Brett Favre: ‘New England’s the team to beat in the AFC’

Brett Favre saw what the Pittsburgh Steelers did at Washington Monday night. He saw Ben Roethlisberger’s game of pitch and catch with Antonio Brown lighting up members of the Washington secondary not named Josh Norman.

The Steelers’ offensive dominance didn’t, however, change the opinion the Hall-of-Fame quarterback formed after watching the New England Patriots — with Jimmy Garoppolo starting for suspended Tom Brady — escape Arizona with a victory the night before.

‘It seems like we say it every year’

“To me, New England’s the team to beat in the AFC,” Favre told Bruce Murray during his regular appearance on the SiriusXM Blitz. “And I’m saying this without Tom. You can throw Tom in there and, boy, it’s tough, it’s really tough. I’ve got to believe the road goes through New England.

“It seems like we say it every year, but New England’s going to be right there again.”

Favre was particularly impressed with Garoppolo’s performance, in a hostile environment, under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football.

‘Too well coached, too many good players, too consistent’

“New England, they could not have asked for a better start without their guy,” Favre said. “And if you’re the other teams in the (AFC) East, you’ve got to be thinking, ‘We don’t stand a chance.’ Amazing start for Garoppolo and the whole team in general, but New England with a big gap? Not good if you’re everyone else, not good. Too well coached, too many good players, they’re too consistent.

“They’re just not going to lay an egg. And their quarterback play was outstanding to hold them over until Tom comes back. When Tom comes back, you’ve got to be thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh!'”