The (Latest) Return of Brett Favre

The last three weeks have been a blur for Minnesota Viking fans. They've gone from a quarterback competition to a completely different kind of quarterback controversy.

When Brett Favre walked into Viking headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minn., on Aug. 18, he brought with him the promise of a Super Bowl run. Either that, or the promise of another glorious Vikings flop. The only certainty with Favre's arrival is that nothing is a given. All the meaningless predictions are cast aside starting Sunday, as Minnesota launches their 2009 regular season at Cleveland.

As the season opens, no one really knows how good the Vikings offense will look. Part of the problem is Favre's late arrival, but also complicating matters is an injury to star wide receiver Bernard Berrian. Listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, Berrian has hardly practiced since Favre showed up, and he's the most important player to the passing game (outside of Favre, of course). His ability to stretch defenses and demand extra attention helps pull players from the line of scrimmage, giving Adrian Peterson more room to run. If Berrian can't play, that responsibility belongs to youngster Sidney Rice and newcomer Greg Lewis, who was signed this week after the release of veteran Bobby Wade.

Protecting Favre also has to be a priority. Center John Sullivan makes his first NFL start Sunday, and he'll be staring across the line of scrimmage at Pro Bowl defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. While Rogers is typically more of a factor in the run game, the attention he commands also affects how the Vikings keep Favre clean on his dropbacks. Favre is notorious for holding the ball too long, as his mobility isn't as good as it used to be. He's typically better off staying in the pocket than exposing himself to an open-field hit.

The Browns play a 3-4 scheme, and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley is on the verge of establishing himself as a stud on the edge. Cleveland's secondary, led by cornerback Eric Wright and safety Brodney Pool, could cause problems for Minnesota, especially if Berrian is limited or sidelined.

That all pales in comparison to the issues Cleveland could have moving the ball. Running back Jamal Lewis is a bigger dude, but he doesn't have the quick feet he used to. He will struggle trying to run through the Williams Wall (defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams), and he doesn't have the speed to get outside on end Jared Allen or linebackers Chad Greenway and Ben Leber. The Browns may try to pick on a Vikings secondary not known for its depth, but that would mean Brady Quinn will have to make fast friends with Braylon Edwards and Joshua Cribbs.

New Browns coach Eric Mangini coached Favre with the Jets last year, so he may know a few things about the veteran's game that help him and the defense. The problem is likely to come when Cleveland is charged with moving the football. They don't have the personnel at receiver to ably spread a defense out, but that seems like the best fit for Quinn, who isn't a big-armed guy but can throw short passes with great accuracy.

The story of the day will be Favre. There's a pretty good chance, however, that he won't decide the outcome of the game by anything he does. For the Vikings, this isn't a bad thing. If all goes well this season, he's simply going to be the caretaker.