American Football: Packers confident farve will start monday

The Green Bay Packers are confident quarterback Brett Favre's first concussion in nine seasons was mild and won't prevent him from starting next Monday night against the Tennessee Titans.

"He's fine. I may hold him back on Wednesday but he'll practice on Thursday," coach Mike Sherman said. "He has been looked at by the doctors and they feel pretty confident he's OK to go."

The status of backup Doug Pederson, however, isn't as positive.

Offensive coordinator Tom Rossley said Pederson has a broken rib and "he's still hurting pretty bad today."

Without Pederson, third-stringer Craig Nall would back up Favre with newcomer J.T. O'Sullivan serving as the No. 3 quarterback. O'Sullivan was part of the deal that sent recalcitrant cornerback Mike McKenzie to the New Orleans Saints on Monday for a second-round draft choice.

Favre has started 212 straight games, counting playoffs, since becoming a starter on Sept. 13, 1992. It's the longest streak for a quarterback in NFL history. During that time, 175 other quarterbacks have made their NFL debuts.

But Favre is starting to show the effects of his Ironman streak. For just the sixth time in his career - but second in two weeks - Favre was unable to finish a game because of an injury. He missed the final series at Indianapolis two weeks ago after being kicked in his left hamstring and revealed after that game that he has a loose left shoulder that pops out of its socket.

He sustained a concussion in the third quarter of the Packers' 14-7 loss to the New York Giants when defensive lineman William Joseph knocked him to the ground. Favre sat out two plays before returning to throw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Javon Walker on fourth down, an amazing feat quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell said "just adds to his legacy."

But Sherman acknowledged he sent Favre back into the game unaware that team doctors Patrick McKenzie and John Gray had not cleared him to return.

It's believed to be Favre's first concussion since he suffered a blow to the head against Pittsburgh on Dec. 24, 1995. He also got a concussion when Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd delivered an illegal hit during the preseason that year.

Pederson replaced Favre for good after the touchdown toss to Walker and on his second play of his first full series, he was hit by lineman Keith Washington as he was going out of bounds on the Packers' sideline in the third quarter.

It turns out Pederson, like Favre, should also have come out of the game.

His side sore, Pederson toughed it out as the pain and stiffness increased and prevented him from throwing the ball properly.

"I didn't realize he had been hurt that bad until it was into the fourth quarter and they said, 'Doug is really hurting down here, too,' " Rossley said of the team's medical staff. "It got worse as the game went on."

Pederson completed just seven of 17 passes and cringed on a high pass that was intercepted.

Rossley said he didn't consider sending in Nall before the final desperation pass, however.

"We probably should have. I know Darrell kept saying, 'Are you all right to go?' Doug, being the veteran, the trooper that he is ... I think had we known, we probably would have gotten Craig in a little sooner because his last couple of series he wasn't able to throw the ball very well."

its always a good thing when your organization is confident that your star player will start.

The thing that tweakes me is how they arnt running the ball as much as last season.

Hopefully he doesn't start just ot keep the damn streak alive. If he's playing hurt, he's hurting his team, just like the playoffs last year.