Brett Favre, Tom Brady Approach Football Canonization

Brett did what he does best yesterday and Tom Brady pulled out a record-breaking near-perfect performance against a well-prepared and fired-up Jacksonville Jaguar eleven with Coach Del Rio almost having his kids pull off a huge upset.

Favre broke another record [his own] by tossing a touchdown pass in his 17th straight playoff game. Favre had fun & NFL.com summed up the game a bit facetiously:

Ryan Grant recovered from two fumbles that put the Packers down 14-0 after only four minutes. He set a team postseason record by running for 201 yards, and scored three times. After its early slips, Green Bay scored touchdowns on six straight possessions.

"I appreciate everyone sticking with it, staying with me," Grant said.

The Packers reached the NFC title game for the first time since the 1997 season, and the largest crowd ever at Lambeau partied. Favre and Driver started the celebration early, tossing snowballs at each other.
Most consecutive playoff games with a TD pass
Player Years Games
Brett Favre 1995-present 17
Dan Marino 1983-95 13
Tom Brady 2002-present 13
Ken Stabler 1973-78 10
Joe Montana 1989-94 10

"When I kind of packed it up and threw it, it got kind of hard, like a golf ball. So I kind of threw it at his back or his butt or something. I'm thinking, 'You don't want to puncture an eye or something,'" Favre said.

"He turns around, packs one and hits me in the face. Good thing it hit my face mask, it might have hit my tooth or something," he said.

Earlier, Favre made another playful toss. He somehow spun free from the Seahawks' clutches and stumbled ahead in the snow. Ever the gambler, he flipped a wobbly, underhanded pass that he had no business trying, let alone completing.

"That's right!" he shouted.

Favre tied his personal best for TD strikes in a postseason game, twice hitting Greg Jennings.

Notice that Tom Brady is right on Brett's tail for consecutive playoff touchdown games.

The Pats/Jag game was even more exciting than the GB/Seattle contest.

Brady went the entire first half without an incompletion, going 12-of-12 for 120 yards. His first incompletion didn't come until his 17th pass. Garrard wasn't much worse, going 12-of-14 for 149 yards in the first half. ... Harrison has recorded an interception in four straight postseason games [tying record with Aeneas Williams my note]. ... Randy Moss recorded a season-low 14 yards on just one reception. ... The Patriots' home win was their tenth straight in the postseason, the second longest streak in NFL history.

Laurance Maroney almost doubled the rushing yards of Jones-Drew and Taylor, rendering the Jag's vaunted running game inconsequential.

My fondest wish would be to have these two quarterbacks oppose each other in the Super Bowl, which could happen if the Giants pull off an upset in Dallas tomorrow. Otherwise, Favre would face the guy who decided to become a quarterback when he saw Brett in Milwaukee County Stadium fifteen years ago, so Tony Romo claims.

Even though my Catholic priest uncle, who was pastor in Burlington WI the year Tony Romo was born and almost certainly baptized a Catholic, may have poured the sacramental water, I'd love to see the young whippersnapper humbled by All-Time Great Brett, who I devoutly pray will remain next year to keep the Pack on the way back.

But a Brady/Favre Super Bowl face-off would be one of those great sports events that come only once or twice a decade.
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