Familiarity would help Favre

Count Vikings offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell among the many who sound confident that Brett Favre will elect to play a 20th NFL season.

Bevell and Favre have a relationship that dates to the early 1990s when the former was playing quarterback at the University of Wisconsin and the latter was just getting started in Green Bay. Bevell eventually become Favre's position coach with the Packers and last year the two friends were reunited in Minnesota.

Bevell, speaking Thursday after the Vikings' latest round of Organized Team Activities, discussed where things might stand from a coaching standpoint with Favre this season compared to a year ago. In giving his answer, Bevell sounded as if he expects he will get the chance to work with Favre in 2010.

"I have been with Brett for a while, so knowing the fact that might have been a possibility [Favre playing for the Vikings in 2009], we were able to do some things early to know that, hey, when he comes in the first day that we picked him up, he walked in, put his jersey on, stepped in the huddle and ran the plays," Bevell said. "I already kind of knew what his strengths and what his weaknesses were, but as the season went along, we had some things that we changed and some nuances and things that we progressed to. We will be able to pick up from that spot now since he has been through it for one year and continue to make adjustments. I think that it will help us."

Bevell said at this point he doesn't even know when Favre might try to get out to the Mississippi high school that he went to last summer to throw to receivers. Favre underwent arthroscopic ankle surgery last Friday and it's believed the recovery process will take four-to-six weeks.

Bevell said he is sure of the fact that the interception Favre threw late in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' overtime loss to New Orleans in the NFC title game won't be the deciding factor in what happens.

"Brett's never going to make a decision based on one play," Bevell said. "He played fantastic for us. In my opinion it was one of his best [seasons] that he had in his 19 years that he played. He didn't turn the ball over. He ran our offense with perfection. He made a cohesive group out of our team. He kind of galvanized us and brought us all together. He is never going to be judged on that one play and he did well enough to be proud of the season that he had."