American football: Strain starts to tell on golden arm

Quarterback Brett Favre's unprecedented brilliance is fading.

A QUARTERBACK who commits the cardinal sin of throwing interceptions in bunches invariably finds himself either watching the actions from the sidelines or, if he is particularly unfortunate, forced to consider alternative career options. When he is Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers, however, the normal rules do not apply because Favre is, by general consent, the one player every other team would love to have on their books.

It is not hard to understand why. He has been named the National Football League's Most Valuable Player for the past three seasons, an unprecedented achievement which eclipses Jim Brown, Walter Payton and Joe Montana. None were nominated three times in their careers, never mind three times in succession.

In the process, the Packers have evolved from unfashionable outcasts, living on past glories and hoping at best for a shot at the play-offs, into a team of genuine championship class. They won the Super Bowl two seasons ago, were surprisingly beaten by the Denver Broncos last year, and are favoured by many for a return this season.

The constant is Favre, the side's undisputed leader, whose vision, powerful arm, fearless running and driving leadership have been a cause of celebration to the Green Bay faithful, and of despair to everyone else. Never mind that he made the odd mistake: with Favre in full flow, the Packers were always in with a chance.

This season, things have been different. The Packers have won six of their nine games to date, and with a relatively comfortable schedule to come, should qualify for post-season play with ease. However, their aura of invincibility has been shattered, and Favre is proving to be a mere mortal.

He has thrown for 2,363 yards, and 17 touchdowns, figures bettered only by Steve Young of the San Francisco 49ers. Tellingly, however, he has given up an astonishing 16 interceptions. None of his peers are close to double figures: Young has allowed six, John Elway of the Broncos has thrown just three, a figure matched by Randall Cunningham of the Minnesota Vikings and Vinny Testaverde of the New York Jets.

The 28-year-old from the hicksville town of Kiln, Mississippi, has attempted to shrug his problems off. There is, he insists, nothing to worry about. The Packers are still winning, and his desire burns as fiercely as ever. "I'm at a point where I really don't care what the statistics say or what people are saying," he said. "There are a lot of quarterbacks who are statistically better than me right now, but you know what? I've been the MVP for the last three years, and I've set a standard of play that's pretty hard to live by."

Part of the problem is the Packers' lack of a ground game. The running back Dorsey Levens broke a leg a month ago and will be out for another four weeks. His replacement, Travis Jervey, sustained a broken ankle in Monday night's 27-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game in which Green Bay gained a paltry 39 yards attempting to run the ball.

With the running game dormant, Favre is forced to shoulder the load. Sometimes, as against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago, he can pull it off. Favre gave up three interceptions in six plays, yet still threw to the two touchdowns which led to the 36-22 triumph.

Increasingly, teams are content to sit back and wait for him to make mistakes. Favre can be impetuous: he led the league in throwing 24 interceptions in 1993, and has never fully conquered this gambler's streak, which makes him such compelling viewing. "He's still making some great plays, but he reminds me a little of 1993 when he threw all those interceptions," said his head coach, Mike Holmgren. "But he bounces back faster than any guy I've ever seen, and he's still the best quarterback in football."

The deeper concern is that Favre, a compulsive personality, may begin to buckle psychologically under the pressure. Three years ago, he was admitted to a drug rehabilitation clinic suffering from an addiction to painkillers. There is no suggestion that the playmaker is currently seeking relief from the weight of expectation but Holmgren is not alone in his concerns for the player.

"I will always worry about him because of what we've gone through," he said. "I'll be hoping and praying that he keeps away from the other stuff, and he's doing a great job of that."

Tonight Favre's Packers should return to winning ways at the expense of the hapless New York Giants. As ever, he will be attempting to do everything. "I've always played that way, and tried to do too much, be the guy that leads us to victory," he said. "Who doesn't expect me to carry this team? I'm the guy with the ball and I've got to make the plays."