Bears shouldn't lose any sleep over Favre joining Vikings

So the Minnesota Vikings are planning to talk to Brett Favre this week.

If I'm the Bears, Lions or Packers, I'm not worried.

When the Vikings' only other options are Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson, what do they have to lose by bringing in an over-the-hill Favre? But, if head coach Brad Childress and the Vikings' fans are assuming Favre will be the missing piece to their Super Bowl puzzle, they're likely to be disappointed.

Just ask Jets fans and fired head coach Eric Mangini.

Last season, it was Favre's poor play down the stretch that was a major factor in the team's failure to make the playoffs. While the Jets were degenerating from an 8-3 start to a 9-7 finish by losing four of their final five games, Favre was at his worst. In those five games, he threw 2 TD passes and was intercepted nine times and sacked nine times - hardly numbers that will keep opponents' defensive coordinators awake at night.

It might also be interesting to ask Packers backers if their team was better off last season with or without Favre. Favre loyalists gnashed their teeth and wrung their hands over the prospect of untested Aaron Rodgers replacing the Lambeau Legend. But Rodgers' passer rating of 93.8 was sixth best in the NFL, and better than five of Favre's last six seasons in Green Bay.

During those years, Bears defenders knew that Favre was still capable of kicking a good offense into overdrive. But they also knew that, faced with pressure, the future Hall of Famer would provide the defense with just as many opportunities for big plays by forcing throws that he was no longer capable of completing.

While Favre might be an upgrade for the Vikings, he's still a below-average quarterback at this point in his career. Critics could make the argument that he really doesn't provide much of an upgrade at all.

Favre's 22 interceptions last season were the most in the NFL, 4 more than the next-highest total, which happened to be the 18 picks that Jay Cutler tossed. Cutler, however, threw 96 more passes than Favre and had 3 more TD passes.

And Favre doesn't figure to be any better this season, considering he turns 40 in October and had a torn right biceps late last season that may or may not have improved with rest.

His poor play last season was hardly an aberration. In the past four years, Favre has been intercepted 84 times while throwing 88 TD passes, a far cry from his MVP seasons.

Favre also was sacked 30 times last season behind a very good offensive line. He no longer possesses the ability to buy extra time by avoiding the rush and creating a big play from a bad situation, one of the talents that made him special.

Favre's 81.0 passer rating was 21st in the NFL last season, and only the Vikings' Gus Frerotte had a higher interception rate. Favre was 24th in the league in fourth-quarter passer rating, and on third downs he was 27th, with a passer rating of just 66.1. Only two quarterbacks in the entire NFL with enough playing time to qualify were worse on third downs.

In 10 starts over the past two seasons, Rosenfels has a combined passer rating of 82.1, with 21 TD passes and 22 interceptions, numbers that aren't much different that Favre's.

So, if you're not afraid of Rosenfels, why should you worry about Favre?