Favre "Expects To Start" On Sunday Against New England

Brett Favre told ESPN’s Ed Werder today that his ankle feels “much better” and that he expects to start tomorrow’s game against New England.

How much does he expect it? Well, he threw this little tidbit in.

. . .as Favre prepared to board the team charter to fly to Providence, R.I., the Minnesota Vikings quarterback said he wouldn’t have made the trip unless he expected to start.

Wait, you weren’t even going to make the trip unless you were going to start? Are you freaking kidding me with this garbage? You’re responsible for 14 of your team’s 15 turnovers this season and have two fractures in your ankle. Why on earth would you expect to start?

Ugh.

Video: "Foot"age Of Brett Favre Practicing This Morning

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune also has video footage, albeit brief, of Brett Favre practicing this morning at the Vikings’ facility.

Really can’t glean a heck of a lot from this video, but it doesn’t look like Favre is terribly mobile to me.

Report: Brad Childress Leaning Towards Starting Tarvaris Jackson Against New England

Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Minnesota Vikings’ head coach Brad Childress is, apparently, leaning towards starting Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback this Sunday against the New England Patriots. Such a move would end Brett Favre’s streak of consecutive starts at 291.

Chip Scoggins, also of the Star-Tribune, is reporting that Favre did some “stretching and light throwing” for about ten minutes at this morning’s practice, whatever that means.

Favre really wants to play this Sunday, but depending on his level of involvement in today’s practice, Jackson will have taken all of the first-team snaps and been the main quarterback involved in the installation of the game plan.

We’ll learn more about Favre’s chances to play today when the final injury reports for Sunday are released.

Brett Favre Wants To Play This Weekend Against New England Patriots

Brett Favre didn’t practice for the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday, but that does not necessarily mean he won’t play this weekend.

“I would love to play,” Favre told the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Judd Zulgad. “There’s a chance I don’t play. That’s no secret to anyone. I want to play. I want to do what I can this week to get myself ready to play. I know the bone will continue to be broken for quite a while. I’ve done it in the past. I think I can do it again. I just want to help this team get back on track.”

It might not be up to Favre, though, according to Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress.

Asked how much of the decision would be up to Favre and how much would be up to him, Childress said: “You have to weigh both. What he’s telling you. I’ve said before. Sometimes you have to protect people from themselves as well.”

It doesn’t seem as though Favre believes he needs protection from himself, however, as long as he knows his limitations.

“I know I’ll keep an open mind about it and be smart about it,” said Favre, who made it clear he is proud of the streak. “I don’t want to go out and play just to play and look back and say, ‘I should have known better, I couldn’t make that play.’ I do know that if I didn’t have a hurt foot, I’m not going to rush for 50 yards and with a broken foot, I’m not going to rush for 50 yards. We do know that, so there are some limitations that really won’t change.”

It almost sounds like it might come down to Favre versus Childress for who decides if the quarterback plays this weekend.

Brett Favre To Sit Out Of Minnesota Vikings Practice Wednesday

During his morning press conference today, Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress told reporters that quarterback Brett Favre will sit out of practice today.

Favre has started 291 consecutive regular season games, and many more if you include post-season appearances, but Childress has said that he won't allow that to play a role in determining whether Favre or backup Tarvaris Jackson will start Sunday's game against the Patriots in Foxboro.

Tarvaris Jackson Says He's Ready If Brett Favre Can't Play This Week

If Brett Favre is unable to play for the Minnesota Vikings this weekend due to his ankle injury, backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson told the Associated Press that he will be ready.

“Brett, he’s a warrior, so I’d be real surprised if he don’t play,” Jackson said, “but I’m going to be ready to play if my number is called.”

Ignoring the grammatical error, Jackson hasn’t had much success for the Vikings in his first two shots at being the Vikings quarterback, but he insists he’s improved.

“I’m not Brett, and I understand that and a lot of the stuff that he sees I probably won’t see,” Jackson said. “But I’m a different player. I can move around a little bit more. Good things will come my way. I know I’m not going to go out there and operate the same way he’s going to operate, but I feel like I’ve learned a lot from him. I’m not going to try to be him. I learned a lot from him that will help me play and be better.”

If nothing else, Jackson is probably one of the few people left that believe the Vikings can still compete for a Super Bowl this season.

“I’m not looking forward to next year right now. Just try to do our best right now. Just try to win a Super Bowl this year,” Jackson said.

If nothing else, this weekend should be interesting.

Brett Favre Has Fractured Ankle, Status Could Be In Doubt For Patriots Game

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre looked hobbled walking off the field following the Vikings loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, though the injury is worse than simple aches and pains from the NFL's iron man.

Vikings coach Brad Childress said today that the quarterback has two small fractures in his left ankle which were revealed in an MRI, but he did not rule Favre out for Sunday's game at New England according to the Star Tribune's Judd Zulgad.

"Once he's functional, he can play," Childress said. "As you know he's had ankle and heel problems for a long time so that walking boot makes him a little bit more comfortable and I wouldn't rule anything out in terms of the end of the week. Don't really have a time-frame work on it."

Favre's left ankle has been a problem for quite awhile, as it is the same ankle that required surgery earlier this year and left the quarterbacks return in doubt.

Zuglad wrote that Favre was injured in the third quarter while throwing the first of his three interceptions in the Vikings' 28-24 loss at Green Bay on Sunday. Favre played the remainder of the game but was having trouble walking after the game.

Could this mean that Favre's streak of 291 consecutive games played might come to an end on Sunday?

Asked about the potential benefit of giving Favre a game off, Childress said: "He's got to be able to all the things that the position does. You can't put a guy that's a sitting duck out there. His competitive nature I'm sure will come into it but a lot of times you have to protect people from themselves. Really I'm taking it day-by-day. He's got great pain threshold and also great competitive zeal."

This will definitely be a situation to keep an eye on throughout the week as Tarvaris Jackson would be forced to start if Favre is unable to play.