Favre und die Story .......
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News-Chronicle
For the second time in less than a year, Brett Favre will be entering a "Monday Night Football" game with a heavy heart.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback is mourning the death of brother-in-law Casey Tynes. Tynes, brother of Favre's wife, Deanna, died of head injuries Wednesday night after being involved in an all-terrain vehicle accident at the Favres' residence outside Hattiesburg, Miss. Tynes was 24.
Brett was part of Packers practice Thursday afternoon. He will remain with the team for its practice today before leaving to attend funeral services in Mississippi this weekend. Team spokesman Zak Gilbert said Favre is expected to return in time to play in the game against Tennessee on Monday at Lambeau Field.
"As you can tell, he's pretty saddened about it," said fellow quarterback Craig Nall. "My thoughts and prayers go out to him."
Funeral arrangements had yet to be set as of Thursday night.
The Packers conclude their extended week of practice Saturday morning, which Gilbert said Favre "may miss, but we don't know that for sure right now." The team will have a walk-through Sunday at Lambeau Field, and Favre's return for that is uncertain as well.
Offensive coordinator Tom Rossley is optimistic the missed practice time won't affect Favre too much, if at all, going into the game.
Favre was held out of the first practice of the week Wednesday, partly to allow him an extra day to recover from the mild concussion he sustained in the 14-7 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. Favre missed most of the second half after having returned to the game for one play to throw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker on fourth down.
"Just coming off of a head injury and then, all of a sudden, he has this real heaviness on his heart, it's tough to see," Rossley said. "You could tell out there (in practice Thursday) he wasn't himself. His mind was kind of elsewhere.
"But, he'll rise somehow. We know he will," Rossley added.
Favre did just that late last season, a day after his father, Irvin, died of a heart attack in Mississippi. In perhaps the most emotional-laden game of his 13-year NFL career, Favre turned in his greatest performance with a national audience watching on ABC's "Monday Night Football."
The league's only three-time MVP managed to complete 22 of 30 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns - all in the first half - to will the Packers to a 41-7 win at Oakland on Dec. 22. Favre's passer rating was a career-best 154.9, just shy of the maximum 158.3.
"Whenever people think that he is down or whatever, that's when he's going to play his best," Rossley said following the game.
Safety Darren Sharper vouched Thursday for Favre's ability to rise above difficult circumstances. The quarterback is set to extend his NFL-record starting streak to 213 games.
"Whenever you lose a family member, it's always tough," Sharper said. "I think with Brett and being an adult, you know there's going to come a time when you're going to lose some of your family. It's something you are never prepared for, but you understand that's the reality.
"But, you also have a job to do, and I know that Brett takes his job very seriously and knows how to separate."
Respectful of the grieving process for Favre and his family, tight end Bubba Franks nonetheless asserted, "He's going to give a good performance on Monday anyway. You can bet that."
According to a sheriff's report, Tynes was riding the ATV without a helmet when it flipped on the property of Favre's home in Sumrall, Miss., on Wednesday afternoon. Tynes was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Hattiesburg at about 6 p.m. and was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.
News of the incident spread throughout the NFL on Thursday.
"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to his brother-in-law yesterday. That's a tragedy," said Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair, who lives in Hattiesburg during the off-season and is a close friend of Favre. "But, I think with a strong mind and spirit, he can handle it."
Newly elevated top backup Nall is taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether he'll be needed to handle most of the work in practice Saturday, should Favre not be able to return in time. "If they tell me to go in and take care of that, then I'm going to go in there and do my job," Nall said.
He ran the starting offense as well as the scout-team offense for the majority of practice Wednesday, with Favre resting and No. 2 Doug Pederson sidelined with rib and back injuries suffered after relieving Favre on Sunday. Pederson was placed on season-ending injured reserve Thursday.
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Packers - 3
thx und viel Glück @ all!
dC
