By PFW staff
Jan. 21, 2008

On the day after the Packers’ dramatic 23-20 overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC championship game at frozen Lambeau Field, the hard, cold truth remained the same: The Giants were the better team — on both sides of the ball. And after all was said and done, Eli Manning was better than Brett Favre, whose interception by Giants CB Corey Webster set up the game-winning score. The question now becomes the same for Favre as it has been at the end of every season for quite a while now: At the age of 38, will he return for an 18th season in Green Bay after one of his finest seasons ever?

Based on comments he made recently to his hometown newspaper, it appears the competitive fire still burns brightly enough for Favre to be back for what he genuinely believes will be another realistic shot at a Super Bowl next season.

“I’m not going to rush to make any quick decisions, but I think it will probably be much quicker than it was in the past,” Favre said after the game Sunday when asked how seriously he might consider retiring. “I’m not going to let this game sway my decision one way or the other.”

The PFW spin

Favre was expected to confer with both GM Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy at some point Monday before heading home to Mississippi to make what is expected to be a relatively quick decision one way or the other.

Physically, Favre appeared to hold up quite well this season, aside from getting banged up in the Week 13 loss to Dallas, and team sources tell us that he really feels genuinely excited by a solid surrounding cast brimming with youth and promise.

A bigger disappointment than Favre’s meltdown in crunch time in the NFC title game was the disappearance of the team’s Ryan Grant-led ground game. One week after rushing for 235 yards in the rousing playoff victory over the Seahawks, the Packers rushed for only 28 yards on 14 carries, the lowest total in two seasons under Mike McCarthy. But a masterful game plan by Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo deserves a lot of the credit for making the Pack totally one-dimensional.

Looking ahead, the future is bright for the Packers, even if Favre surprises everyone and calls it a career. McCarthy , whose 22-12 record is the same as both Vince Lombardi’s and Mike Sherman's after 34 games as the Packers head coach, is expected to get a well-deserved contract extension any day now, and the team should enter next season as the overwhelming favorite to repeat as NFC North champs.