Projo Sports Blog

By J.P. Pelzman
The Record (Hackensack N.J.)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Brett Favre doesn't find it easy to compare the rivalries he remembers from the NFC North to the AFC East blood feud in which he will be a central figure Thursday when the Jets visit New England with first place at stake.

"It feels different, obviously, because it's not" Green Bay," Favre said Tuesday. "I played 16 years straight in Minnesota, in the Metrodome, and (at) Soldier Field. We had the one exception when we played (Chicago) in Champaign" in 2002.

"The bottom line," Favre added, "is it's still football. I know exactly what this game means and the weight it carries. I'm well aware of what New England has done over the past decade or so. Once again, it just comes down to football. I'm well aware of what this game means."

What makes this rivalry different than the ones Favre is familiar with is that it's more lopsided. With Favre in Green Bay, the Pack won nine of 15 games against Minnesota from 2001-07, and 8-of-14 against the Bears during that same span.

But since that fateful day in September 2001 when a clean but crushing hit by the Jets' Mo Lewis knocked then-New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe out of the lineup, the Patriots have won 13 of 15 meetings, including 11 of the past 12.

Certainly the Jets hope Favre can turn those numbers around, even though he was unable to do so the first time he faced them as a Jet. The Patriots won, 19-10, on Sept. 14 as Favre threw for 181 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

"I haven't really thought about it," Favre said when asked if he was acquired to beat the Patriots. "That may be true. Then again, it may not be. That may have been why we brought (nose tackle) Kris Jenkins in. Let's put it off on Kris."

Favre smiled when he said that, but he knows the shifting looks of the Pats' defense, orchestrated by head coach Bill Belichick, can wipe the smile off the face of any quarterback, even an experienced one such as Favre.

"I think (Belichick) beats you, in my opinion, with simplicity," Favre said. "They do a good job of disguising. The reason they do a good job of disguising is (because) they have very smart, instinctive and experienced players who can help the young guys along."

Of course, Favre is more comfortable with the Jets' offense than he was in September.

"I think I'm up to date, for the most part," he said. "We're not that complicated either (on offense). We do a lot of stuff, but it's not that complicated.

"You look at us last week, we ran the football and it was a lot of the same runs. We ran it very well. It just came down to blocking. The offensive line, for the most part, has the most difficult job against the 3-4 (defense) in determining who's the rush guy and who's the drop guy (in coverage). From a passing-game standpoint, it can present some problems to me. It all comes down to how many are coming (to rush the passer) and how many we can block."

One Patriot they won't have to worry about blocking is Adalius Thomas, lost for the season with a forearm injury suffered Sunday against Buffalo. Thomas sacked Favre in the first meeting.

Favre said, "I know Bill (Belichick) is probably saying, 'We'll just plug another guy in and keep going.' Up to this point, they've done that."

 Tags  Brett Favre New England Patriots New York Jets

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