Vikings slump as Favre forced to look on

CONCUSSION ruled Brett Favre out of his own swansong as his 20-year career in the NFL came to an end yesterday.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback missed yesterday’s season finale against the Detroit Lions due to an injury suffered against the Chicago Bears two weeks ago. The Vikings’ miserable season ended with a 13-20 defeat in Detroit.

“If the doctors told me he was fine, he could do it,” acknowledged Vikings’ newly-appointed coach Leslie Frazier before the game. “But that injury is more than the physical. That injury is: ‘can I take another hit?’”

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set themselves up for a chance at a playoff appearance with a surprise 23-13 victory at the New Orleans Saints. The Malcolm Glazer-owned team were left waiting on results elsewhere late last night as the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers both needed to win to secure a post-season wild card. In the other NFC South clash, the Atlanta Falcons sealed their divisional triumph with a 31-10 win at the Carolina Panthers.

New England Patriots, the Super Bowl favourites, beat the Miami Dolphins 38-7, while in the other AFC East game, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was withdrawn early as a precaution allowing Mark Brunell to throw two touchdown passes to secure a 38-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills in New Jersey.

The Pittsburgh Steelers ended their regular season with a 12-4 record after Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes to deliver the AFC North and secure a first-round playoff bye with a 41-9 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Wild card qualifiers, the Baltimore Ravens, finished up with a similar record courtesy of their 13-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. And in the AFC West, the Oakland Raiders beat the already-qualified Kansas City Chiefs 31-10

Elsewhere, Jason Garrett was yesterday installed as coach of the Dallas Cowboys after a relatively successful stint as interim coach in Arlington. The Cowboys were due to take on Philadelphia Eagles last night in their final NFC East divisional clash after what has been a disappointing season overall.

Meanwhile, Hall of Famer John Elway is expected to rejoin the Denver Broncos as their chief football executive by midweek.

Team spokesman Patrick Smyth said reports that the team had already reached an agreement with Elway were premature.

“Talks with John are progressing but nothing has been finalised at this point,” Smyth said.

The Broncos have won just one playoff game since Elway retired in 1999 following his second straight Super Bowl title and haven’t reached the post-season in five years.

Elway’s first order of business will be to find a coach. The Broncos (4-11) fired Josh McDaniels last month in the midst of their worst skid in four decades and in the wake of the Spygate II videotaping scandal.

ESPN reported that Elway would discuss the head coach opening with Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh.

The university coach, who has led his side into today’s Orange Bowl match against Virginia Tech, is also being courted by his almer mater, the University of Michigan.

The Broncos have just a half dozen picks in April’s draft after McDaniels traded away a bevy of picks over his 22-month stint, some of them to obtain former Patriots Russ Hochstein, Laurence Maroney and LeKevin Smith, players who were past their prime.