NFL Picks: How much do you trust Favre?

By Rocky Hulne

Published Wednesday, January 20, 2010

We’ve been here before.

Brett Favre has the entire world as feet, his fans think he can do no wrong and his team is a surefire bet to win the whole thing.

Not so fast.

While Favre is without a doubt one of the game’s greatest quarterback’s, he has been secretly terrible in big games throughout his career.

Yeah, he won a Super Bowl, but his 1996 run was not as impressive as one might think. The Packers beat the Panthers to get to the Super Bowl that year, a Panthers team that was led by a young Kerry Collins.

In the Super Bowl, Favre started off amazing by throwing two deep scores but he was quiet for the rest of the game as the Patriots pulled to within a score before Desmond Howard put the game away with a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Then you have all of Favre’s playoff games after 1996. In 1997, he had a chance to take the Packers for a game winning drive and a game tying drive against the Broncos in the Super Bowl and he failed miserably both times.

Then I can throw in the six-interception game against the Rams and the two season-ending picks he threw in overtime against the Eagles and Giants.

Yes, I am a little bit bitter but I also know Favre to well. Just when you start to buy into him as one of the greatest players of all time he does something mind numbingly stupid that makes you wish you had never trusted him.

Will this happen to him against New Orleans? I don’t know; Favre seems to be a lot more careful in his old age.

But don’t be surprised if Viking fans are cursing the day the ‘Great One’ came to Minneapolis.

Here are the picks:

New York Jets at Indianapolis

Pick: COLTS

If Darrelle Revis is as good as advertised the Colts are in huge trouble. They rely on Reggie Wayne a lot on offense and if Revis shuts him down it could be a long day for Peyton Manning.

But the Colts do still have Dallas Clark, who is a beast in the middle of the field and probably the reason Indy squeaks out a close win.

If the Colts get a big lead early, watch for Mark Sanchez to crumble under the Colts defensive pressure and the dome noise in Indy.

Minnesota at New Orleans

Pick: SAINTS

Besides their win in Lambeau Field, which the Packers played terrible in the first half in, the Vikings haven’t beaten a quality opponent on the road this season.

They’ve struggled against the likes of Arizona and the Bears.

The Saints, meanwhile, put doubters to rest after they came out of three weeks of playing on cruise control and absolutely manhandled the Cardinals on both sides of the ball.

The Saints have the top offense in the league and while their defense isn’t ranked that high, it does one thing that can turn a close game into a blowout- force turnovers.

With Adrian Peterson being fumble-prone and Favre having a history of costly turnovers I see a major giveaway ending the Vikings’ season.

Playoffs: 5-3 (171-80 overall)