Brett Favre’s Return Makes Minnesota Vikings NFC Favorites

With “Favre Watch” coming to an end on Tuesday, the focus of the media, fans, and the Minnesota Vikings, can turn to the future and what year two of the Brett Favre era in Minnesota will bring.

And from where I’m sitting, it makes the Vikings the clear-cut favorites in the NFC.

Before you ask, yes, I am aware that the New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers reside in the NFC as well, but those teams don’t hold the overall talent of the Vikings. Favre and the Vikings showed that last year by beating the Cowboys and Packers handily, and then fumbled the game away against the Saints.

Well, to be fair, they had a little help messing things up from the officials.

But even still, top to bottom, there’s not a team in the NFC more talented than the Vikings. Their only achilles heel will be their cornerbacks, but once Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin return the Vikes will once again boast a solid unit.

Even without top-flight corners, the Vikings’ pass rush will be dominant enough to get them by. Jared Allen is a perennial All-Pro, the Williams Wall in unmovable, and Ray Edwards does his fair share. E.J. Henderson is returning to the linebacking corps and the offense spoke for itself last season.

Favre made Sidney Rice into a Pro Bowl receiver and, as long as he can hold onto the ball, Adrian Peterson is still the best running back in the NFL. Add in the emergence of Visanthe Shiancoe, a wiser Percy Harvin, and the speedster Bernard Berrian creating matchup hell for opposing defenses, and you’ve got a team that looks unstoppable.

The Saints, if they can find some balance, could challenge Minny, and the Packers are going to be a sexy pick across the league, but expect the Vikings to be playing in Jerry World in February as long as Favre’s ankle holds up until then.