Alternative History: A Favre-less Green Bay Packers

[TankAbbott]

http://culturecrossfire.com/sports/what-if-brett-favre-never-became-a-green-bay-packer/
With the NFL season painfully close, I wanted to temper my anticipation a bit by digging into football history. The Packers rebuilding under Mike Holmgren began in an era where free agency had yet to exist, so building a team had to come from drafting well and making crafty trades. With Holmgren inheriting a quarterback roster of struggling young veterans, what options would he and Ron Wolf have sought out had the team doctors negative report on Favre's health been followed up with rebuking the trade with Atlanta that landed the Packers a future Hall-of-famer?
The draft of 1992 offered some interesting prospects and a few hidden gems, plus future years saw the Packers draft further pro bowl caliber talent. There was also some intriguing veteran talent for the taking over those years that could have held down the fort as Holmgren and Wolf built their army.
Does the team win the Super Bowl with Brunell or another under center? Is there even a strong enough roster to do so if Reggie White chooses not to sign with the Packers since their QB situation is unsettled given that White convinced other talent to come in? Does Kurt Warner become a midwestern hero a little further north?
I laid out my vision in the link above. What does Packer Nation think?

 

[Fugazy]

Nope.

Brunell was good but he didn't have the goods to get over the top.

Truthfully the Packers needed Farve, they should have won 2-3 SB with him. He was their offense, the run game was never amazing even though Levens had a few 1000 yd seasons. His receivers were good but not great, Chimura was probably the only thing close to elite at a skill position that Green Bay had, and I loved Freeman and Brooks back then.

They had an excellent defense for a few years and thats where most of their special players were. While White was the soul of the team, Farve was the heart and the nuts. He got those guys ready to go each week, even with all the games he threw away, he won way more for them, and a lot of those victories came in games the Pack should have lost.

Kurt Warner, I love the guy, but without special talent on the outside, (Dude had Faulk, Torry Holt and Issac Bruce in STL, then Fitz and Boldin in ARZ) I don't see him willing what the Pack had during Farves early-mid years to a SB.

 

[JackWhite]

Nope.

Brunell was good but he didn't have the goods to get over the top.

Truthfully the Packers needed Farve, they should have won 2-3 SB with him. He was their offense, the run game was never amazing even though Levens had a few 1000 yd seasons. His receivers were good but not great, Chimura was probably the only thing close to elite at a skill position that Green Bay had, and I loved Freeman and Brooks back then.

They had an excellent defense for a few years and thats where most of their special players were. While White was the soul of the team, Farve was the heart and the nuts. He got those guys ready to go each week, even with all the games he threw away, he won way more for them, and a lot of those victories came in games the Pack should have lost.

Kurt Warner, I love the guy, but without special talent on the outside, (Dude had Faulk, Torry Holt and Issac Bruce in STL, then Fitz and Boldin in ARZ) I don't see him willing what the Pack had during Farves early-mid years to a SB.

//Thread.

 

[Bamboozled]

People forget how good Favre was. Yeah, he lost the Packers some games. He also won the fuck out of a bunch of em. People talk about clutch the dude did drives like a mother fucker. "Oh we're down by 14 going into halftime?" Favre got you a fucking TD. I'm trying to remember the game, but Favre got obliterated by a DE. Basically told the left tackle to let him through on the next play, because he didn't fucking bother or it was a trap block where the guard didn't pick him up. Anyways, Favre sees him just stares steps up and dude misses the tackle they got a first down and Favre just talked so much shit for like 12 yards.

 

[JackWhite]

People forget how good Favre was. Yeah, he lost the Packers some games. He also won the fuck out of a bunch of em. People talk about clutch the dude did drives like a mother fucker. "Oh we're down by 14 going into halftime?" Favre got you a fucking TD. I'm trying to remember the game, but Favre got obliterated by a DE. Basically told the left tackle to let him through on the next play, because he didn't fucking bother or it was a trap block where the guard didn't pick him up. Anyways, Favre sees him just stares steps up and dude misses the tackle they got a first down and Favre just talked so much shit for like 12 yards.

Funny you mention that, because recently James "the hoodie" Jones mentioned Rodgers doing the same thing in games. Must have gotten that from #4.

But yeah, as Packers fans we have been spoiled with such great QB play for the last 25 years, and with Rodgers current greatness some forget just how great Favre was.

 

[Fugazy]

Funny you mention that, because recently James "the hoodie" Jones mentioned Rodgers doing the same thing in games. Must have gotten that from #4.

But yeah, as Packers fans we have been spoiled with such great QB play for the last 25 years, and with Rodgers current greatness some forget just how great Favre was.

Rodgers picked up a lot from Farve, he's just much more polished and even-keeled over all.

I don't think Rodgers would be quite as good as he is now without sitting behind #4 for 4 years. Definitely picked up some of his swagger. And Farve was a student of the game, he was big on getting to know opposing player tendencies, would always look to exploit them and rattle defenders with his trash talk. Doesn't get enough credit for that imo. He was more of a "football player" than just a quarterback if you know what I mean.

 

[Rygu]

If only Sterling Sharpe didn't get hurt...

The guy was a surefire top 3 all-time WR before that freak injury. They would have as least one more SB had he played a full career.

 

[berimBOWLoh]

i dont wanna live in a world where the dick pic pioneer wasnt a Packer.

 

[Da Speeit]

If only Sterling Sharpe didn't get hurt...

The guy was a surefire top 3 all-time WR before that freak injury. They would have as least one more SB had he played a full career.

Shannon/Sterling at XXXII would have been beautiful

 

[INeedARemedy]

Rodgers picked up a lot from Farve, he's just much more polished and even-keeled over all.

I don't think Rodgers would be quite as good as he is now without sitting behind #4 for 4 years. Definitely picked up some of his swagger. And Farve was a student of the game, he was big on getting to know opposing player tendencies, would always look to exploit them and rattle defenders with his trash talk. Doesn't get enough credit for that imo. He was more of a "football player" than just a quarterback if you know what I mean.

You should check out some pre-draft videos of Raahgaahs. His swagger's been there since the beginning. It's actually what turned Can Fran away from him

There's one passing competition where he smoked all the other guys and then hit on the interviewer lol

 

[JackWhite]

Rodgers picked up a lot from Farve, he's just much more polished and even-keeled over all.

I don't think Rodgers would be quite as good as he is now without sitting behind #4 for 4 years. Definitely picked up some of his swagger. And Farve was a student of the game, he was big on getting to know opposing player tendencies, would always look to exploit them and rattle defenders with his trash talk. Doesn't get enough credit for that imo. He was more of a "football player" than just a quarterback if you know what I mean.

Oh, I agree. Rodgers would have still been a franchise QB had he ended up getting drafted by the Niners in 2005. But having to sweat it out in the draft, sitting behind a legend for 3 years, and having to deal with the fallout of the Favre departure definitely gave him even more hunger for when he finally would be the starter. That type of scrutiny either breaks or makes you.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

As a Bears fan for over 30 years I’ll say this: If I missed all the games on Sunday and someone came up to me the next day and told me a QB threw for 800 yards and 10 TD’s in a single game the day before I’d laugh and say ‘bullshit’


But if that same person came up to me and said ‘Brett Favre threw for 800 yards and 10 td’s yesterday’ I’d shrug and say ‘well yeah, it’s Favre’


Fuck I hated that bastard lol. Still do tbh

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

I should also add that my follow up question to said person would be ‘did he also throw 11 INT’s?’



He was good for that too

 

[Thrawn33]

Lions would've had more chances to lose in the yoffs

 

[hearthstone25]

Then he never wouldve cameoed in Something About Mary..

 

[Gregolian]

You should check out some pre-draft videos of Raahgaahs. His swagger's been there since the beginning. It's actually what turned Can Fran away from him

There's one passing competition where he smoked all the other guys and then hit on the interviewer lol

"You mean to tell me you picked Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers because he was too arrogant?" -Stephen A Smith

 

[shinobimusashi]

Very interesting thread, not much else I could add to what has already been said but I recently went back and looked into the Atlanta Falcons 1995 season, they were actually pretty good that year and had some great talent on that team(I believe the first team to have two 1,000 yard receivers and a 1,000 yard rusher). They had a terrible head coach and lost to every good team they played, eventually finished 9-7 though and made the playoffs where they lost in the Wild Card on the frozen tundra to these Packers. Interesting to think what if Atlanta could have somehow kept Favre, Deion, and Rison with some of the other talent they were able to put together on that 95 team, Falcons could have been great.

 

[JackWhite]

Very interesting thread, not much else I could add to what has already been said but I recently went back and looked into the Atlanta Falcons 1995 season, they were actually pretty good that year and had some great talent on that team(I believe the first team to have two 1,000 yard receivers and a 1,000 yard rusher). They had a terrible head coach and lost to every good team they played, eventually finished 9-7 though and made the playoffs where they lost in the Wild Card on the frozen tundra to these Packers. Interesting to think what if Atlanta could have somehow kept Favre, Deion, and Rison with some of the other talent they were able to put together on that 95 team, Falcons could have been great.

Talk about a domino effect that would have. If Favre stayed with the Falcons and they actually became an 11-12 win team, then Prime never leaves for the Niners, which then means they probably never get over the hump and beat the Boys in playoffs.

 

[shinobimusashi]

Talk about a domino effect that would have. If Favre stayed with the Falcons and they actually became an 11-12 win team, then Prime never leaves for the Niners, which then means they probably never get over the hump and beat the Boys in playoffs.

I don't know how far they would have gone with coaches like June Jones and Jerry Glanville(clown) but man there was some great talent passing through Atlanta during those years, they had Rison until 94, Primetime until 93, that 95 team though was loaded with talent, Eric Metcalf a great triple threat runner, receiver, and return specialist had a great season that year, they had a young Lincoln Kennedy on the offensive line, "Ironhead" Craig Heyward a great short yardage power back, plus young Jamal Anderson adding quite a bit of depth to that running game, Bert Emanuel and Terrance Mathis were both excellent receivers as well, it's easy to see why Jeff George had one of his best years that year. On defense they had Chris Doleman, Jessie Tuggle, Daryle Talley, and Clay Matthews, they were actually a pretty good team that year, had they managed to hold on to Rison and Primetime I could see them dominating 95, especially if they had Favre.

 

[white-pony]

Favre was an asshole to both Warner and Rodgers. Both players who eventually became better than him.