I'm almost embarrassed to link to this...but I can't believe I spent Thanksgiving last year heaping praise on Brett Favre.

Actually, yes I can.  The Jets were 8-3, and I really liked Favre - and he was the reason they were 8-3.

Unfortunately, he was also the reason they finished the season 9-7...and later proved the Jets were nothing more than a pawn in his little revenge game with the Packers.

And this Thanksgiving, I've changed my tune.

Favre and the Vikings, sitting pretty atop the NFC North at 9-1 right now, are going to the playoffs.  There's no doubt about that.  (I don't even have to put the 'even if they don't make the playoffs' disclaimer I had to put with the Jets last year, because the Vikings are that much more solid around Favre than the Jets were a year ago.)

But I am reiterating what I've said before - they're not going to win the Super Bowl.

The tricky thing with Minnesota is that they're in such a good spot right now that they can afford to give Favre some rest before the end of the season - though I doubt he'd take that opportunity (I think he takes pride in his ironman status).  He'll be starting the rest of the year, just not finishing games.

It's a matter of how beat up he gets when he's in those games that will be key.

The Vikings have some tough defenses to face the rest of the way:

Chicago twice in a month (Nov. 29 and Dec. 28)

Arizona

Cincinnati

Carolina

New York Giants

The Vikings' post-season success depends on how unscathed Favre makes it through those games.  And even if he doesn't...now is the time we'll see how much life is left in that 40-year-old body.

Remember, the Jets were 8-3 at Thanksgiving last year.  They went 1-6 the rest of the way.

We'll just see where the 9-1 Vikings finish.  I'm betting it's not with a Super Bowl championship.