Will Brett Favre help Adrian Peterson?
While we all enjoy the fallout over Artie Lange's show-stealing performance on Joe Buck Live, let's turn our attention back to Lange's opening act: Brett Favre. (I’d love to write 1,000 words on Lange, but I’m almost as ill-suited to do so as Joe Buck is to host a comedy-tinged program.)
I blogged on NBCSports.com last night summarizing the Favre appearance. The short version: he’s all but a Viking now.
Buck's line of questioning about how Favre would enjoy playing with Adrian Peterson got me thinking: Will Favre help Peterson's fantasy value?
In theory, yes. Favre is roughly a league average quarterback at this point, but that's a big upgrade from Tarvaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte from last season. In reality, though, we must examine whether Favre is that much better than Sage Rosenfels. I doubt he is.
Rosenfels, like Favre, can move the chains. There are questions about the consistency of each player's deep ball, and both players will turn the ball over too much.
The main advantage Favre has over Rosenfels, from Peterson's perspective, is that he'll guarantee that Tarvaris Jackson is on the bench. That is no small advantage, and it promises an upgrade at quarterback for Peterson from 2008. And it's pretty exciting to think of what Adrian Peterson could do with any more advantages.
Comments
Love your stuff Greg, but why are we really even having this debate? Isn't AP the consensus # 1 pick whether Favre is there or not? I for one don't think it'll have much of an impact. I expect him to have great numbers regardless.
Posted by: John | June 16, 2009 05:02 PM
All i have to say is SUPERBOWL HOMEBOY!!
Posted by: eric | June 16, 2009 06:14 PM
TC: The improvement in the Jets running game from '07-'08 has a lot more to do with the changes in their OL than it does with Favre.
Posted by: Enoch | June 16, 2009 07:30 PM
Favre = Superbowl for Vikes. He will own Green Bay this year. Harvin will be a beast too.
Posted by: Misfit | June 16, 2009 09:32 PM
A league average QB? That's just poor reporting Gregg. I know you are sick of him with the retiring/unretiring, but come on.
He went to the Jets and played very well until he was hurt considering he got there late and learned a completely different offense. He knows the Vikings offense as well as any coach they have and will be light years better than Rosenfels. And Favre is no more likely to turn the ball over now than he was 10 years ago. He has always taken chances with the football.
AP will benefit greatly from Favre being there assuming Favre is healthy. As will all the WR's.
I know the media has turned on Favre, but that doesn't change the fact that he can still play and play very well.
Posted by: Mark | June 16, 2009 09:43 PM
Stephen: 5 touches a game is more then enough to touches to change a game. Favre's play action is ridiculous. Since when was he an 'average', QB? Last time I checked he was awesome last year as well, until he got hurt. If he had continued the pace he was on, he would have easily thrown for 30-35 td's. Average?? Guess your judging him on the last few games hurt, versus healthy, aye?
Posted by: Mantis | June 16, 2009 09:50 PM
I'll be honest boys. The notion that some prefer that the ball be in Rosenfel's hands than Favre's is insane to me. As much as Favre tends to throw picks, Rosenfel is much worse. Add to the equation that Favre knows the offense inside out and backwards (another advantage over Rosenfel) and I take #5 every day of the week. I think that AP and #5 will help each other in a big way.
Posted by: Zen | June 16, 2009 10:00 PM