NFL Writers React to the Trade
Thanks to the many of you who sent in reactions from NFL writers around the league. Here’s some thoughts from some NFL writers and insiders. As you’ll see, they weren’t very kind.
Corey Griffin made a great point to me last night. The ironic thing, is as the Jets made all these moves in the offseason, everyone said, yeah but what about a Quarterback? Now they get one and everyone’s talking about how bad the team is, even with Favre.
Pete Prisco – CBS: I have one question: Do the Jets really think they are so close to winning that a 38-year-old quarterback, whose last pass with the Green Bay Packers went into the stomach of one of the Jets’ crosstown rival corners with the Giants, will get them to a Super Bowl? With or without Favre, the Jets are not better than the Patriots. With Favre, they might not be better than the Bills. Last time I glanced at those 2007 standings, the Jets went 4-12. Playoffs? How about .500 season first?
Clark Judge – CBS: I guess what I’m saying, Jets fans, is that there’s no guarantee Favre will be anything close to the quarterback he was last year when he carried the Packers to the NFC Championship Game. He’s in a new city, with new coaches, new receivers and a new system — but with the same ol’ expectations.
Michael Silver – Yahoo!: there’s no guarantee that the Jets are getting the player who finished second in the MVP voting last season. They could be getting the guy who had a mediocre season in ‘06, or the train wreck who threw an insane 29 interceptions in ‘05. Put it this way: If the ‘07 Favre and the ‘06 Jets join forces in ‘08, New York can make some serious noise. However, if the ‘05 or ‘06 Favre is added to the ‘07 Jets, duck for cover.
John Clayton – ESPN: Throughout most of his career, Favre lived the life of a player who thought of going to Super Bowls. By going to the Jets, he can think only of wild-card playoff berths. Favre alone isn’t going to cut the gap between the Jets and the New England Patriots. The Patriots have Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Bill Belichick, a great team and the easiest schedule in the league. Favre has only the satisfaction that he’s out of Green Bay. Given that reality, this trade is a thumbs down for the surefire Hall of Fame quarterback.
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Let’s get all of these fools together in a locked gymnasium, tie their hands behind their backs, and then let Favre play some pigskin-dodgeball.
I love the pre-emptive humbling (Debbie Downer routine) of Jets fans. If they really knew Jets fans, they’d know that Murphy’s Law is ingrained in our beings.
So don’t waste your breath, so-called experts.
We’ll have a solid season, but we’re not the type of fans that get ahead of themselves easily.
If the offensive line doesn’t gel then the concerns of these writers are legitimate — If the line can give Favre enough time to do his thing then the Jets’ offense will only be limited by whether we actually have a speed receiver — It’s about the O line — Not Favre –
jonathan-
i do agree … we’re certainly not redskins fans (THIS is the year!!) but I do think that expectations are heightened and the shelf life of this front office might be as well.
How about that idiot prisco: “Two more words on why this deal makes no sense: Tom Brady. The Jets have no chance to beat out the Patriots in the AFC East, with or without Favre, which is why this is a bad deal.”
So… what? Are we supposed to just lay back, not improve the team and try not to win until brady retires or gets hurt or something? So just cuz we probably won’t beat out the the patriots for the division championship means we shouldnt try for a wild card berth?
What do you think he would have said if Favre ended up in Tampa and we had’nt even tried to make a play for him? I’m guessing he would have said that all that money we spent in the offseason won’t mean anything because we dont have a QB and that we should have at least tried to get him. Typical bastard.
sth,
Well said!
Laughable and predictable comments from the ‘pundits’. The 180 on the Jets need for a QB to complete their offseason moves is a classic. Also interesting how Favre went from HOF, top 5 all time QB with GB to a ‘train wreck’ when the Jets pick him up.
The key will be to find a way to win a few until he has a firm grasp of the offense and with our first 3 games @MIA, NE & @SD it will not be easy. However, after this entire soap opera in GB Favre has put a ton of pressure on himself to perform. He is challenged and I expect he will rise to the challenge as he has before.
All these guys are just plain negative. Watching the CBS pre mgame, everyone was gushing about how great this is for the Jets. All former players, not “experts”.
Let’s see how many of these morons thought NE would win division in 2001. I concede nothing to anyone until we are mathematically eliminated.
These Hacks also might want to mention this coaching staff took inferior talent in 2006 to 10 wins. The 2008 talent, on paper, is superior to the 2006 team.
The NFL changes so much it is foolish to even say the 08 person or the 05 version. I know comparisons help but… I think they could do better.
Sorry Jonathan and Bassett I disagree. Now I know a lot of the long-time fans understand the history and letdowns and take most things with a grain of green salt but 70% of the fans are raving about this like the Jets are guaranteed a playoff birth.
It is better to have Favre than not though, unless he does leave in a year and doesn’t grasp the O and playbook fast enough.
I don’t think either of you can say that people wearing #4 jerseys already, for a player that has no history as a Jet, hasn’t thrown a pass, with all the hype surrounding him doesn’t portend people perceive Favre as the QB messiah. They even call him Broadway Brett already. Comeon!
I do hope it’s all worth it but the writers do have legitimate points and to say otherwise means the green coolaid is more spiked than usual.
Controversy is more interesting than agreement. If you think there’s any objective thought happening with these guys, you’re out of your mind.
I don’t think the aquisition of Brett Favre makes the Jest super bowl contenders. But it DOES make them better, period. But to listen to those guys, it’s like the Jets just traded Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano. If you took out all mentions of Brett Favre’s name from those quotes, you’d think they just made a trade for Tony Banks.
Again, these guys don’t report, they distort. That’s what creates buzz and brings hits/sells papers.
Bassett, I really want you to make sure that you save Pete Prisco’s words on a lockdown secure server at SNY HQ. And be ready to print out several thousand copies up to Foxboro for direct delivery to the lap of Bill Belicheat, where Prisco resides, so that he can eat his words when the Jets prove him wrong.
This past 24 hours are a blur for me. I listened in to ESPN radio at 6AM yesterday on my way to a client (who was ironically one town over from Florham Park) and was in shock and glee at the same time. I am a true Jets fan not because my parents took me to Shea to see them during the sack exchange days (where the only guy we booed was Pay Leahy), not because I went to Joe Namath John Dockery Football Camp to see Klecko, Abdul Salaam, Bruce Harper, and Bway Joe. I am not even a true Jet fan because I endure constant obliviousness from media jerks and Giants fans who could care less.
I am a true Jet fan because despite the ups and downs, despite the cynicism that tries to envelope this franchise from boo birds and “typical New York fans,” I always have hope. There is always the next game. There is always the next season. There is always something to hope for. The offseason becomes my second season to fuel this hope.
I looked at the 2007 Jets and did mourn. But I didn’t lose hope. I saw a team that struggled but I recognized that they had talent and underperformed. Even without changing a player or coach at the end of the season, they may not have been a 10-6 team like 2006 but they were not the 4-12 team that there record showed from last year. As Favre said yesterday, the Giants had basically the same roster last year as in 2006 and it took them far. I still had hope for the franchise. And when they added Faneca, Pace, and most importantly Jenkins, I had even more hope. With Favre, my hope is overflowing.
My definition of a successful season rests not only on the playoffs and reaching the Super Bowl, but on achieving certain moments — the time when Jenkins stuffs Marshawn Lynch five yards into the backfield on a key third down (that would be a good “hit and no run” for Marshawn). Or how about the twin moments against the Pats when we see a game winning Favre to Cotch TD late in the 4th quarter and Gholston sacking Brady multiple times on the Pats last-chance drive. These moments will happen.
As for Prisco, he can prognosticate about the Jets all he wants. That’s why the game is played. As much the Patriots’ 18 and 1 season happened against his predictions, so too can the Jets have a great season.
Umm, except for that thing about the Pats…who cares who they have. While I don’t like Herm it still applies – “You play to win the game!”
It was a needed trade so they did it. They don’t pay much for no results and they pay greatly for great results. That was my fear all along since they original request was a first round pick.
I will definitely pull for Brett and I know he was a better option than what was available but will he learn fast enough and will he stay? As long as he’s got the fire in the belly to play that is most of the battle.
Clayton might be a pro football hall of fame writer, but when it comes to Favre, he’s no better than a high school paper writer. Everything for him revolves around “having fun.” His column about Favre said that the biggest key to the season is whether or not Favre “can have fun in a new shade of green.” Are you serious? You mean that he won’t be motivated by the $12.5 million the Jets are paying him, or wanting to shove it to GB by showing them what they are missing every time he takes the field? The guy has been a pro football player for the last 16 years and success in a season depends on “having fun?” Pathetic. Who cares if the Patriots and their cheating head coach, Bill “I only sleep with women if they are married because I love wrecking relationships and making people feel as miserable as I do” Bellidump are better? The Jets wanted to improve their team and they did, end of story. The rest are just lame ways to drum up ratings and hits.
we are a better team today then we were 2 days ago and that’s all that matters. Pennington was expendable regardless of whether or not Favre was on the team to be honest, even though you gotta love him as a player and person. This move does so much more than just improve the product on the field as well.
I really love all of the ‘tough’ sports writers coming out and reacting negatively to this move. The Jets had nothing to lose, and giving up a mid round draft pick is well worth a gamble for the greatest gamer of all time. Point blank, we are better with him then we were w/o him, so who cares about the rest…For anyone to think otherwise is just trying to sell papers and sound hard-nose, and nothing bothers me more.
TOON:
You’ve been mathematically eliminated. Good luck in ‘09.
Giles:
Belichick is God. Mangina is, well, Mangina. Okay? Thanks, bunky!
Tim – go back to Cheaterville. Are you that bitter because your team has bever won a title?
TIm:
18 and 1… Eli Manning… nuff said
Obviously, all of these media pundits know very little about our Jets. We are not the team of 2007. We added an incredible amount of talent and experience, in one off-season. We will be cutting lots of talented players, before the season starts. I agree with those of them who said that the transition will not be easy for Favre but, if he is serious about winning in NY, he will find himself surrounded with talented weapons. A player of Favre’s magnitude will not want to be embarassed. Although, he will have his ups and downs, I look for an exciting season. Chad versus Brett in game one would be outstanding. Screw the pundits – - it’s a whole new season and Favre is calling signals for the NY Jets!
Well said Harvlis.
The bottom line is that I’d DEFINITELY give up a 1st round pick for a Super Bowl birth … is that even a question?
An AFC Championship game win and a shot at the Super Bowl?!? Isn’t that what we live for as fans? Isn’t that why you spend so much time on the draft; to make and win the Super Bowl?
It would be a great trade no matter what round this pick ends up being!
Kewpie Doll to Toon.
h
and even if we lose the Super Bowl – which we will not if get there – we it costs pick #31
Boy, you picked the cream of the crop of the bonehead reporters. There are a lot of wiser folk out there who disagree. For starters, it’s impossible to guess how far a team will go. I think that, except for the Pats — the AFC is up for grabs. There are a lot of great teams out there. Will Jacksonsville or Cleveland step up? Will the Colts step back? Shoot, the Jets had a sub-par team two years ago. MUCH worse than what they have today. Much worse. And once you get into the playoffs, you can win it all. So, I say the Jets just got their best chance of winning more games than losing by getting Favre. And for nothing. It’s a no-brainer.
JP
I love it when Patriots fans post here. It shows us they are scared.
I hate these types of writers, they always have to bring out the worst yet they fail to mention the positives and it is sometimes so funny because they say this and that about a trade and then what they said winds up blowing back into their faces.
Just like Leinart and D’Brick, many said Leinart would have a better career well look what happened, Leinart was down and D’Brick has had the better career, the Jets have a history of proving people wrong and I truly believe this will work out for everyone involved.
JETS FANS ARE MORONS. THEY’RE ABOUT AS BRIGHT AS LIONS AND BROWNS FANS.
LAST YEAR WASN’T YOUR YEAR.
THIS YEAR ISN’T YOUR YEAR.
NEXT YEAR DOESN’T LOOK SO GOOD EITHER.