The Nfl

Thrown for a Loss
Sidelined by a bum elbow, the Packers ' Brett Favre is feeling mortal

Even with a nagging case of tendinitis in his right elbow that threatens to hamper his play well into September and put a crimp in the Packers ' playoff hopes, Brett Favre is much the same what-me-worry quarterback he's always been. So unconcerned is the 30-year-old Favre about the condition of his arm that last Saturday he lay down next to his 13-month-old daughter, Breleigh, for a nap before leaving for Green Bay 's final preseason game and slept for 2� hours, nearly making him miss the opening kickoff.

Favre didn't play in the game, as he hadn't in the two preseason games before it, and the fact that doctors and coach Mike Sherman are being so careful with him so close to the start of the season should be a major concern. A good portion of Favre 's game involves hard throws from all arm angles, sometimes on the run. On Saturday, with the season opener eight days away, he indicated that he's not ready to make those passes. "I haven't thrown a 50-yard cross since I got hurt," he said. "The fact is, I'm scared to."

As Favre described his month-old injury, he held his right arm out and rubbed his elbow. "Feel this," he said. The elbow had a small lump on it. "That's the tendinitis," he said. "When I first did it, it swelled up like there was a golf ball inside the skin."

In the off-season Favre worked out four days a week and rarely threw a football except during minicamps. He usually gets calluses on every fingertip but his thumb once he starts throwing in training camp, and in July he developed a painful one on his middle finger that even bled occasionally. Favre changed his throwing motion ever so slightly to relieve pressure on the finger.

"I'm 99 percent sure that's how I got it," he says. "I know that subconsciously I was favoring [the finger], and that's when the elbow started hurting. One day in practice I rolled out and threw hard to [wideout] Donald Driver , and I felt something pop. That's when I got the swelling."

An MRI on Aug. 14 revealed the tendinitis but no structural damage. "It's much better now," Favre said on Saturday as he gripped a football and tossed it to himself in the air. "Three weeks ago I couldn't grip the ball. If today were Wednesday, and I had to start practicing hard, I'd be a little scared to play [on Sunday]. So I may need another week before I can play."

Sitting out the opener against the Jets would end the longest starting streak for a quarterback in NFL history—125 games. Even if Favre , a three-time league MVP, thinks he's fit enough to play on Sunday, he has doubts about how effective he'll be. "My release and my arm strength have been what set me apart," he said. "I've never, ever been afraid of making any throw. I'd get away with so many things because of my arm. But now...." His voice trailed off. Then he added, "Eventually something had to give, the way I play. I ain't made of steel."

That said, it was time for Favre to watch someone else lead his team. Backup Matt Hasselbeck wrapped up a terrific preseason by completing 10 of 12 passes for 137 yards and two scores in a 34-33 win over the Browns .

"I know people are saying my best days are behind me," Favre said. "But I've got a lot more to accomplish in this game. I'll play again, and I'll play well."