Did the Rams crummy play in '07 have a role in this Brett Favre mess?

I'm sure we've heard the last of the Brett Favre saga now that he's been traded. Oh, wait.

At any rate, we Rams fans will get a fresh reminder about the Favre saga in the days leading up to our week 11 visit to New Jersey to play the New York Jets. The Rams last played against Brett Favre in week 15 last season, in front of an EJD crowd made up of mostly Packers fans.

The Rams lost that game 33-14. Brett Favre didn't likely forget the game though; he became the NFL's all time leader for passing yards with his 227 yard, 2 TD performance that day. I remember writing, in the days leading up to the game, that at least we were going to see one more outing from one of the game's best, even wondering whether historians would judge Favre or Peyton Manning to be the better QB. That game and that post must have caught Favre's attention, and I'm just sure he finished the season wondering how history would look at him as a player. Maybe not. But sometime after he completed his record setting pass to Donald Driver, I'll bet you he realized that someday, some other QB would eclipse that number. Maybe that thinking had something to do with his strange retirement saga. And that's how the Rams became a footnote in the whole matter.

This season, however, the Rams ought to have a much stouter defense, particularly on the pass rush. And I'm looking forward to adding another footnote to the history books in week 11 this year, when the Rams beat down the Jets led by Brett Favre's ego.

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Of course, the Rams chances to beat the Jets in week 11 would greatly improve if they get Steven Jackson back in time for that game. Remember, he has to be back before week 10 to fulfill the final year of his contract and get paid. The fines from Steven Jackson's holdout are starting to get pretty hefty, espcially for a guy still working on a rookie salary. As of Tuesday, Jackson owed more than $181,000 in fines for missing camp; that total ought to be more than $200K by the end of the day today.

Peter King, a man obsessed with Brett Favre, said yesterday that he thinks the Rams will get Jackson signed soon. For some reason, hearing King say that makes me more worried.