-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brett Favre needs to stop talking to people outside the Jets organization ... Jacobsohn/Getty ... and help turn Gang Green's season around. Brett Favre needs to concentrate on the Jets for the next 10 weeks and forget about playing big brother to players and executives around the NFL. And it would help, too, if he can keep his story straight. Four days ago he said it was "total BS" that he gave tips to the Lions on how to beat the Packers the second week of the season. He amended it Wednesday and at least admitted he did speak to since-fired Lions GM Matt Millen, who was searching for inside information about the Packers one month after Favre had a bitter divorce from Green Bay. PHOTO GALLERY: RAIDERS DOWN JETS IN OVERTIME The conversation with Millen took place days before the Jets lost a statement game to the Patriots without Tom Brady. And Tony Romo called last week looking for advice on playing with a broken pinkie days before the Jets lost to the Raiders. Don't these guys know Favre has his own job? Then sometime before the kickoff in Oakland, before playing his worst game with the Jets, Favre found time to text-message a media friend to refute the report that he helped the Lions prepare to play Green Bay. The Jets have become all about Favre, for better or worse. His every move gets analyzed. He is their A-Rod minus Madonna. The Jets had to know this was going to happen, but it was a trade they had to make. They just didn't count on Favre-mania becoming such a distraction. Can Favre just focus on the Jets, who are a disappointing 3-3 after losing to the Raiders, one of the worst teams in football? Can he let Romo figure things out for himself? Can he tell Millen to get lost? Is it too much to ask? "Believe me, I'm trying my best to help this team win. The New York Jets," he said. "And spending no time trying to make sure the Packers lose. I got enough on my plate, believe me." Favre is one of the most intense competitors in the NFL. Clearly, he is well-respected in the NFL. But he's with a new team. The offense hasn't exactly been on fire (he's thrown eight interceptions in the last five games), so perhaps he needs to turn off his cell phone and not be so available. He can open a counseling business when he moves back home to Hattiesburg. "I know that Brett prepares as thoroughly as anybody else," Eric Mangini said. "I don't monitor guys' free time. So they can spend it however they want." Safety Kerry Rhodes just heard about the controversy Wednesday. He said if Favre was spending time trying to help the Lions instead of concentrating totally on the Jets, then, he said, his thought would be: "You want everybody to be focused on the task at hand. If that happened, that's unfortunate for the team." Favre picked up his cell phone driving home from the Jets' facility last month and it was his friend Millen, the incompetent executive. Millen first invited Favre to go hunting at his home in Pennsylvania, but Favre knew Millen was really interested in another outdoor sport - fishing. He was putting his line in the water and hoping to come up with inside information on Green Bay's offense before the Lions played the Packers. The key here is Millen called Favre. "I think the question he asked was, 'Anything in particular you guys did to us last year or how you looked at us?'" Favre said. All Favre said he could remember was in the first game against Detroit in 2007 he had "22 straight completions. We went empty formation. We kept throwing completion after completion," he said, and noted that he didn't have a playbook in his lap driving home while he spoke to Millen. Coaches routinely interrogate a player they've picked up when they play their former team. Coaching is a fraternity, so they often pick each other's brains. If the Jets were playing the Packers, then Favre would give Mangini every piece of information he has. But since he had no stake in the Lions-Packers game, just having a conversation with Millen about the Packers gives the perception that he wanted the Packers to lose. It makes Favre appear vindictive, although in this business, not quite unethical. Favre wanted to return to Green Bay this summer, but Packers GM Ted Thompson didn't want him back after he decided to rescind his retirement announcement. In effect, the Packers fired Favre. It's only human nature for Favre to want the Packers to fail, even though he says he doesn't. Did he tell Millen more than he's letting on? Possibly. He says he's guessing, but he thinks others were probably in the room when he was speaking to Millen. The others would have been Lions coaches. Favre's reputation has taken a hit in Green Bay. How could he provide information to hurt the team he was the face of for 16 years? He had some anger in his voice Wednesday trying to defend what he did, which he feels was nothing. "Next thing I know, I'm calling everyone in the league giving our secrets," he said sarcastically. Last year, SpyGate was the big scandal. That was cheating. Even if Favre did give Millen some inside information, there are no rules against it. And even if he had access to the Packers' game plan and turned it over to Millen, the Lions aren't good enough to take advantage of it. The Packers beat the Lions, 48-25. The Jets need 10 weeks of Favre's undivided attention. He can wait until the offseason to go hunting with Millen, who seems to prefer fishing. gmyers@nydailynews.com __________________
This guy is kinda whacky. He acts like favre can't have a personal life, that he shouldn't have time to make phone calls or send text messages. First of all he mentions that the call was on his drive home from work, not like he can do work while driving. Also sending a text message takes a minute at most, really taking away from work time there.... He also says favre contradicted himself, which is untrue. First they asked him if he gave information to the lions about the packers and he said that's bs, which is true. Then later he says he did talk to millen, which is also true. He didn't say it was bs that he talked to anyone with the lions, he said it was bs that he gave them plays/team info/etc to beat the packers. I do think Favre will be fired up this game. Besides injuries, the one other thing that always seems to lead to great games the following week is harsh criticisms about him. Case in point, last year critics were doubting his long ball after he threw two ints against washington on long balls. The following week in Denver he had two bombs for td's, including the game winner in OT. As Favre famously said, "don't bet against me."
"The offense hasn't exactly been on fire (he's thrown eight interceptions in the last five games)" Favre and the offense were unstoppable for the Arizona game. The team is inconstant. IMO play calling and depth on the Oline have been issues. Favre takes to many hard hits throughout the games in which we lost, especially in the the first half. Also the receivers are not getting open enough.
The defense handed them the ball 6 times with a short field. The second half there were 2 good TD drives, but don't exaggerate the effectiveness of the offense. Favre still couldn't manage 300 yards passing. He has only cracked 200 twice.
some people on this board think we received 3 wins for the Arizona game.....give it a rest....Favre has been "ok" at best as a Jet.
This is great! Go Jets! Seriously, I am all fucking in on the "shut up and win already" attitude. this is beginning to remind me of the Boomer era, not pleasant.
