[CJBallar01]

4-GET THE FUTURE & ENJOY THE RIDE


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Every few weeks, there is a question for Brett Favre about whether this will be his first and last season with the JetsNew York Jets . It has become a rite of autumn around here, the way it was a rite of winter for the past several years in Green Bay.

It is an exercise in futility, because the football world and probably a good part of the free world knows by now that Favre doesn't know, and won't know until months after the season ends, and even when he thinks he knows, he doesn't ever really know.

But the main reason all the Brett-Are-You-Coming Back? questions should end once and for all is we should all do what the 39-year-old quarterback is doing, and that is concentrate on the season that is unfolding in front of us, a season that suddenly has a chance to be magical, one year after the Super Bowl XLII Giants.

We should all sit back and enjoy the ride Favre is beginning to give us, a ride that started off as gut-wrenching as the Coney Island Cyclone and appears on its way to exhilarating by the time it stops, whenever that may be.

Favre beat the Patriots in Foxborough. Favre beat Bill Belichick in overtime. The Jets season New York dreamed about when he showed up doesn't end there. It begins there.

A year ago, the Jets were the football Titanic. Today in Nashville, they can announce themselves as titans by beating the 10-0 Titans.

Favre cannot do this by himself at this age any more than he ever did it by himself when he won his Super Bowl 12 seasons ago. Kris Jenkins, the Jets' Albert Haynesworth, is the best defensive lineman the Jets have had since Joe Klecko. Calvin Pace gets after the quarterback. Kick returner Leon WashingtonLeon Washington gets Favre the best possible field position. Alan Faneca and Damien Woody have added toughness and experience to the offensive line. Thomas JonesThomas Jones is running young again. Dustin Keller is becoming Favre's Dallas Clark. No one dares throw on Darrelle Revis. Kerry Rhodes is on the brink of stardom.

But make no mistake: Favre is the straw that stirs the drink.

He stirs it with his Everyman persona, the boy forever inside him, refusing to leave, wherever he is, whatever he is doing. He stirs it with how much he cares about his teammates. He stirs it with his unyielding will to win, even now.

Here's what Favre has now been able to do: He has made his teammates believe. Especially his receivers. Believe they can do something impossible like David Tyree did in the Super Bowl. He makes all his teammates believe they will find a way to win in the fourth quarter, or in overtime, come hell or Bill Belichick.

A lot can happen from here to January. Favre's body may yet remind him no one gets to remain forever young. He may revert to throwing those reckless interceptions.

But for now, give the geezer credit. The heat has been hot here, but Favre never thought about getting out of the kitchen. There was that embarrassing meet-the-press grilling over whether he had surrendered Packers state secrets to then-Lions general manager Matt Millen and very possibly coaches eavesdropping before his former team's 48-25 victory. There was all the commotion over having to learn a new offense and reaching common philosophical ground with coach Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. This has been a very public trial by error for him, under the unforgiving, blinding New York microscope, and Favre has never blinked.

There never was any danger he would tarnish his Hall of Fame legacy, at least in the eyes of the majority. But he risked the worst kind of ending, in the worst possible place for it to end the way it ended for Willie Mays in his twilight. He risked the ridicule of a town without pity.

Look at him now. Not Messier just yet. Not the Messiah just yet. But maybe. Maybe one of our New York Titans.

[Jetsfan115]

If favre wins a SB here it would ad to his legacy and he might be known as the best QB of all time. even w/o winning it he will still be known as one of the 3 best all time and is a HORer no matter what.

[ganggreen2003]

That article right there says it all with no punches pulled, that just pumped me up a little bit more and knowing the Sky is the Limit for this team with how we just have looked great in this 5 game winning streak the Oakland game was the turn of the corner and now we are in a full on sprint to the finish with the last 5 games of the season the JETS are looking stronger and moving like a well oiled machine and Favre is pressing on the accelerator....