| It wasn’t until this spring’s first minicamp, a
sweats-only affair, that new Packers offensive coordinator Tom Rossley realized what type
of player he had in Brett Favre. That practice, the Packers’ quarterback was
throwing wildly. Balls were sailing past the intended receivers on seemingly every play.
After each errant pass, Favre would look toward the sideline at his new coach.
"Don’t worry, I can do this," Favre said to Rossley. "I can do
it."
Knowing full well that Favre was capable, Rossley was amused. Here was one of the most
accomplished players in the NFL, but he sounded like the legendary Notre Dame walk-on Rudy
Ruettiger, a scrub desperate to make the squad.
It was a revealing moment, Rossley thought, not only because it displayed Favre’s
drive and determination but also because it seemed that Favre, on the first day of an
unimportant mincamp, was eager to exorcise the demons of pain and losing that had plagued
him from a year before.
Favre’s résumé and reputation suffered a hit in 1999 when, hampered by a thumb
injury sustained in the preseason, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns (23 INTs,
22 TDs) and finished with a 74.7 passer rating, ranking him just 25th in the
league. More importantly, the Packers finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs for the first
time since the 1992 season.
During the offseason, head coach Ray Rhodes was fired and Mike Sherman was hired to
take his place. A week later, Rossley, the Chiefs’ QB coach, came aboard as offensive
coordinator.
The first couple of times that Rossley talked to Favre, the conversation didn’t
center on X’s and O’s, red-zone strategy or their theories on the shotgun
formation. Favre mainly talked about his golf game and his plans for a ranch in his native
Mississippi. Rossley didn’t press the issue. No need to make suggestions to the
three-time MVP of the NFL before looking at the tape.
But when Favre arrived in Wisconsin, and Rossley had had time to study his new pupil,
Rossley was honest. Too many times, Rossley said, Favre had prematurely tried to take over
a game with his big-play ability.
His biggest need for improvement, Rossley said, was with his progression reads. Over
the past two seasons, Favre had started scanning the entire field more in order to
complete the big play, while following his receivers’ route progression less. He took
too many risks and not enough sure bets.
During spring practice, Rossley preached increased patience to Favre, instructing him
to "take shots when the shots are there." He described Favre as an
"aggressive, attacking player with very little patience," attributes that
"sometimes get him into trouble." To steer clear of that trouble, Rossley said,
Favre needs to cut his interception totals while increasing his completion rate.
But while such goals may very well be the definition of a conservative quarterback,
Rossley didn’t use that term. Neither Rossley, nor anyone else in the Packers
organization wants to handcuff the freewheeling Favre.
"We’re not trying to slow him down or anything. He’s always going to
play like Brett Favre," Rossley said. "We’re just trying to make him have
more patience and be a little bit more into his progressions."
Favre said he interpreted Rossley’s instruction to become more patient to mean
"throw less interceptions," but Rossley said that Favre should also take it to
mean "throw more touchdowns." Favre threw 38, 39 and 35 TD passes in his MVP
years but has seen his numbers drop off the past two seasons.
Bubba Franks, the Packers’ first-round pick, should help Favre boost those
numbers. The rookie tight end from Miami (Fla.) has been impressive this offseason,
showing an exceptional ability to catch the ball. In addition, Franks should help provide
Favre with one of his favorite weapons — the two TE set.
Last season Mark Chmura’s neck injury left the Packers with only one pass-catching
tight end, Tyrone Davis, and the team was not able to run the formation that had been
successful in the past. With Davis and Franks on hand, Green Bay will be able to run the
formation in a manner that should boost its red-zone production. Rossley also said he
expects to see more balance in red-zone playcalling.
"(The Packers) haven’t run the ball (in the red-zone) that much in the
past," Rossley said. "That’s one of the things we’ve got to get back
to, a little more balance and taking the pressure off of Brett."
Delegating offensive production to a wider variety of players has been one of
Rossley’s points of emphasis since he arrived in Green Bay. He wants Favre to feel
less pressure to carry the team than he has in the past. Last year WR Antonio Freeman
missed all of training camp because of a contract dispute and didn’t seem to be on
the same page as Favre much of the time. This offseason Freeman has been with Favre every
step of the way. RB Dorsey Levens, who suffered from injuries late last season, should be
healthy this fall.
If other Packers are able to pick up some of the offensive slack, Favre would be freed
from the impulse to carry the team on his shoulders, an impulse he has fallen victim to in
the past. Rossley wants Favre to be more patient and to learn that every play doesn’t
need to result in a touchdown.
"There’s going to be times when we point to him and hand him the ball and
say, ‘Now’s the time to do it,’ " Rossley said. "But we’re
not going to do it every play."
Perhaps the single biggest cloud hanging over Favre’s 2000 season is his right
thumb. He said that his right thumb is as healthy as it’s going to get, and that
he’ll know how healed it actually is when it is hit for the first time. But the
injury was aggravated several times last season by contact, so there’s no guarantee
of continued health.
Still, Favre says he can do it. And when a man with two Super Bowl appearances, three
4,000 yard seasons, 125 consecutive starts and five Pro Bowl appearances says he can do
it, it’s generally best to believe him — especially when he starts to sound like
Rudy. |
