to the turf for a 10-yard loss. "
What can the Vikings foreshadow this season from Favre's short performance against the 49er's, not much. Favre looked a little hesitant on his throws and didn't have the spark in his eye that we know. All we can conclude is that he's eager to play again and hopefully ready to go after that Superbowl this season. Brett remarked, "when I'm I decided to return the only way I know how to go is all in and if I wasn't ready to return and play at that level than I wouldn't have returned." Brett Favre says he's all in mentally but how about physically. Quarterbacks need to have resiliency and this year Favre's ankle and aging body could prevent him from playing to his potential. We all know Favre's "all in " mentally, but his ankle might keep him out of games.
Favre's biggest play came to RB Adrian Peterson for a sidleine dump pass for 13 yards. Two plays later 49ers linebacker and pro bowler Patrick Willis sacked him for a 10 yard loss forcing Favre out of the game and the Vikings to punt. But be realistic Vikings fans. Don't talk smack about Brett Favre just because his first offensive series was unsuccessful. He played four plays not even enough to warm him up. Preceding the game vs the 49ers, which the Vikings lost 10-15, Favre only practiced three times. So, it's like going from throwing to high school kids with nobody trying to sack you, to stud pro bowlers like Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis sacking you. We all know that Brett Favre is going to unload his strikes come game day against the Saints and will kick ass again this season. When Brett gets going there is no stopping him so all that's got to happen is for Brett to start seeing the plays and getting used to moving in the pocket and throwing tight passes again. Anyways, here;s a recap of the Pre-season loss vs the San Fransisco 49ers:
It took Brett Favre all summer to decide he'd play football again. Patrick Willis helped end Favre's night after one series.
Willis brought the rush to Favre on the Vikings' third play of the game for a 10-yard sack with teammate Takeo Spikes closing as well.
Willis considered it payback for a down field block Favre threw on him in a Week 3 loss last season.
"He's a wise old vet," Willis said after Sunday's 15-10 victory over the Vikings at Candlestick. "I guess he was like, 'This is a little too much for me right now just coming back.' I guess a lot of people thought he shouldn't have played.
"I was happy to be out there myself."
Willis played two series with the starting defense, and made sure it was ready to go with the season opener still three weeks away.
Dropping a 40-year-old quarterback just off the Mississippi farm is one thing. It was quite another how Willis ankle-tackled Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson in the open field.
And, going back to that Favre sack ... it happened as Willis shoved Peterson into the quarterback.
"That was my fault," Peterson said. "Willis, being the great 'backer that he is, got underneath me and pushed me right into him."
