NFL: Favre wins in old-timers game

GREEN BAY, WIS. - Brett Favre won the "Senior Bowl."

And now that they're off to their best start since the Vince Lombardi era, the Green Bay Packers have another big bowl on their minds.

But even after a relatively easy 31-17 romp past fellow passing patriarch Vinny Testaverde and the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Favre and the Packers (9-1) don't want to get caught looking ahead to the playoffs and beyond.

Not with back-to-back Thursday games at Detroit and Dallas on the horizon.

"By no means can we rest, or think that we arrived," Favre said, "because we haven't."

And if Packers coach Mike McCarthy wants to drive that point home this week, he can point to the two second-half touchdowns his defense gave up to the Panthers (4-6) after taking a 28-3 lead in the third quarter.

Nitpicking? Not if your goal is to win the Super Bowl.

"We need to do a better job of finishing games," McCarthy said. "We're up 28-3, we can learn from that experience and put the opponent away. There was some sloppiness in our play down the stretch that we can learn from."

It's Green Bay's best start since 1962, when Lombardi's Packers started 10-0 on their way to their eighth world title. Green Bay has a three-game lead on Detroit and can virtually wrap up the NFC North with a victory Thursday.

Favre threw three touchdown passes in a game that featured the oldest starting quarterbacks duo in NFL history, the 44-year-old Testaverde and 38-year-old Favre.

Favre is playing like he's in his prime, completing 22 of 30 passes for 218 yards on Sunday. Testaverde held his own, shaking off two interceptions to throw for two second-half touchdowns.

It wasn't enough to win, but it wasn't bad for a guy who was out of the league a little more than a month ago and who played Sunday's game without injured receiver Steve Smith.

"Made it a little bit exciting toward the end there, but we obviously came up short," Testaverde said. "Green Bay made the plays when they had to, and they're a pretty good football team."

Smith was inactive because of a shin injury.

It was Favre's 62nd career game with at least three touchdown passes, tying yet another of Dan Marino's records. Favre has set all kinds of records this season, but he has spent much of his time worrying that the Packers' younger players are a little too loose.

Now he wonders if he should just throw up his hands and start "riding the wave."I see the confidence that we have, and it makes me nervous," Favre said. "But I guess I kind of have to give into it."

The Panthers' pass defense was affected because of a thumb injury to cornerback Chris Gamble.

"That's no excuse," Panthers coach John Fox said. "They're good. I think for the most part we contained them. We just couldn't stay up with them."