GREEN BAY, Wis. — Where others see question marks, Brett Favre sees potential exclamation points for the Green Bay Packers this year.
Of course, Favre also thought he saw plenty of big plays developing on the field last year -- and 29 of them fizzled into interceptions.
Favre opened his 16th training camp by proclaiming this year's Packers "the most talented team that I've been a part of," a pronouncement as bold, improbable and perhaps ill-advised as many of his trademark off-balance touchdown passes.
The 36-year-old three-time MVP insists last year's dismal season can be blamed mainly on injuries. This year, he says a mix of returning veterans, new free agents and young players can produce a quick turnaround.
"I really believe that we're going to be better than people think we will," Favre said.
But it wasn't so long ago that Favre himself was one of the skeptics.
Favre had Cheesehead Nation on high alert for months in the off-season as he openly wondered whether the Packers had done enough improving to make another year of football worth his while.
After finally ending his retirement saga in April, Favre says he has put aside concerns about the Packers' commitment to winning right away rather than rebuilding.
"All that is in the past now," Favre said. "I'm here to play. I'm very satisfied with the decision I made."
Favre, perhaps the most recognizable and popular player in the league over the last dozen years, has always represented hope for Packers fans. And if he's optimistic about the team's talent, maybe they should be, too -- even if Favre adds the important caveat that this is also the most inexperienced team he has ever played on.
Or maybe Favre just had to talk himself into believing the Packers got significantly better.
Green Bay finished 4-12 last year, its first losing season with Favre under center.
"I had spoiled myself because I thought that as long as I was the starting quarterback, we would always have a chance," Favre said.
Favre explains he tried too hard to make up for the absences of injured teammates last year, throwing up his hands as he threw interception after interception.
What else was he supposed to do?
"We talked about it," said veteran fullback William Henderson, one of the few remaining links to the team's Super Bowl years. "It was tough to handle. He and I both had a lot of sleepless nights, coming in early, staying up late, simply because we weren't used to that. Losing has never been a part of either of our histories."
