January 25, 2010
New Orleans, LA.
Three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Brett Favre, who became the oldest quarterback to start a playoff game yesterday, also became the oldest quarterback to win a Pro Bowl spot by losing that game to the New Orleans Saints 31-28.
Favre wisely threw a key interception with only seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.
"At that point I wasn't sure we could lose. I knew I didn't want to score with only 19 seconds left, so I threw across my body against the grain into thick coverage and prayed for an interception."
The Saints' Terry Porter obliged, picking off Favre's pass and returning it to midfield.
"I was really hoping they'd put it away in regulation," Favre told reporters after the game.
But Saints quarterback Drew Brees was not going to give up his own Pro Bowl hopes that easily and threw two perfect incomplete passes to run out the clock.
The Saints held onto the ball for ten plays in overtime, leaving them little choice but to try and miss a field goal or wind up in the Super Bowl. Juiced-up kicker Garrett Hartley, who was not going to the Pro Bowl anyway, shrugged his shoulders and split the uprights with a 40-yard field goal.
"My thought was that at least we'd be in the Super Bowl. That's a small consolation."
"I know how he feels," said a sympathetic Favre, "I've had to settle for the Super Bowl twice. It's alright, but it's not the game every kid dreams about playing in, like the Pro Bowl." He then cried for the heck of it.
"I think it's God's plan," said Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress. "After all the quitting and crying and coming back and quitting and crying and coming back and quitting and crying and coming back Brett's finally getting what he deserves."
Speculation began immediately about whether the forty-year-old Favre would return for another season.
"I'm not thinking past the Pro Bowl," sniffed Favre, wiping fake tears from his stubbly face.
"After that I'll have time to quit, piss off the Vikings with my indecision, and look for a new team. But the real question is what's left for me to accomplish? Has a 41-year-old ever won the Punt, Pass, and Kick Contest?"
The Saints, who won their first National Conference Championship in the 42-year history of the franchise, will spend Pro Bowl week hiding in shame and preparing for that other game.
Oh yeah, the Colts beat the Jets. That should shut Joe Namath up.
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