Favre has spent a great deal of 2007 rewriting the NFL career record book.

Critics have blasted Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre over the past few years for refusing to retire, saying he was washed up or holding the organization hostage and that the Packers should part ways with him.

Where are those critics now?

Through the first four games of 2007, Favre has averaged just over 300 yards a game with a total of eight touchdowns and two interceptions. For the first time since the 1996 world championship season, he has gone three consecutive games with a passer rating over 100.

But it’s not just what he’s doing; it’s how he’s doing it. He turns 38 on October 10, but looks a lot closer to 28.

Dealing with the last-ranked rushing attack in the NFL, Favre has been called upon to throw nearly 75 percent of the time, an astonishing rate for a 4-0 team which has rarely trailed in ball games.

Coach Mike McCarthy has all but given up on the run, often coming out in a shotgun look and a formation of three wide receivers, a tight end, and a single back, if any back at all.

That adds to the beauty of it. Defenses know what the Pack is going to do, but have struggled to do much about it. Receivers Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and James Jones deserve a lot of credit for being able to get open early in the play and turning short gains into solid yardage. Jennings missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, but his return has lifted the offense.

So far, Favre has been completely in tune with that trio, while mixing it up with tight ends Donald Lee and Bubba Franks. Fourth receiver Ruvell Martin has contributed a couple big plays when called upon as well.

And while the offensive line is struggling to find a rhythm, they have done a great job of protecting the quarterback, considering defensive linemen are attacking Favre with reckless abandon.

McCarthy has praised Favre several times for calling the correct play at the line of scrimmage, adjusting the receivers’ routes against the coverage, and making sure the proper pass protection is called.

A perfect example of this occurred in the Minnesota game when Favre adjusted the play call, calling for Jennings to run a deep post against isolated coverage.

The result: a 16-yard touchdown pass that gave him the record 421 touchdown passes.

Now critics are saying the Packers’ lack of a running game will be their downfall as temperatures fall. However, it becomes naturally easier to run the ball later in the year as grass fields around the NFL wear out, which gives offensive players an advantage because they know which direction they want to go.

Plus, as Favre has reminded us recently, he still has plenty of velocity left in his fastball, a prerequisite for prevailing against the swirling winds of Lambeau Field in November and December.

Furthermore, Green Bay’s defense is progressing to the point where the Pack will not have to score a tremendous amount of points to win games.

Favre has spent a great deal of 2007 rewriting the NFL career record book.

Yet all that matters to him is winning games at the current time, and up to this point, even the critics can’t argue with those results.

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