GREEN BAY, Wis. - The ending felt all wrong. In this season, when almost everything went right for the Green Bay Packers and their quarterback, Brett Favre expected victory right up until the very moment that he lost.
He walked into the Packers' interview room, his face flushed and colored red. He stuck both hands into his pockets, where they remained for the rest of the interview. He looked crushed, like the quarterback who threw the interception that lost the game.
Which was exactly what had unfolded a short time before at Lambeau Field. That the interception came in a season otherwise described as magical or storybook was no consolation to Favre. This stung. His face said what his words did not.
"I'm very disappointed," Favre said. "Everything seemed to fall in line for us. I'd like to say I thought we had this game."
As this season wore on, the Packers started noticing all the breaks that went their way, all the plays made in key situations, all the expectations they exceeded. Favre did not buy into these notions as quickly as his teammates did. He said they told him: You just have to believe. It's all falling into place.
So Favre started listening, started buying in. When the Seahawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the Packers last weekend, Favre and his teammates returned fire. Everything, well, fell into place.
Then the Giants came to town Sunday for the conference championship. Their kicker missed two field goals that could have won the game, so the Packers lucked their way into overtime, won the coin toss and took the ball.
"This game, there was a sense that everything was falling into place again," Favre said.
The way this season went, Favre had every reason to expect another victory delivered from almost-certain defeat. This was the season in which Favre broke Dan Marino's record for career touchdown passes and John Elway's record for career victories by a quarterback. That magic, that storybook narrative, seemed to move further along in the second quarter, when Favre connected with his favorite receiver, Donald Driver, for a 90-yard touchdown pass.
Favre this season resurrected both the Packers and his career. He has talked for a few years about retiring, but after the Packers improved from 4-12 in 2005 to 8-8 last season, there was a sense they could take another step.
Instead, they took a giant leap, riding the rocket that is Favre's right arm. Now 38 and in his 17th season, Favre passed for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also cut down on his interceptions, to 15.
After the game, during Coach Mike McCarthy's news conference, someone wondered if the old Favre - the wild, gun-slinging, prone-to-the-occasional-mistake Favre - had returned in the second half against the Giants.
"There were a couple opportunities where he threw to tight spots," McCarthy said. "Where he threw into tight coverage."
Favre's worst throw of his resurrected season also happened to be his last. After the Packers won the coin toss and all the fans in hunting jackets danced in the cold, Favre and the offense trotted on the field.
Everything was falling into place, again. Favre could sense it. It was time to add another chapter to his well-told legacy.
The Packers took over at the 26-yard-line with six seconds gone in overtime. Ryan Grant, the former Giants running back, gained 2 yards off left end. Everyone in the stadium knew who would get the ball on second down.
Favre dropped back. He looked right, toward Driver, who stayed near the sideline, guarded over his right shoulder by defensive back Corey Webster.
The ball came toward Driver's right shoulder, even a few feet off it. Favre wanted to throw it to the opposite shoulder, toward the sideline. Instead, Webster stepped in front of the pass and returned it 9 yards to the Packers' 34. Four plays later, the Giants kicked the winning field goal.
"It's too bad," Favre said. "We had our opportunities today. We put ourselves in this position."
The emotion showed on Favre's face as he trotted off the field. The ending, he admitted during his news conference, just felt wrong.
This was supposed to be one of his final chapters, the season when Favre took one of the youngest teams in football and taught it how to win. He would lead them to the Super Bowl, then ride off into a golden exit.
Not surprisingly, the talk at McCarthy's news conference turned to whether Favre would return next season. McCarthy did not appear to appreciate those questions. He grunted and grumbled after most of them, said he had not talked to Favre since the game ended and called the retirement discussion a "postseason conversation."
Pressed again, McCarthy said, "I don't have anything for you."
Neither did Favre, for whom the loss was far too fresh. He finished the game with 19 completions in 35 attempts, with 236 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He expected a different ending, another game where everything fell into place.
Instead, his season ended after an interception, with the Giants celebrating on the "G" painted on the middle of the field.
"It's disappointing my last pass of this game was an interception," Favre said. "It gave them a chance to win."
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