Thursday, November 4 Big test for leaders of Pack By Chris Mortensen Special to ESPN.com

Let's face it, Mike Holmgren got into Brett Favre's head Monday night when the Seattle Seahawks thoroughly embarrassed the Green Bay Packers.

	The reunion with Mike Holmgren was a nightmare for Brett Favre and the Packers.

Now it's up to Ray Rhodes and Sherman Lewis to screw Favre's head back on right.

There are NFL scouts out there who aren't convinced they can do the trick. Lewis' first true stint as the Packers offensive coordinator is not getting rave reviews.

"Lewis is doing nothing to protect Favre," one veteran scout said. "First and foremost, he's got one of the five best backs in football in Dorsey Levens, and he's an afterthought. This whole idea that (Lewis) has about the pass setting up the run is cockeyed. The best way to protect Brett Favre is to make sure teams know early in the game that Dorsey Levens is going to keep getting the football.

"The most misleading stuff I've seen and heard on the game is that the Seattle defensive front dominated the game. Look at the film again. They didn't dominate. Favre had excellent protection most of the time. He acted like he didn't have protection, but he did, until the floodgates were open when the Seahawks got a big lead.

"Favre got into that old thing where he's trying to make big plays. ... He's forcing the ball when he's got other receivers open on the medium-range stuff. Looks like his ego -- you know, the Holmgren stuff -- got into his head.

"There's no rhythm, almost no design, to the play-calling. It's almost as if they forgot that even a great talent like Favre needs balance, needs discipline. It's up to Rhodes to take charge if Lewis won't do it."

What we've heard from Rhodes is focused more on Favre's injured thumb. True, it's not in good shape. However, Packers' sources say that it's no better or worse than when the season started, and until three weeks ago Favre was a leading MVP candidate.

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Lewis likes to point out that the West Coast offense historically has been a pass-first attack. But the architect of that offense, Bill Walsh, long has stressed balance as the essential component. Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has used that balance in recent seasons to dominate the NFL.

The Packers' balance is out of whack. They are running the offense at a 62-38 percent pass-run ratio. Yet, the Packers are one of the few teams in the NFL whose average per rush is better than 4.0 (actually, 4.2).

Levens might not be Terrell Davis, but he certainly compares to Roger Craig. In terms of the ability to run inside and outside, and catching the ball, Levens might be the league's best all-around back, perhaps even better than the Rams' Marshall Faulk, who lacks Levens' between-the-tackles skills.

Rhodes needs to roll up his sleeves, and do what all good head coaches do: Tell his offensive coordinator to strike balance in order to protect his quarterback. Then he needs to tell his quarterback to play smart football, and save the big plays for the big moments.

So much for a new Leaf
Believe it or not, the San Diego Chargers thought Ryan Leaf might be turning the corner a few weeks ago. He was doing his injury rehab. He was working like a pro. There was hope, after all, for the second-year quarterback who drew an $11.25 million signing bonus in 1998 as the No. 2 pick in the draft.

Leaf

Now there is little hope.

Leaf's latest snafu came Monday morning when he refused to do some lower-body work in the weight room, claiming he was told by a doctor to concentrate on his surgically repaired shoulder, according to team sources. When the strength coaches and trainer disputed that misaimed notion, Leaf directed a stream of profanities toward them.

Chargers general manager Bobby Beathard approached Leaf calmly, and advised him to "just get work done." Leaf then exploded on Beathard, telling the GM "nobody tells me what to do," in another profanity-laced diatribe, sources said.

Leaf screamed for Beathard to "do me a favor ... just get rid of me," the sources recalled.

Beathard would have released Leaf by now, but the salary cap will not allow that action. Besides, Beathard was among those who believed Leaf was making strides.

"He was doing well, and I wanted him to do well," Beathard said. "We've tried to make Ryan feel wanted, and just when we thought there was progress ... then this happens."

Beathard himself did not want to discuss the details of the incident, other than to describe it as "very disappointing."

As for the doctor who allegedly told Leaf he needed only to concentrate on his shoulder in the weight room, the Chargers called the doctor, "who absolutely rejected Leaf's version of the truth," a source said.

It seems like the closer Leaf was getting back to the playing field, the more he pushed himself away from the team. On Oct. 17, he threw prior to the Chargers-Seahawks game for the fifth straight day, as long as 50 yards. He was to resume practice a week later, but complained of pain, and insisted on seeking a second opinion.

Doctors told Leaf that he was experiencing the normal scar-tissue problems for patients coming off surgery.

Therefore, Leaf was to practice with the team Wednesday, only to get suspended for four weeks following his latest blowup. It's likely Leaf will file a grievance with the NFL Players Association.

The Chargers did not put Leaf on injured reserve this year because they wanted the quarterback to remain part of the team for "accountability sakes," a source said. Leaf's physical conditioning long has been a concern. "He's 23, and he's got a marshmallow body," said a source.

Leaf's future obviously is in question. He is obligated to the Chargers for at least the first three years of his contract.

Before anybody starts blaming the Chargers for choosing Leaf, remember that most NFL clubs, including Indianapolis, agreed that he was worthy of being a top draft pick. Beathard never said it, but my notes leading up to the '98 draft made it quite clear that he preferred Peyton Manning over Leaf but, like Colts president Bill Polian, was convinced that Leaf's physical skills would make him a represenative pick.

There were red flags about Leaf's maturity at Washington State, but many NFL scouts say they now believe that the coaching staff covered up the quarterback's problems. Nobody challenged the WSU staff then, because they had given a similar endorsement to ex-Cougars QB Drew Bledsoe.

Mort shorts