Favre, Saints to help NFL kickoff its regular season

By D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

All the exhibition games and the bizarre experimentation sessions around the NFL are over.

We can close the cover on that book for this season.

Now, it's time to move on to the much-anticipated regular season, which will start Thursday with a spectacular rematch of the NFC championship game.

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings travel to play the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints at 8:30 p.m. in the Superdome.

"We have what I thought was the best game played a season ago," said NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth. "I realize that Minnesota made a lot of mistakes in that championship game with the turnovers, but as far as drama, intensity and big plays, and just the watch-ability, Minnesota and New Orleans was the best game."

With Favre and quarterback Drew Brees on the field, Collinsworth believes that two of the top four players in the league will be on display. He has Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning and Tennessee running back Chris Johnson rounding out his fantastic four.

The opening game will have several themes. But the return of Favre may even outweigh whether the Saints can repeat.

"We are obviously excited to see him give it one more shot," Collinsworth said.

Last season, when Favre "un-retired" to much fanfare, he figured to be a caretaker for the Vikings. He was supposed to hand the ball off to running back Adrian Peterson and get out of the way.

Well, someone forgot to tell Favre his role, and he tossed 33 touchdown passes with only seven interceptions. He arguably had his best statistical season at age 39.

"I think that there is no question, that even beyond his MVP seasons, that was the best that he's played," Collinsworth said.

Favre talked to Al Michaels of NBC after deciding to return for his 20th season at age 40. He'll turn 41 in October.

"One of the things that struck me was that he said he's given people a lot of ammunition to shoot arrows at him with all of the procrastination," Michaels said.

There also is the matter of Favre's health. He told Sports Illustrated's Peter King that he already was taking injections into his ankle. Also, Sidney Rice, who turned into Favre's favorite receiver last season, is out after hip surgery.

"That's one of the key questions; what happens when he does take a hit," Michaels said.

In the NFC title game, Favre had the Vikings on the verge of reaching the franchise's fifth Super Bowl and its first since the Bud Grant-era. They had to weather a slew of fumbles, but Favre's bad side reared its ugly head late in regulation.

He tried to make an ill-advised throw across his body and into traffic. Predictably, the pass was intercepted. The Saints would march on to win in overtime and go on to upset the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.

"Will they be able to handle the success they had last season," said Rodney Harrison, a former New England Patriot and NBC's controversial analyst.

He duly notes the Patriots were the last team to repeat by winning Super Bowls XXXVIII over Carolina and XXXIX over Philadelphia.

"I'm definitely excited to see how they respond to the success they have had," Harrison said.

One thing is for sure, New Orleans will be in a festive, almost Mardi Gras-like mood.

"The setting in New Orleans should just be over the top," Collinsworth said. "It's a great place to get things started."