Mike Woods

The Favorite Son admits there have been times this season when he surveys the locker room just before a game and wonders, to be blunt, What the hell are these guys thinking?

“It’s not like they’re playing poker five minutes before a game,’’ said Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, “at least I don’t think they are.’’

But the 38-year-old has looked at the youngest team in the league and sees them acting like they’re about to embark on a touch football game with their pals at Thanksgiving, not preparing to play just one of 16 games that will determine their worth and their future.

“In the locker room before the game these guys are pretty loose,’’ he said. “But, that’s the way I always played.’’

Still does.

Whether it’s playing paddy cake with the head referee after throwing a touchdown pass in the regular-season finale against Detroit, or starting a snowball fight with Donald Driver during the last week’s playoff win over Seattle, or picking up Driver and carrying him around after another scoring pass, it’s easy to understand why these youngsters take the lead of their leader.

Dude’s a pretty good example on how to have enormous success while having all kinds of fun along the way.

If you had to chose his way or Belichick’s, whom would you imitate?

But the dynamic in the Packers locker room isn’t all what you may believe. Sure, Favre will likely bust out one of his infamous stink bombs this week, or pour cold water on one his teammates while they contemplate life on the porcelain throne, but that’s just Favre being Favre.

And, yes, it does provide a calming effect at a time when anxiety is running amok and blood pressure is going up faster than the price of oil.

But he won’t be the guy giving an impassioned speech before the huddled masses about how they need to make the most of this moment because no one knows better than he how rare these opportunities come along.

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Not his style. Not his way.

He will lead this week as he always does, more with his actions than words.

Except for the practice field, or the meeting rooms. That’s where he has done most of his important work this season. That’s where he makes sure his baby-faced mates not only fully understand their jobs, but their importance.

There, and occasionally it’s been seen on Sunday afternoons as well, Favre has been known to suddenly take on the personality of his former coach, Mike Holmgren.

“Mike Holmgren never patted me on the back and said ‘That’s OK buddy,’ ’’ said Favre. “There was never any of that. He laid into me every time. And I can’t tell you how many times I came off the field and said ‘I hate this guy.’

“But as I look back he meant more to my career than anyone. He was hard on me, but I see him now and thank him for those things.’’

Time and again this season Favre has talked about how happy he was with his decision to return, and how he has tried to impress upon his self-assured teammates that while their careers may be long and prosperous, nothing is guaranteed. Not in the postseason, not next season.

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So as he approaches perhaps his last and best chance of another shot at Super Bowl and his teammates approach their first, best chance, Favre will simply be himself this week and his teammates will again simply follow his lead.

“I don’t think the guys will treat it any differently,’’ Favre said of the NFC title game. “That’s the thing about this group of guys. Sometimes after a loss, like when we came back from Chicago (a 35-7 loss in Week 16), by the time we landed you’d have thought we’d won.

“You can look at it two different ways. But we only had three losses this year and we handled them all the same way, sort of the way we’ve handled our wins.’’

In Green Bay, that’s with a wink and a smile.

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