National Football League

Week 7 preview: Time for Favre, Vikings to fall

Published Oct. 24, 2009 12:36 a.m. ET

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He's too old. His arm problems have reduced him to a dink-and-dunker. He's a selfish, schism-inducing team-wrecker.

Ah, August. It seems like a long time ago.




Since then, all Brett Favre has done is prove 40 is the new 30, throw lasers all over the field and unite the Vikings by making them a leading Super Bowl contender.

But one thing the Ol' Gunslinger will not do this season is run the table.

Yes, this is what Favre's exploits have reduced us to — proclaiming he will not go 16-0. (Take that, old man!)

The first loss will arrive this Sunday courtesy the defending champion Steelers.

Pittsburgh is averaging 404 yards of offense per game and allowing 275 on defense, a difference of 129 yards per game.

The Vikings, meanwhile, are averaging 348 on offense while allowing 342 on D, a paltry six-yard difference. This is why some observers think their 6-0 mark has a little smoke-and-mirrors to it.

If not for the Favre-to-Lewis Play of the Year and a missed field goal by the Ravens, the Vikings could easily be the 4-2 team entering this game.

And if not for two missed field goals by party animal Jeff Reed against the Bears and two late fourth-down conversions by the Bengals, the Steelers could easily be the undefeated team in this game.

Things will start to balance out on Sunday.

He may not be Adrian Peterson, but Rashard Mendenhall has given the Black and Gold a huge lift, averaging over five yards a carry after supplanting Willie Parker as the starter.

Hines Ward leads the NFL in receptions and amazingly — for someone considered a possession receiver — in receiving yards.

And it's worth remembering that 27-year-old Ben Roethlisberger, who is completing a staggering 72.5 percent of his passes, has won twice as many Super Bowl rings as the 40-year-old Favre.

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