Mike Celizic

I know I write about this column every year, but, it’s about Brett Favre, and it’s got to be done.

He’s playing his last Monday night game against the Ravens. Of this we can be sure, but only because given the way both the Packers and Ravens have played this year, both teams have as much chance of getting a date on Monday night next year as a six pack has of surviving a football weekend in a fraternity house.

It’s a milestone game for Favre, the 30th Monday night start in a career that’s going into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. As noted above, it’s also almost certainly his last as a Packer.

But should it be his last Monday night ever?

A year ago, I’d have said yes. Now, I’m not so sure.

He’s 36, which makes him too old to wait for the Packers to get good again, but there’s still time for him to have one last fling. It would mean finishing his career in a uniform other than the gold and green, which sounds sacrilegious. But I have a feeling that if Favre thought he could have one more decent shot at Paul Tagliabue’s big silver football, he’d take it.

And there are plenty of teams that could see themselves contending for the Super Bowl if only they had a real quarterback.

There are two in the NFC East alone — the Cowboys and the Redskins. If either of those teams had had Favre this year, they’d have the extra two wins that would have them in command of the division.

Then there are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are breaking in Chris Simms during a playoff run, and it’s not working out. Put Favre on that team with that defense and they’re leading their division.

Don’t tell me that the Raiders wouldn’t be six games better if they had Favre throwing to Randy Moss instead of Kerry Collins. The Jets thought they were set at quarterback this year and found out they were wrong. They’d take Favre next year and make a serious run at a title.

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How much better would Miami be with Favre instead of Gus Frerotte? And then there’s Monday night’s opponent, the offensively challenged Ravens.

All of these are pretty good football teams that lack a true NFL quarterback. The Jets, Dolphins, Bucs, Cowboys and Redskins all have good defenses. They all have some skill players on offense; the Raiders, though not as proficient defensively as the others, have it all on offense — Moss and Lamont Jordan — and lack just a field leader.