Ron Borges

If this is Brett Favre's farewell tour, it may not be a pleasant one.

Throughout much of the offseason, Favre, 36, vacillated between retirement and a return to what became a disappointing place to play last season. In the end he opted to try again, but no one can be sure any more if that's a positive because Favre's play has been slipping along with his team's for several seasons, and little has happened to alter the concerns of Packers fans about how much he has left.

Always a gambler, Favre has taken more and more chances with the ball as the cast around him has disintegrated through defection and injury, and it's resulted in 67 interceptions the past three years, including a horrendous 29 last season. Favre's advocates will insist he threw 23 of those 29 when the team was behind and although that's true, his gambling didn't help.

The first order of business for rookie coach Mike McCarthy, who was once Favre's quarterback coach, is to convince him to take fewer chances on big plays that aren't there and be content with short throws and hitting the crossing routes McCarthy's offense is designed to turn into bigger yardage after the catch.

That might not be as simple as it sounds because McCarthy has never been in this kind of position of authority before, probably having to buck the mindset of one of the great quarterbacks of his era. Worse, Favre lost his best receiver, Javon Walker, because of a contract dispute and the running game is suspect.

Former All-Pro back Ahman Green is coming off a torn quad that continued to bother him. When Green is healthy Green Bay has shown it can run the ball with authority, but Green has been available for 16 games only twice in six years, and the Pack cut backup Najeh Davenport to go with young Samkon Gado. Green's production has slipped from 1,883 yards to 1,163 to 255 on 77 carries last year. If that pattern of slippage repeats itself there will be problems for Favre unless Gado shows his spectacular performances late last season were not an illusion.

Favre needs a reliable running game to keep himself away from his tendency to take great risks when feeling pressured. The loss of center Mike Flanagan in free agency, after seeing both his starting guards depart a year ago, has left Favre with clear difficulties in front of him.

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Pressure up the middle caused him problems in 2005 and replacing Flanagan with Scott Wells doesn't seem likely to be an upgrade. With all those issues, McCarthy will have his hands full keeping Favre believing in taking the safer, more conservative road.

Hot seat
Charles Woodson. Woodson was paid big money to come to Green Bay and play like the Pro Bowl cornerback he used to be. He hasn't been that since 2002, but the secondary was in dire need of a playmaker and the hope is Woodson is done complaining the way he did in Oakland and ready to produce. If he doesn't, he'll hear about it from Favre.

Overheard
Before the year is out, the remarkable story of Samkon Gado may have a new chapter. He went from practice squad player to starting running back and he was productive, rushing for 582 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.1 yards a carry. If Green isn't healthy the Packers will give the ball to Gado, a one-cut runner who is perfect for the zone blocking scheme the Packers will use this season. If he gets his chance many in Green Bay believe he could make a significant difference in the Packers' offense.

Outlook
Favre is declining, only Donald Driver is a wide receiving threat and the line is suspect in the middle. Defensively, the Pack has a solid team that improved itself with the addition of rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk, Woodson and free agent safety Marquand Manuel, but if the offense slips further or commits the same kind of errors and turnovers of a year ago, they won't be good enough to hold off the inevitable.

Prediction
Fourth.

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