Over and out.

At 1 – 5 and with an offense decimated by injury, the Green Bay Packers season is done. But what keeps me up at night, gnawing at my ample gut is this: Can Brett Favre be far behind? It’s not that Favre doesn’t have the talent any more because man oh man he does. Favre made a throw to Robert Ferguson the week Mrs. Samichlaus and I were in Green Bay that only he could make: backpedaling, moving left, and throwing right 25 yards…for a touchdown. This week, Favre made an equally breathtaking pass: moving right and back, leaping into the air, and throwing 30 yards downfield… for a touchdown. But Favre’s unbridled enthusiasm has seemed to wane. No longer is he the wide eyed passionate QB who led his team on guts and enthusiasm. Favre appeared to be going through the motions Sunday, even as the Packers lead 17 – 0

This isn’t exactly unfathomable. Favre looks out and does not see Mike Wahle, Marco Rivera and Mike Flanagan protecting him on the offensive line. In their place he sees rookie Will Whiticker, second year second stringer Scott Wells and journeyman Adrian Klemm.. He looks left and does not see Javon Walker or Robert Ferguson for that matter. He sees 5’ 9” Arena League receiver Antonio Chatman. He looks right and most of the time does not see Bubba Franks lining up at tight end. He sees street free agent Donald Lee, an undrafted player with some talent who looks pretty good when the passes are coming from the greatest quarterback in Packer history. When he hands off the ball to his half back he does not see Ahman Green or Najeh Davenport, both gone for the season with career threatening injuries. He sees instead third string backup Tony Fisher. When Fisher runs, it’s no longer William Henderson at fullback leading the way. At age 36 Henderson has given way to Vontay Leach, a decent enough player right now with tremendous upside.

The only familiar sights Favre sees are Donald Driver, Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton.

In the second quarter my wife remarked “Favre looks like he’s in shock”. She was the one who picked up non Favre’s lack of enthusiasm. By the third quarter, Favre had no one to throw to, no one to hand the ball to, no one to block for the runners and no one to protect him.

And still with 2:30 left, down 3, Favre took the likes of Fisher and Lee and Chatman and whoever else was out there down the field to the Vikings 25 yard line. He completed passes. He ran. He managed the clock impeccably, and suddenly the joy returned to his eyes. He made his team of third string players look like Pro Bowlers and when he took them to third and three on the Vikings 25 yard line with about a minute to go, he needed a first down.

Unlike his coach, Brett Favre doesn’t play for a tie. But Brett Favre doesn’t get to call the plays, Mike Sherman does. Sherman, whose only playmakers on the field were Favre and wide receiver Donald Driver inexplicably decided to put the ball in the hands of someone else. He called for a run. With the clock running the Packers set up in a shotgun formation. Favre began the count and suddenly the ball was in his hands. The center, second year second stringer Scott Wells had snapped the ball early catching Favre by surprise. Favre quickly executed an inside handoff to Tony Fisher, but guard Adrian Klemm who was equally surprised by the quick snap missed his block. Fisher was stuffed.

And so out came Ryan Longwell, who had already missed two field goals to kick a game tying field goal with 36 seconds on the clock.

Favre retreated to the bench and began to prepare for the overtime while the Vikings began to move the ball. With 8 seconds on the clock the Vikings took their last time out. The were holding the ball on their own 45 and realistically had two options: they could try to throw an out pattern and get into field goal range or take a shot down field. The cameras quickly shot to the sideline to show Favre studying the pictures of the last drive. He glanced up for a moment and returned to his preparation. The Packers defense would know to defend the sidelines forcing Daunte Culpepper to throw over the middle. The clock would expire. Favre would have his chance in overtime. During the time-out defensive coordinator Jim Bates reminded his players not to allow the Vikings to get out of bounds, to force them to complete the pass in the middle. And so it went, Culpepper took the snap and looked down field, and suddenly changed his focus to about 12 yards downfield where Joey Thomas had allowed a Viking receiver to get open on the sideline. Thomas, a second year second round pick had forgotten Bates’s instructions and had played the corner soft, effectively defending the middle of the field. Culpepper completed the pass and the receiver stepped out of bounds with two seconds on the clock.

Now Favre put the paper aside and began to pay attention. The Vikings kicker Paul Eddinger trotted out on the field to attempt a 56 yard field goal. Eddinger in his prior game against the Bears had been terrible, and had been the butt of Head Coach Mike Tice’s musings during practice (Tice had quipped that he had a memo from the Commissioners office stating that Paul Eddinger was allowed to make field goals this week).

56 yards. Two seconds left. And Eddinger stuck it, right between the goal posts.

Favre sat motionless for several minutes. It was like a dagger in his heart. Whatever joy Favre had recaptured in that final drive was gone. Favre sat, and sat some more, then quietly left the field.

How much more will Brett Favre play? Will he see this season as a bust, lost to insurmountable injuries to practically his entire offense? Will he then seize the opportunity to play one more season with everyone healthy, one last run for glory? Or will Favre give in to the utter anguish I saw on his face Sunday? When the football history books are written will it be the smallest of men, the kicker Paul Eddinger, who struck the final blow that brought down the great warrior Favre?

I can’t imagine that. Actually, I just don't want to.

But if Favre looks at this team filled with rejects and misfits and decides that this is enough, I wouldn’t blame him.