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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Packers at Lions: 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Ford Field

FAVRE FLUNG: Star quarterback on the upswing in his 17th season

Mike O'Hara | The Detroit News

The initial view of Brett Favre's future has changed in one year. Last season, he was a candidate for football's version of AARP. This year, Favre is being mentioned for MVP.

Retirement isn't being mentioned for the Green Bay Packers' icon. Favre is playing quarterback like a man who is 28, not 38. He is piling up records in his 17th season, but nothing has been more rewarding than the Packers' return to dominance.

The Packers are 9-1 going into Thursday's game with the Lions at Ford Field, and Favre is on pace that statistically will rank as one of his best seasons.

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Favre laughed when asked how the MVP talk has replaced retirement speculation.

"Funny how things change," Favre said in a conference call Tuesday.

The previous two seasons were not good ones for Favre -- 20 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions in 2005 and an 18-18 split last year.

Favre has stopped the slide, with 19 TD passes and eight interceptions. He ranks second in the NFC with a 98.6 passer rating.

Favre's pride in staving off any erosion in his skill oozes out of him when he talks about how he continues to excel.

"The " Favre said. "My chest is obvious answer would be, 'I told you so,' stuck out, and I told you I could do it -- redemption, whatever.

"That's not even close. I knew I could play or I wouldn't have come back. Obviously, the Packers felt like I could play or they wouldn't have asked me to come back.

"With that said, you still have to play."

Old-school cool

If football has any throwbacks remaining in an era of indoor stadiums, artificial surfaces and homogenized offenses and defenses, Favre is one of them.

He could be a Norman Rockwell American original -- a stubble of beard, a smear of dirt, a stain of grass and the boyish zeal in his eyes. He plays with a timeless joy, unafraid to succeed or fail.

The exuberance Favre displays on the playing field has never waned.

"He looks like he can still play five more years," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

At the end of last season, McCarthy could not have said for sure if Favre would play one more game, let alone five more years. The Packers' last game was in Chicago on national television.

After the game, a Packers victory, Favre had his picture taken with his teammates, and he broke down in tears when asked if it was his last game.

It looked like a farewell. However, there were elements that compelled Favre to continue. The Packers ended the season with a four-game win streak.

On Feb. 2, Favre called Packers management to say he was coming back.

He won a Super Bowl with the 1996 Packers, and the '97 team lost to Denver in the Super Bowl. He wants another championship.

"There was a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel," Favre said. "I felt like I could still play, especially at the end of that Chicago game. This team has a chance, and why not?"

Sharp as ever

Favre is legendary for his resilience and ability to create plays out of nothing. The Lions haven't seen any decline in his skills. He has become more comfortable in his second season in McCarthy's offensive scheme.

The Packers haven't had much of a running game this year, but Lions safety Kenoy Kennedy said they don't need one with Favre.

"The way Brett's playing right now, why should they run the ball?" Kennedy said. "The way he's playing is unbelievable. He's doing great things. If I was the GM, I'd trade all my running backs and tight ends, and go get some more wide receivers."

By the end of the season, Favre will hold almost every career record for quarterbacks.

Mr. History

Favre ranks first in touchdown passes (433), consecutive regular-season games played (249) and started (247) by a quarterback. He is the only player to win the MVP award three times. Favre needs 887 passing yards to surpass Dan Marino's career mark of 61,361.

Records and history haven't driven him to succeed.

"I hope that what I've left behind up to this point doesn't need to be in the record books to be remembered," Favre said. "I hope I played this " game in a way that people say, 'He sure was fun to watch.'

You can reach Mike O'Hara at (313) 982-3810 or mike.ohara@detnews.com.