Season of Giving Continues for Favre

Somebody has an awful lot of explaining to do, but until that happens and the NFL completes a full-scale investigation, let the record book read:

Most Sacks, Season

22.5* Michael Strahan, New York Giants, 2001

(*Unless you believe, as most impartial/rational observers do, that Brett “Chan Ho” Favre grooved one for his golfing buddy in the last three minutes by calling a running play in the huddle, winking at Strahan at the line of scrimmage, taking the snap and rolling out as if to pass before hook-sliding into the shins of an unblocked Strahan, who then appeared to fall over laughing on top of Favre for a quote-unquote “official sack” that enabled him to, ahem, surpass Mark Gastineau’s old record of 22.)

And here we thought the XFL had gone out of business.

The events of Sunday, Jan. 6, 2002, during the waning moments of the Green Bay Packers’ 34-25 victory at Giants Stadium, had a distinct WWF whiff about them, and you don’t need Oliver Stone to tell you which way the wind blows.

Consider, if you will, the following:

1. Strahan, a good friend of Favre’s, began the final week of the season with 21.5 sacks--half a sack shy of the league record Gastineau set in 1984 while playing for the New York Jets. Days before kickoff, Favre told reporters, with a smile, that “I might give it to him early. I don’t want to say give it to him [and] ask him to take the next three quarters off. Work out a little side deal.”

2. After barely failing to run down Favre before the quarterback could throw the ball away in the second quarter, Strahan wrapped his arm around Favre, who wrapped his arm around Strahan and playfully patted the Giant defensive end on the top of his helmet.

3. Strahan still was sackless as the game entered the final three minutes, with Favre and the Packers virtually assured of victory, having nothing to lose if the quarterback suddenly decides to take a dive.

4. Immediately after his mysterious audible, which produced the league’s most suspicious-looking sack since Jim Everett sacked himself in the 1989 NFC championship game against San Francisco, Favre was congratulated by appreciative pats on the back and head from jubilant New York defensive players.

“That was classy of Brett to do that,” said Giant offensive tackle Lomas Brown, and it’s unfortunate for Favre that players do not vote for the most valuable player award. He’d have the New York bloc locked up.

5. Green Bay tight end Bubba Franks, who allegedly was supposed to block Strahan on the decisive play, closely resembled a swinging gate. Afterward, Franks pleaded confusion. “That was called as a running play,” he said. “I don’t know if it was a bad snap or what. I was run-blocking. I didn’t know it was a pass.”

Favre was less than convincing when asked if he had gifted the record sack to Strahan.

“No, I didn’t,” he replied with a straight face. “That was a ‘keep pass.’ I tried to get to the edge but he got through.”

Strahan: “I just react to what happens. He was booting out on the same play earlier and I missed him.... This time he went down and I hopped on him. What am I supposed to do? Get up and say, ‘Brett! Why didn’t you throw it?”’

Oh, he threw it all right.

Next year, just to mix it up, Favre might consider sending a necktie.

Speaking of record-breaking farces, the Carolina Panthers became the first team in NFL history to lose 15 consecutive games in one season by way of a 38-6 rollover against the New England Patriots.

This, on the face, sounds impressive--until you consider that this option was not available to the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were limited to 14 regular-season games and lost every one of them. And then some. The 1977 Buccaneers started 0-12, extending their losing streak to 26 games, a league record and a tough way to start up a franchise--although comforting to the 2002 Houston Texans.

It didn’t do much for Panther rookie quarterback Chris Weinke, an old man with no hair when he began this season. When Weinke examines the curve of his three-year performance chart, he can give thanks he’s not a tech stock.

Weinke in 1999: Undefeated national champion at Florida State.

Weinke in 2000: Unable to produce a point in a 13-2 title-game loss to Oklahoma.

Weinke in 2001: Unable to produce a victory after a season-opening fluke at Minnesota--and you’ll notice what that number did for Viking Coach Dennis Green’s career advancement.

However, Weinke has yet to be dumped, unlike his coach, George Seifert, who is expected to be dismissed today. And the rumored replacement for Seifert? Can you say Steve Spurrier, who used to coach at Duke before moving on to Florida and probably--just guessing here--might want someone quarterbacking his team who isn’t 30, a Seminole and prone to serving up touchdown-scoring interceptions?

More records set Sunday:

* Marshall Faulk shredded Atlanta’s defense for 226 total yards in a 31-13 St. Louis victory to become the first player to amass 2,000 yards from scrimmage in four consecutive seasons. Teammate Kurt Warner, however, fell a couple of completions short of the second 5,000-yard passing season in league history, finishing with 280 for the day and 4,830 for the season.

* Emmitt Smith became the first back to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons. Smith got the mark with 77 yards in 18 carries in the Cowboys’ season finale, a 15-10 loss to Detroit that doubled the Lions’ victory total and left Smith grousing about the achievement, “It’s very sour.”

* Keith “RV” Traylor stayed on his feet, without fainting, to complete the slowest 67-yard dash in league history after intercepting a pass during Chicago’s 33-13 victory over Jacksonville.

It would have been the slowest 76-yard dash in league history, but Bear teammates Mike Brown and R.W. McQuarters, pushing Traylor as if he were an RV with a dead battery, couldn’t shove him the final nine yards to the end zone. Jaguar receiver Keenan McCardell caught Traylor from behind and told him, “That’s the longest you’ve ever run.”

Traylor laughed between gasps for oxygen and spluttered, “You’re right.”

With the victory, the Bears clinched their first NFC Central title since 1990, a first-round bye and two weeks off for Traylor to recover.