The deciding game for the AFC East title took place at the Meadowlands.
On one side was a cast-off signal-caller in Chad Pennington and his Miami Dolphins.
On the other side was "the icon", "the gunslinger", Brett Favre and his New York (Bretts) Jets.
This was Favre's moment. The Jets hadn't seen a postseason since 2004. They finished 4-12 last year because of Pennington's injury-filled, eight year career.
This was Pennington's moment. The Dolphins finished a despicable 1-15 last season. He gave his first, eight years to the New York faithful only to be cast off to a team with one win.
Favre threw three interceptions. Pennington threw touchdowns and no interceptions. The Dolphins won 24-17 and sent the Jets home to a cold and disappointing offseason.
Pennington's victory saddened New Yorkers and shocked his former team. Players like Kerry Rhodes and Thomas Jones questioned Favre's committment. Some even blamed him for knocking the Jets out of the postseason.
Last year, Favre was the toast of Wisconsin. His 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions gave his Green Bay Packers a 13-3 season and a NFC Championship berth. But, his turnovers gave the New York Giants their Superbowl appearance and their championship. It was his turnovers again that cost his team; and perhaps tarnished his legacy as the best quarterback of this era.
And, a cast-off found vindication along with Comeback Player of the Year.
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Comments: 6
I think Tony Sporano used his creativity and innovation with Pennington. He masked his quarterback's deficiencies with a capable, running game and a unique, Wildcat offense. He knew his quarterback couldn't throw 35-40 times a game to win. He made sure his team treated their offensive possessions with care. (only 13 turnovers all year) He made sure Pennington made intermediate passes with some deep-ball in certain spots. And, the Miami Dolphins had a dominate defense to keep opponents off the scoreboard.