When informed that the Chargers' defensive strategy was to force the ball into his hands, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre grinned and nodded.
"I don't blame them," he said. "I'm old and washed up."
Funny, but it was the Chargers who were hung out to dry yesterday after Favre, 34, threw a season-high four touchdown passes, including three in the fourth quarter, to pace Green Bay to a 38-21 victory before a pro-Packers crowd of 64,978 in Qualcomm Stadium.
"Be careful what you ask for," said free safety Jerry Wilson. "That goes to show you: He's still Brett. He went out there and proved that he's still got a lot of gas in his tank."
Favre was at his best when the game mattered most, in the fourth quarter. He completed 8-of-9 passes for 95 yards and three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes as the Packers scored 21 consecutive points to erase a 21-17 San Diego lead.
When Favre wasn't beating the Chargers, the Chargers (3-11) were beating themselves. They committed four turnovers, including three by quarterback Drew Brees, making his first start since being benched after a Nov. 2 loss at Chicago.
Brees was intercepted once and lost two fumbles, the last of which came at his 1-yard line with just under nine minutes to play and the Packers ahead by three points. Favre needed just 5 seconds to complete ay pass to running back Ahman Green, whose catch and touchdown all but sealed the outcome and sent the San Diego faithful marching toward the exits.
"We don't turn the ball over, we have a good chance," said Brees, who was 28-of-48 passing for a career-high 363 yards and two scores. "We turn the ball over, we have no chance at all."
His irritated head coach agreed.
"If you can't hold onto the ball, you win very, very seldom," Marty Schottenheimer said.
Turnovers weren't the Chargers' only problem. Their inability to finish drives also was a major issue.
The Chargers had five possessions inside the Green Bay 20 and managed only one touchdown. Conversely, the Packers scored touchdowns on four of their five trips inside the San Diego 20.
That's a 21-point difference. An even bigger difference was the play of the quarterbacks. Favre committed only one turnover.
"You can't forget about Brett Favre, I don't care what they say about his so-called struggles to date," defensive end Marcellus Wiley said. "That's just one of those guys that's going to walk up to the sunset smiling. He showed why he has all the attention and all the accolades that he has. Just an unbelievable player . . .
"It's weird that we're saying, 'Put the ball in Brett Favre's hand.' You're talking about a double-edged sword."
The Chargers' primary focus was to slow Green, the NFC's leading rusher at the start of the day with 1,463 yards. The Packers had shown they were most efficient when Green was churning out yards on the ground, and with Favre struggling at times with a fractured bone in his right thumb, the Chargers felt they needed to make the future Hall of Famer beat them.
Green was held to 75 yards on 19 carries, the final one going for 34 yards. But Favre, aware of the growing chatter that he's a player in decline, showed no slippage in lifting the Packers (8-6) into a first-place tie with the Minnesota Vikings. He displayed his passing repertoire, going short and long, throwing overhead and sidearm, and finishing the day 23-of-33 passing for 278 yards with touchdown strikes of 7, 40, 1 and 16 yards.
"I don't know why, it just seems like we just bring out the best in these guys who are supposedly over the hill," Wilson said. "Earlier in the year it was Jerry Rice (the Raiders' 41-year-old wideout). These guys, for some reason, it's like we're hexed, we're jinxed or something."
Brees must have felt the same way. After playing so poorly that Schottenheimer felt a need to bench him for five weeks, he statistically had one of the finest games in his career. If only he could erase those turnovers.
Brees wasn't playing under ideal circumstances: His only proven wideout, David Boston, was hindered by a stinger in his neck and shoulder, and he had only one opening-day starter in the offensive line after Solomon Page departed with a right ankle injury early in the third quarter.
That player was left guard Kelvin Garmon, who said Brees could not be blamed for the fumbles because of the pressure put upon him by breakdowns up front. Still, Schottenheimer was in no mood for excuses. Once again, his squad was deficient in most areas.
It committed nine penalties for 69 yards, with one infraction negating a 52-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson, who had 144 yards and two scores receiving while rushing for 51 yards on 20 carries.
The kickoff coverage surrendered a 45-yard return immediately after Tomlinson gave San Diego its only lead, 21-17, on a 68-yard catch-and-run, and Favre capitalized two plays later with his 20-yard scoring strike to Robert Ferguson.
The defense? It now has given up 33 touchdown passes, tying the franchise record. The offense? The quarterbacks have thrown 17 interceptions and lost seven fumbles. Overall, the Chargers are minus-9 in takeaway/giveaways.
"Being where we are in the giveaway/takeaway ratio makes me want to throw up," Schottenheimer said. "I believe that is the cornerstone of winning football. Don't give it to the other guy."
Most notably Brett Favre.
www.signonsandiego.com
"I don't blame them," he said. "I'm old and washed up."
Funny, but it was the Chargers who were hung out to dry yesterday after Favre, 34, threw a season-high four touchdown passes, including three in the fourth quarter, to pace Green Bay to a 38-21 victory before a pro-Packers crowd of 64,978 in Qualcomm Stadium.
"Be careful what you ask for," said free safety Jerry Wilson. "That goes to show you: He's still Brett. He went out there and proved that he's still got a lot of gas in his tank."
Favre was at his best when the game mattered most, in the fourth quarter. He completed 8-of-9 passes for 95 yards and three touchdowns in the final 15 minutes as the Packers scored 21 consecutive points to erase a 21-17 San Diego lead.
When Favre wasn't beating the Chargers, the Chargers (3-11) were beating themselves. They committed four turnovers, including three by quarterback Drew Brees, making his first start since being benched after a Nov. 2 loss at Chicago.
Brees was intercepted once and lost two fumbles, the last of which came at his 1-yard line with just under nine minutes to play and the Packers ahead by three points. Favre needed just 5 seconds to complete ay pass to running back Ahman Green, whose catch and touchdown all but sealed the outcome and sent the San Diego faithful marching toward the exits.
"We don't turn the ball over, we have a good chance," said Brees, who was 28-of-48 passing for a career-high 363 yards and two scores. "We turn the ball over, we have no chance at all."
His irritated head coach agreed.
"If you can't hold onto the ball, you win very, very seldom," Marty Schottenheimer said.
Turnovers weren't the Chargers' only problem. Their inability to finish drives also was a major issue.
The Chargers had five possessions inside the Green Bay 20 and managed only one touchdown. Conversely, the Packers scored touchdowns on four of their five trips inside the San Diego 20.
That's a 21-point difference. An even bigger difference was the play of the quarterbacks. Favre committed only one turnover.
"You can't forget about Brett Favre, I don't care what they say about his so-called struggles to date," defensive end Marcellus Wiley said. "That's just one of those guys that's going to walk up to the sunset smiling. He showed why he has all the attention and all the accolades that he has. Just an unbelievable player . . .
"It's weird that we're saying, 'Put the ball in Brett Favre's hand.' You're talking about a double-edged sword."
The Chargers' primary focus was to slow Green, the NFC's leading rusher at the start of the day with 1,463 yards. The Packers had shown they were most efficient when Green was churning out yards on the ground, and with Favre struggling at times with a fractured bone in his right thumb, the Chargers felt they needed to make the future Hall of Famer beat them.
Green was held to 75 yards on 19 carries, the final one going for 34 yards. But Favre, aware of the growing chatter that he's a player in decline, showed no slippage in lifting the Packers (8-6) into a first-place tie with the Minnesota Vikings. He displayed his passing repertoire, going short and long, throwing overhead and sidearm, and finishing the day 23-of-33 passing for 278 yards with touchdown strikes of 7, 40, 1 and 16 yards.
"I don't know why, it just seems like we just bring out the best in these guys who are supposedly over the hill," Wilson said. "Earlier in the year it was Jerry Rice (the Raiders' 41-year-old wideout). These guys, for some reason, it's like we're hexed, we're jinxed or something."
Brees must have felt the same way. After playing so poorly that Schottenheimer felt a need to bench him for five weeks, he statistically had one of the finest games in his career. If only he could erase those turnovers.
Brees wasn't playing under ideal circumstances: His only proven wideout, David Boston, was hindered by a stinger in his neck and shoulder, and he had only one opening-day starter in the offensive line after Solomon Page departed with a right ankle injury early in the third quarter.
That player was left guard Kelvin Garmon, who said Brees could not be blamed for the fumbles because of the pressure put upon him by breakdowns up front. Still, Schottenheimer was in no mood for excuses. Once again, his squad was deficient in most areas.
It committed nine penalties for 69 yards, with one infraction negating a 52-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson, who had 144 yards and two scores receiving while rushing for 51 yards on 20 carries.
The kickoff coverage surrendered a 45-yard return immediately after Tomlinson gave San Diego its only lead, 21-17, on a 68-yard catch-and-run, and Favre capitalized two plays later with his 20-yard scoring strike to Robert Ferguson.
The defense? It now has given up 33 touchdown passes, tying the franchise record. The offense? The quarterbacks have thrown 17 interceptions and lost seven fumbles. Overall, the Chargers are minus-9 in takeaway/giveaways.
"Being where we are in the giveaway/takeaway ratio makes me want to throw up," Schottenheimer said. "I believe that is the cornerstone of winning football. Don't give it to the other guy."
Most notably Brett Favre.
www.signonsandiego.com
