Harvin in QB spot didn't fool defense - for now

Miami introduced the NFL to the Wildcat offense last season and showed it is still the best at running it in a 27-23 loss to Indianapolis on Monday night. The Dolphins gained 107 of their 239 rushing yards out of the formation.

The Vikings used the Wildcat for the first time in the regular season Sunday at Detroit. There was a twist to the Vikings' version in that quarterback Brett Favre was not on the field as they began a drive at their own 31-yard line with 4 minutes, 59 seconds left in the first quarter.

The decision about on-the-field personnel might have changed, however, when Favre threw an illegal crack-back block while split out wide left in the Vikings' third preseason game at Houston. The Vikings aren't paying Favre $12 million a season to throw blocks, although he threw another one Sunday on a 14-yard run by Adrian Peterson.

The Vikings' version of the Wildcat included wide receiver Percy Harvin working as the quarterback in the shotgun. Sidney Rice was wide left, Bernard Berrian was in the slot, right tackle Phil Loadholt lined up outside of left tackle Bryant McKinnie with Steve Hutchinson, John Sullivan and Anthony Herrera completing the line, left to right.

Tight ends Jim Kleinsasser and Jeff Dugan lined up just off the line of scrimmage behind Loadholt and Herrera, respectively. Peterson was wide right and then came in motion to the left and took a handoff from Harvin ... that went for a 1-yard gain.

With the left side over-stacked, the Lions didn't seem to have any trouble sniffing out what the Vikings were going to do.

Coach Brad Childress called the Wildcat "a mixer" when asked about it Monday. Childress also tried to plant the thought that at some point Harvin could throw out of the formation. "You never know, it might happen sometime," he said.

Chad Greenway's performance in the Vikings' 27-13 victory over the Lions has earned the linebacker NFC defensive player of the week honors for the first time in his four-year career.

Greenway equaled a Vikings record with three takeaways. He had two interceptions, recovered a fumble and also recovered an onside kick. Greenway had 49 yards on his interception returns; last season the Vikings defense had 56 interception return yards total on 12 interceptions.

The Vikings have not had a linebacker earn NFC defensive player of the week honors since Jeff Brady in 1996. Greenway joins Brady, Jack Del Rio and Mike Merriweather as the only Vikings linebackers to earn the honor.

Greenway will be trying to stop the NFC offensive player of the week on Sunday. San Francisco running back Frank Gore, who had 79- and 80-yard touchdown runs against Seattle, earned the honor.

Gore had 16 carries for 207 yards. Gore came out of the game because of a sore ankle but is expected to be fine.

• Adrian Peterson's 272 yards rushing through the first two games is a Vikings record, breaking Robert Smith's 269 yards through the first two games of the 1998 season.

• The Vikings' victory at Detroit marked only the third time the team has opened a season with back-to-back road victories (1974, 1997). The Vikings, though, have started only five of their 49 seasons with two road games.