The Outlook Of Madden 11: Thoughts On The Demo

Drew Brees on cover of Madden 11

It's that time of year once again; fantasy leagues are starting their drafts, rabid fans are searching for sales of rookie jerseys, and the yearly "Favre watch" is in full effect. That's right, the NFL season is just around the corner, and it just wouldn't be the same if the new edition of Madden didn't mosey on up with it.

Coach Ryan ate Mark's last hot-dog and he's pissed

Madden 11 (due out August 10th) is the newest edition to the yearly sports game series. The demo came out a few days ago, so let's dive into how this years release is shaping up:

Online Team Play with Madden 11

One of Madden 11's new editions to the series is the "Online Team Play" option. Many of you may wonder what the difference between this and last year's "Online Co op" feature. In many ways it is just an upgraded version, but the main point is that its better then last year's mode. For starters, the human players per team increases from 2 a piece to 3 (mind blowing I know). Another interesting component is the "squad" aspect, letting players choose from 3 squads (OFF:QB,RB,WR- DEF:DL,LB,CB) so that you control only players in your squad, minimizing confusion and placing importance on each range of skill sets.

Indianapolis Colts Sideline

The graphics have improved and you can vividly tell in every aspect of the game, from the much improved sidelines and more realistic player and coach models, to the replays, in game action. The lighting has improved greatly, being more realistic then ever, and a small but fantastic detail is the clarity of the in stadium game screens.

Chris Johnson, RB of the Titans

The animations in Madden 11 are more fluid and realistic then ever. While they took out the sprint button (yes, no more turbo), they replaced it with a more natural acceleration. Mix that with the implementation of their new "locomotion" system, and running and tackling and everything in between is even more realistic. You see little to no Wide Receivers running being completely aware of the first down or out of bounds like last year, the glitchy "stuck" animations have cleared up and the AI as a whole has improved.

Madden 11 Game Flow

A new method of calling plays and running a game plan has been implemented in Madden 11, called "Game flow", supposedly making the game more immersive while wasting less time calling plays, shortening overall game time. This revolves around setting up a personalized game plan in which you pick plays you would most like to call in a number of situations and then when such a situation comes up the computer analyses the best choice for the moment (I thought Mr Madden did that all ready?). For the casual fan, this sounds like a great idea and something that they will most likely have great sucess with, for the more hardcore fan, they will probably stick to the option of a conventional playbook.

Put your headset on , the coach is talking to you!

Overall, Madden 11 looks amazing, feels great and will most likely be even better when the actual release comes out next month. And one last thing the most important improvement of the game, they took out the chain gang animations.

NFL Game Predictions & Outlooks; Week 3

We'll we are just over 2 weeks into the season, and the NFL is ripe with excitement, hype, upsets and competition. Before we go into the predictions for this weeks games, lets analyze a few other aspects of the NFL so far.

Teams looking good:

New Orleans - First in the league in total offense, they seem to have found a potent game plan and do not look like they'll be slowing down anytime soon.

Atlanta - Their running game needs to step up to its prolific state from last year, but overall this offense is dynamic, especially with the addition of TE Tony Gonzalez. Another test will be this week with New England.

Minnesota - Adrian Peterson is looking like well, himself, and this team is on its way to steady success. Their big problem is passing yards, if that improves, this offense doubles.

New York (Giants) - They are finishing out games and getting things done through the air without Buress. The defense looks well rounded and they could be a force to be reckoned with.

New York (NYJ) - Mark Sanchez looks promising as a starting rookie QB, and the improved defense is top of the league at the moment. They could falter if the offense doesn't pick up some momentum.


Teams on the verge:

Indianapolis - They may be 2-0 and their passing seems fine tuned and efficient even with young players dominating most receiving positions. Their pass defense may be number one in the league but their run defense is near rock bottom, if they can plug up the line and stop the run better they can be a real heavy hitter again.

Pittsburgh - The former super bowl champs have the cards to make another run at the playoffs if they can play with continuity. Their opener against Tennessee was a good example of team perseverance.

Houston - They bounced back in a big way with some explosive play at offense in week 2. If they can keep that level of play up they can go far.

Dallas - Their offense is putting up a lot of yards, and is near the top of the league, but their also allowing a lot of yards. The defense needs to crack down and they need to finish out games.

San Diego - They are looking good on offense especially through the air, but the running game could step up, as well as the rush defense. They have a real test 2 weeks at Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia - That hard loss to the Saints hurts, but this team can get rolling again. A healthy Mcnabb can ensure that start.

Green Bay - The packers are well rounded, they just need to continue to get better. The loss to Cinci hurts, but they can rebound with an easy win over the Rams.

Chicago - They looked better beating the former super bowl champs, but they need to pull their rushing game away from the bottom to become a real threat again.

Teams that need help:

Denver Broncos - Dont let their record fool you, they pulled one out of their ass in week one, thought the victory in week 2 did look more promising (though it was against Cleveland). They need some more fine tuning.

Miami - Their smash mouth run game seems as potent as ever, but lack of efficiency in clutch plays and lack of putting up points as kept them from a victory thus far in the season. Teams play together and win together and Miami needs to figure out how to win together fast.

Tennessee - They are better then their record, but they need to show it on the field. They have played two tough games, but they need to strive towards finishing and winning the game, and the defense needs to step up to help.

New England Patriots - They don't look like the NE of old, and Tom Brady has yet to find a rhythm. They need to find a way to protect Brady and supplement the defense or its going to be a disappointing year.

Buffalo - They show signs of the possibility of improving. The week one loss was a letdown, and they needed to finish that game. The defense needs to step up all around and the offense needs to be more versatile.

Seattle - They have some real potential brewing. Their offense is getting better and their defense is stepping up, though some injuries to Wilson and Trufant could bring them right back down again

Arizona - They need to find their continuity and step up as a team. Warner's record breaking game is surely a step in the right direction, but some run game improvement could help.

Washington - They put a lot of money into this team and it just does not seem to be translating into playing good football. Barely beating St. Louis does not help their case.

Oakland - I'm not set on their potential just yet, their offense just isint doing what needs to be done. They are gonna need to figure out how to make this team run smoothly.

Kansas City - Two losses into the season, their looking like normal run of the mill Kansas City. The loss of TE Tony Gonzalez couldent have helped any either.

Carolina - Where is that rushing game that was so phenomenal last year? The passing defense seems to be the highlight of this team, but Delhomme needs to lead this team to a win before they fall to far behind. Considering they have Atlanta and New Orleans above them, they need wins now or it will be too late.

Tampa Bay - They are on the verge of falling even father, their defense is hitting rock bottom at the moment, showing no signs of life. They need to reevaluate their game plan fast.

Teams that seem to be playing for next year already:

St. Louis - They have shown no potency at offense what so ever, and the defense is like a shredded sponge. They need an overhaul of the whole team.

Jacksonville - A team with high hopes, looks to be unable to get anything going at the moment. They have the ability to rush the ball but the passing attack is stagnant and their just not explosive. They need to find a way to bring something worthwhile to this offense.

Cleveland - They haven't been absolutely horrid, but their offense is invisible thus far.

Detroit - Second year without a win? maybe.


AFC & NFC Championship Predictions:
While making such predictions 3 weeks into the season mean nothing, we'll do them anyway.

AFC Championship:
Indianapolis Colts Vs Baltimore Ravens

NFC Championship:
New Orleans Saints Vs Minnesota Vikings


(now on to..)


NFL Game Predictions & Outlooks; Week 3

Cleveland Browns Vs Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland's already stagnant offense will be nonexistent versus this concrete defense. Look for the Ravens to run with Ray Rice, and Flacco to get the conversions easily. This should be a lock.

Players To Watch:
Baltimore's Ray Rice - Cleveland's Jamal Lewis

Proposed Score: Baltimore 27 - Cleveland 13

Washington Redskins Vs Detroit Lions

Washington hasn't been very explosive this year, but anyone looks explosive matched up with Detroit.

Players to Watch:
Washington's Chris Cooley - Detroit's Kevin Smith

Proposed Score: Washington 17 - Detroit 9

Houston Texans Vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville has struggled on offense and Houston has bounced back, showing some stellar offensive Jacksonville can put up a fight but i don't think they can pull out a win.

Players to watch:
Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew - Houston's Matt Schuab

Proposed Score: Houston 20 - Jacksonville 9

Atlanta Falcons Vs New England Patriots

The Patriots are sputtering, unable to protect Brady and get a offensive rhythm down, look for Matt Ryan and the Falcons to exploit them on the ground and through the air.

Players to watch:
Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez - New England's Tom Brady

Proposed Score: Atlanta 23 - New England 13

Green Bay Packers Vs St. Louis Rams

Look for Green Bay to have a good bounce back game versus the hapless St. Louis rams who have only scored 7 points total in 2 games this season.

Players to Watch:
St. Louis Steven Jackson - Green Bay's Ryan Grant

Proposed Score: Green Bay 27 - St. Louis 6

New York Giants Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay's defense has not lived up to expectations and the Giants have been fairly well rounded as they moved to 2-0. I think its certainly possible for Tampa to take this, but its highly unlikely.

Players To Watch:

Tampa's Byron Leftwich - New York's Brandon Jacobs

Proposed Score: New York 28 - Tampa Bay 17

New York Jets Vs Tennessee Titans

The Jets are rolling on their 2-0 start and the Titans are on the other end, but i think this could be a good match up for the Titans. I think it will be a war, but the Titans can pull it off.

Players to watch:
Titans Justin Gage - Jets Mark Sanchez

Proposed Score: Titans 17 - Jets 14

Kansas City Chiefs Vs Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles got torn apart by the Saints last week but they could rebound very nicely against this undermined Kansas City team.

Players to watch:
Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe - Philadelphia's Desean Jackson

Proposed Score: Philadelphia 33 - Kansas City 13

San Fransisco 49ers Vs Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota is one of the best teams rushing the ball with AP, and their going up against one of the top 5 run defenses thus far this season. This should make the game a close ball game, but Minnesota's defense will keep them on top.

Players to watch:
Minnesota's Brett Favre - San Fran's Frank Gore

Proposed Score: Minnesota 17 - San Fran 13

New Orleans Saints Vs Buffalo Bills

Buffalo shows some improvement but they will be little match against the leagues best offense this week. Look for the Saints to produce stellar numbers as always on route to a win.

Players to watch:
New Orleans Drew Brees - Buffalo's Terrell Owens

Proposed Score: New Orleans 38 - Buffalo 19

Chicago Bears Vs Seattle Seahawks

Chicago and Seattle are both a little wobbly coming into this week. Chicago is due to take this after beating the Superbowl champs last week. Seattle faltered since their first win.

Players to watch:
Seattle's Julius Jones - Chicago's Matt Forte

Proposed Score: Chicago 20 - Seattle 10

Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Cincinnati Bengals

The steelers are due for a bounce back after the disappointing loss last week, Cincinnati played well last week but should fall to Pittsburgh.

Players to watch:
Cinci's Chad Ochosinco - Pittsburgh Hines Ward

Proposed Score: Steelers 21 - Bengals 14

Denver Broncos Vs Oakland Raiders

Despite pitfalls, Denver is 2-0 and while it may be very competitive they should move to 3-0 this week against Oakland. The Raiders show promise but cant seem to keep it together.

Players to watch:
Denver's Brandon Marshall - Oakland's Zack Miller

Proposed Score: Denver 14 - Oakland 10

Miami Dolphins Vs San Diego Chargers

The Dolphins have yet to balance out their offense in their first two games, but this could be their turning point in a tough battle with San Diego. Miami's run game is effective and if they can run in between the tackles, which they most likely will against the Chargers, it could be a good game plan. San Diego needs to focus on scoring in the red zone.

Players to watch:
Chargers Vincent jackson - Dolphins Ronnie Brown

Proposed Score: Dolphins 17 - Chargers 14

Arizona Cardinals Vs Indianapolis Colts

Kurt Warner is coming off his most efficient game ever but that might not be enough for the Colts solid pass defense. Look for it to be close but for Peyton Manning to create some magic and lead his team to victory again.

Players to watch:
Colts Peyton Manning - Cardinals Kurt Warner

Proposed Score: Indianapolis 23 - Arizona 19

Carolina Panthers Vs Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys offense should rev back up against the mistake prone Panthers in this match up. That is, if Marion Barber can keep his effectiveness up and Tony Romo can protect the football.

Players to watch:
Carlina's Steve Smith - Dallas Jason Witten

Proposed Score: Dallas 27 - Carolina 19

NFL Game Predictions & Outlooks; Week 2

Week one in the NFL has come and gone, and it was a great week of football, showcasing some great games, crazy plays, and classic competitiveness. Week 1's Predictions and Picks were not too spectacular, but it is routinely difficult to judge team's competency coming in to the first game of the season, simply based on the fact that it's the first time you get to see the team in action. All excuses aside, lets take a look into the match ups and predictions for week 2 in the NFL.

Houston Texans Vs Tennessee Titans

In the season opener the Tennessee Titans lost a close Over Time game to the reigning Super Bowl Champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look for them to rebound against the Houston Texans in this week 2 match up. Tennessee's defense played well in their first game and kept it close throughout the game. Houston on the other hand, in their week one loss to the New York Jets, looked stagnant on offense. They let the Jets rush for over a hundred yards so look for Tennessee to produce similar if not better rushing totals with speedster Chris Johnson.

Players to watch in this game:
Tennessee's WR Kenny Britt - Houston's QB Matt Schuab

Proposed Score: Tennessee 21 - Houston 13

New Orleans Saints Vs Philadelphia Eagles

The New Orleans Saint routed the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Carolina Panthers in their respected week one games. The Eagles forced a meltdown on Jake Delhomme, forcing four interceptions, while the Saints offense took apart Detroit, led by Drew Brees 6 touchdown passes. But how will these two fare against each other? Donovan Mcnabb has a fractured rib but is trying to play in this game, though its possible that even if he does play, his performance could be affected. This could go back and forth but I like New Orleans based on sheer offensive potential.

Players to watch in this game:
Philadelphia's QB Donovan Mcnabb - New Orleans TE Jeremy Shockey

Proposed Score : New Orleans 28 - Philadelphia 24

Arizona Cardinals Vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Both Arizona and Jacksonville are coming off week one losses, and in their up coming game, the match up could be close. Indianapolis was not able to run well on Jacksonville in week 1, and neither will Arizona in week 2. Jacksonville allowed 301 passing yards to Indy, which could be bad news since their up coming match up welcomes another predominantly passing team in Arizona. San Fransisco put a lot pf pressure on Kurt Warner which threw him off and led to two interceptions, this leads to bad news in turn for Arizona since Jacksonville's defense shows potential, stopping indy on both 4th down attempts, sacking manning once, and forcing Addai to fumble. This could go either way but I'm going to give it to Jacksonville because of their ability to protect the football and run the ball.

Players to watch in this game:
Jacksonville's WR Torry Holt - Arizona's RB Tim Hightower

Proposed Score : Jacksonville 23 - Arizona 14

Oakland Raiders Vs Kansas City Chiefs

As surprising as it sounds, Oakland looked like they are started emerging from bottom trawler of the league in their close loss to San Diego. Kansas City put some what of a fight up against Baltimore but but it was too little to help. I think Oakland emerges even more this week against Kansas City, the running game does better (as Baltimore rushed for a combined 198 yards) and Russell gains even more confidence in the passing game.

Players to watch in this game:

Oakland's TE Zach Miller - Kansas City's WR Mark Bradley

Proposed Score : Oakland 21 - Kansas City 17

Cincinnati Bengal's Vs Green Bay Packers

Last week Cincinnati lost a close game to the Broncos on a miracle tipped touchdown catch in the closing section of the 4th quarter (though the Bengals did not even put their own points on the board till the last minute of the 4th). Green Bay came back to reclaim the lead and the in win in the 4th quarter of their game as well. Look for Green Bay to have an easier time with Cincinnati then they did with Chicago. Chicago's pass rush pressured Rodgers constantly, sacking him 4 times and hitting him 9. After Greg Jennings big game, look for Rodgers to keep him as the go to guy in this game, and Ryan Grant should produce a little better on the ground.

Players to watch in this game:
Green Bay's WR Greg Jennings - Cincinatti's WR Chad Ochocinco

Proposed Score: Green Bay 17- Cincinatti 7

Minnesota Vikings Vs Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions do not look to be starting off the season well as they fell to 0-1 last week as Drew Brees threw 6 touchdowns and turned the Lions inside out. Rookie Matthew Stafford's had none and instead had 3 interceptions (though he did manage to run a TD in). The Minnesota Vikings defeated Cleveland last week as Adrian Peterson rushed for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns. Look for him to post similar numbers this game against Detroit (they let New Orleans rush for over a 100 yards) as they rise to 2-0.

Players to watch in this game:
Minnesota's QB Brett Favre - Detroit's CB Anthony Henry

Proposed Score: Minnesota 28 - Detroit 13

St. Louis Rams Vs Washington Redskins

The Rams had a terrible season opener as they were shutdown by the Seattle Seahawks in a 28-0 loss. The Redskins in week one, lost a competitive game to the New York Giants in a failed comeback attempt. Washington should have far less trouble with the Rams this week as St. Louis attempts to find some rhythm on all sides of the ball. It might not be as embarrassing as week one for the Rams but look for them to get beat soundly by Washington this week.

Players to watch in this game:
St. Louis RB Steven Jackson - Washington's TE Chris Cooley

Proposed Score: Washington 23 - St. Louis 10

New England Patriots Vs New York Jets

The New England Patriots looked unready in their first game against Buffalo, but they managed to reclaim the lead and win the game in the 4th. The New York Jets looked solid as rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez led them to victory against the Houston Texans. I expect this to be another close game, but for the Patriots to look a little more like their on even footing and take his game home for the W.

Players to watch in this game:
New England's WR Wes Welker - New York's TE Dustin Keller

Proposed Score : New England 24 - New York 20

Carolina Panthers Vs Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons once again showed promise last week as they beat the Miami Dolphins with little opposition. Matt Ryan looked solid with 2 touch downs and a 98 quarterback rating. Carolina on the other hand, was dismantled by Philadelphia last week as Jake Delhomme self destructed, throwing 4 interceptions and keeping any chance of winning the game away from the hapless Panthers. Look for Michael Turner do better on the ground then in the Miami game as the Falcons take down the Panthers.

Players to watch in this game:
Atlanta's QB Matt Ryan - Carolina's RB DeAngelo Williams

Proposed Score: Atlanta 17 - Carolina 7




Tampa Bay Buccaneers Vs Buffalo Bills

Tampa Bay lost to a very potent looking Dallas offense, and Buffalo lost a game they should have won to the New England Patriots. One of my main interests in this match up, is that in Buffalo's previous game they allowed the Pats to throw for 378 yards, which should make things easier for Byron Leftwich and the Buccaneers, but then Tampa also let Tony Romo throw for 353 yards so the passing defenses on both teams could be lax. Cadillac Williams looked good in their first game and look for them to run on Buffalo with at least good success.

Players to watch in this game:
Tampa Bay's RB Cadillac Williams - Buffalo's RB Fred Jackson

Proposed Score : Tampa Bay 17 - Buffalo 10

Seattle Sea-hawks Vs San Fransisco 49ers

In week 1, Seattle shut out rival St. Louis and San Fransisco beat NFC champion Arizona. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 3 touchdowns in his NFL return but also threw two interceptions. San Fransisco's defense did well against the Cards but their offense failed to muster anything to write home about, though in the end they won the game. Seattle showed a balanced run and pass game in their opener, so if they can manage to retain this potency then look for them to win a competitive game.

Players to watch in this game:
San Fran's Frank Gore - Seattle's RB Julius Jones

Proposed Score : Seattle 23 - San Fran 17

Baltimore Ravens Vs San Diego Chargers

The Charger and Ravens won their respected games in the first week of the season, but in my eyes, the Ravens look to take this upcoming contest. Joe Flacco looks poise in the pocket, getting his team a lot of yards through the air as newcomer Ray Rice looks to run the ball effectively. The Ravens defense will most likely stop any potency in San Diego's rushing attack and limit their overall productivity. it will be a tough challenge to limit Philip Rivers efficiency, so the contest will be close.

Players to watch in this game:

Baltimore's RB Ray Rice - San Diego's TE Antonio Gates

Proposed Score : Baltimore 21 - San Diego 19

Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Chicago Bears

The Steelers and Bears meet up in this week 2 match up, that should leave the Steelers edging out the win. Pittsburgh got off slow against Tennessee in the season opener, but Big Ben played well as the game went on and they ended up winning in overtime. While Chicago dropped a close game to Green Bay on Sunday night. Among the pitfalls in Chicago's opener were Culters' 4 interceptions, the lack of running game, and losing Brian Urlacher for the season. Pittsburgh's defense should play well against Chicago and look for Big Ben to again open it up through the air.

Players to watch in this game:
Pittsburgh's TE Heath Miller - Chicago's RB Matt Forte

Proposed Score : Pittsburgh 23 - Chicago 10

Cleveland Browns Vs Denver Broncos

Denver stole the game from Cincinatti last week on one of the luckiest tipped passes Ive seen in a while and Cleveland was routed by Minnesota as Adrian Peterson used them as a track meet. I think Denver shows a little more promise this week and defeats the Browns. The've got some good wide receivers, Kyle Orton just needs to be comfortable learning how to utilize them.

Players to watch in this game:
Denver's QB Kyle Orton - Cleveland's TE Robert Royal

Proposed Score : Denver 14 - Cleveland 10

New York Giants Vs Dallas Cowboys

Two 1-0 teams match up this week when Dallas meets New York in what could one of the most competitive games of the week. New York just beat Washington, and Dallas flew past Tampa Bay. The Cowboys offense looked very potent in week one so I will give the close edge to them, though this game could be a complete toss up and I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants and their defense won the game, either way its gonna be close.

Players to watch in this game:
Dallas QB Tony Romo - Giants WR Steve Smith

Proposed Score : Dallas 23 - Giants 20

Indianapolis Colts Vs Miami Dolphins

Miami dropped to 0-1 this season after being routed by the Atlanta Falcons in their week one game. Indianapolis got off to a sloppy start but finished well as they won a close game with division rival Jacksonville. Look for the Colts to extend their win record to two as they meet the Dolphins on Monday night. The Dolphins will not likely be able to slow down the Colts aerial attack, Reggie Wayne is coming off a 160+ yard game and should be Mannings go to guy in this one as well, along with veteran tight end Dallas Clark.

Players to watch in this game:
Indianapolis WR Reggie Wayne - Miami QB Chad Pennington

Proposed Score : Indianapolis 21 - Miami 10

The ComeBack Kid; Why Old Man Favre Could Be Good News For The Vikings

Once again, as the entire football world has heard by now, good old Brett Favre has come out of retirement (how many times now?), and finally made it to the team he desired to play before he was traded to the Jets.

Some of the football community is tired of his charades over his "to retire or not to retire"drama sessions, and some enjoy that the legend is still around playing the game, though the general consensus seems to be certain he will finish the self destruction he started last year.

Vikings fans could have a good reason to be happy about famous number four signing with their purple people eaters, because like it or not he could be the very push that helps them get through the playoffs.

The Minnesota Vikings are a solid football team but just a slight step down from Super Bowl contender. In 2008,they went 10-6 and lost in the playoffs to the Eagles, after having trouble converting 3rd downs in the second half, and having a QB capable of throwing only roughly half the yards Mcnabb threw for.

Last year the Vikings ranked 1st in rushing yards a game allowed with 76.9 yds, and 6th in total yards allowed a game also with 292.4 yds. These stats were very much indicative of a very well disciplined defensive unit.

On the other side of the ball, they had league's best running back in Adrian Peterson (1760 yds), and the 5th best run game (146.1)

The problem resided in their passing game, ranked a measly 25th overall, with their Quarter Back Gus Frerotte ranking 22nd in the league accompanied by his sub par 73.7 QB rating (5th from the worst) that year.

Even with this horrendous passing game to keep the offense creative, the Vikes still managed to rush an avg of 4.5 yds a play, 146.1 yds a game, even when the defensive knew pretty much what to expect.

Now bring in old man Favre, the fallen war hero with a passion for football and himself. He was traded to the Jets last year, led them to playoff possibilities and promptly self destructed. His QB rating was a mediocre 81 he was 11th in yards, 22nd in avg yds per pass, and had the league high in interceptions, and hearing this sounds like no good way to promote Favre into the Vikings savior, and maybe he's not. But Gus Frerotte threw the ball significantly less then Favre did with the Jets, and Favre had the 5th highest completion percentage compared to Frerotte's 24th ranked.

The biggest part of the puzzle regardless of the stats is that Favre does not have to carry the team, the amazing ground game has carried itself when the passing game had no help to give. Favre has the ability to make good throws and be a great QB, we've seen that. And we've also seen him throw to the other team just as often these days.

If Favre can come in, make himself seem like he has a lot of potential to improve the passing game, and seems a viable threat (that Frerotte and Jackson are not), then defenses will have to start actually accounting for the idea that maybe just maybe the vikings will show some promise through the air, instead of on the ground where they normally stay (and stay well).

Remember how well All Day Adrian Peterson runs the ball even when the defenses know he's coming, then imagine what he could do if the defenses had to account for the passing game as well, backing off from the line for fear that the guy getting the ball hiked to him in the purple uniform actually is a threat, then ladies and gentlemen the vikings just might be unstoppable...Providing that Favre can still identify his receivers from the defenders.