If you look at their stats, things are pretty similar between Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers this year. Favre, the ol’ gunslinger, has thrown a few more TDs and a few more interceptions. Rodgers has thrown for more yards. Favre has a better rating and a higher completion percentage. But everything is pretty close in the numbers. The NFL, though, is not about raw numbers. It is about the 5-7 plays in 60 to 70 percent of the games that determine a win or a loss. And at the end of the day, these numbers are undeniable: last year, with Brett Favre starting, the Packers were 13-3. This year, the Packers are 5-6 with Aaron Rodgers starting. Last year, without Brett Favre, the Jets were 4-12. This year, with Brett Favre, they are 8-3 and, based on their schedule, headed for 11-12 wins and at least one home playoff game. The Jets defeated a solid Arizona team early in the season. Their last two victories came on the road against New England and Tennessee. They are legit. The Packers were steamrolled last night to fall to 5-6 (and they cost a man $1 million in the process, which serves him right for betting on the Cheeseheads). Several of their losses have been of the excruciating variety: at Tampa Bay after leading in the fourth quarter; by a field goal at home to Atlanta; in overtime to Tennessee; and, of course, on a long missed field goal against the Vikings. They have scored 43 more points than they have allowed. Now, you can hardly blame Rodgers when a team gives up 51 points as the Packers did last night. But again, we will go back to those 5-7 plays per game. There is no way — repeat, NO WAY — the Vikings escape with a victory after a final drive by Favre two weeks ago. He puts them in range for a chip shot, not a long shot. Even though we thought the Packers were making a mistake in letting Favre go, we scoffed at the notion that the Jets would have a better record than Green Bay this year. Now it is all but assured, and we are coming to accept that one player really can make that kind of difference. In the on-the-fly assessment of how things went down, it’s best to remember four things: 1) How badly the Packers and Favre botched their relationship in the offseason. They would be running away with the NFC North with him at the helm and he would be a hero still on the frozen tundra. 2) The Packers got exactly what they deserved: a quarterback for the future but a closing of a window that might not open again for a while. 3) The Packers were still smart to keep Favre away from the Vikings. Seriously, put his numbers and performance on this team. The Vikings would be at least 8-3 right now. 4) Any Vikings fan who said they didn’t want Favre was a fool.

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