Hartman: Bengals took a toll on Favre last season

With the Cincinnati Bengals facing the Vikings this week, quarterback Brett Favre recounted the history of his shoulder problem and how he did serious harm to his arm in a 25-14 victory last season over this week's opponent when he was with the New York Jets.

A hit by defensive lineman Jon Fanene when Favre's arm was extended almost forced the quarterback to retire and certainly made it a tough decision on whether to come back.

In that victory, Favre completed 25 of 33 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.

After the injury, Favre eventually needed surgery on his shoulder before he could join the Vikings.

"I was hit as I was releasing the ball. It actually start hurting before that. I felt it early in the year, but it was so minor ..." Favre said.

"I had never thought about it at the end of the season -- that I had a torn biceps -- but when I started thinking back when my arm really starting hurting, I'm sure that [hit] didn't help. I did feel it more on that play the way I was hit, because the biceps was obviously torn some prior to that. By the end of the year, it was completely torn, so I'm sure with every throw, every hit, falling on it, things like that [made it worse]."

Bengals improved After studying films of this year's Bengals, Favre said they are much better, both offensively and defensively, than last season.

On another subject, Favre was asked what the Vikings need to do to bounce back after being completely dominated -- on offense, defense and special teams -- in the loss to Arizona last week.

"Well, it remains to be seen how we respond," answered Favre. "This is only the second time [we've lost this season]. I know that when we came into the locker room after [the loss at] Pittsburgh, we knew we could play better. We knew we had a chance to win the ball game.

"... When you lose, it is a heck of a lot easier to point fingers, or what we we're doing from a scheme standpoint or how we practice, or how we meet and all that stuff. There is something wrong with that. I haven't seen any of that."

Favre said he speaks for every member of the team when he pointed out that everybody is saying the right thing when they talk with others about the team's attitude

"I hope we respond well, but hey, we got beat," Favre said. "We got outplayed, I felt, by a good football team that hadn't been playing well or consistent. We caught them when they were consistent and got beat."

One big reason there won't be any finger-pointing in the locker room is because of the great leadership that Favre presents. The players, especially on offense, know that with him as their quarterback, he is going to do everything he can to make up for his poor performance. He might have one of the best days of his career against maybe the best football team the Vikings have faced this year.

Certainly if they play like they did against the Cardinals they will get beat, because the Bengals are a much better football team.

Jottings Vikings coach Brad Childress was asked if he has sat down to talk to fifth-round draft choice Jasper Brinkley, who will replace Pro Bowl middle linebacker E.J. Henderson against the Bengals. "No. I will end up talking to him, but I'm not overdramatizing anything with him. He is a good football player. We are going to coach him just like we have." Asked if Brinkley is far along for a rookie, Childress said: "I would say so. ... He is the guy [as middle linebacker] who disseminates the information. It's not like its new -- calling -- for him. Playing at South Carolina, he was the signal-caller there as well. I don't know how far that has gone, but he probably stood in front of a huddle at an early age, I imagine. I don't see issues there. He is a bright-eyed guy who is a good learner."

Rob Ianello, former receivers coach and interim coach at Notre Dame and the new head football coach at Akron, is the son-in-law of former Edina head football coach Steve Dove. Ianello is married to Dove's oldest daughter, Denise. Tom Wistrcill, the new Akron athletic director, formerly worked as senior associate athletics director for external relations at the University of Minnesota. He was on the Wisconsin athletic department staff when both Rob and Denise were coaches for the Badgers.

Wild forward Andrew Ebbett had three goals and three assists in seven games before suffering a concussion. Before that, he had a one goal in 10 games for the Blackhawks and no points in a couple of games for Anaheim. ... Guillaume Latendresse was stuck on Montreal's fourth line, but since being acquired in a trade for Benoit Pouliot, the Wild forward has two goals and one assist in six games. ... Forward Chuck Kobasew had one assist in seven games for the Boston Bruins, but since being acquired by the Wild, he has four goals and two assists in 18 games.

Among the highly recruited athletes visiting the Minnesota campus this week will be ones who already have committed: running back Lamonte Edwards, Woodbury; offensive linemen Jimmy Gjere, Irondale and Mark Lenkiewicz, Tinley Park, Ill.; wide receiver Marquise Hill, St. Louis; and quarterback J.D. Pride, Totino Grace. Among those visiting who have not committed are: defensive lineman Beau Allen, Minnetonka; tight end Tiree Eure, Allentown, Pa.; safety Herschel Thornton, Lackawanna (Pa.) Community College; defensive lineman Sean Ferguson, Princeton, N.J.; and receiver James Green, Tallahassee, Fla.

Ryan Wittman, son of former Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman, is averaging 17 points a game for Cornell and is a leading candidate for Ivy League player of the year. ... Former Minneapolis North and Connecticut basketball great Khalid El-Amin is playing in the Ukraine this season for Budivelnyk and is leading his team in four categories with 26 points, 4.9 assists and 2.1 steals in 31 minutes per game.