Packer Smacker: Favre burns ex-teammates

Brett Favre admitted his nerves finally caught up to him.

After a week of trying to convince everyone that facing the Green Bay Packers was nothing special, the Vikings quarterback said he entered Monday night's game about as nervous as he had ever been in his 19-plus-season career.

"I didn’t think I would be -- as the week progressed I felt fine -- but I got to the hotel [on Sunday] and it kind of dawned on me," Favre said. "I had church today at 3 o’clock and was sitting there throwing all kinds of prayers out. I said, ‘Man, I’m losing it.’ "

Actually, Favre did anything but lose it. Playing for the first time against the team with which he spent 16 seasons and built a Hall of Fame résumé, Favre helped lead the Vikings to a 30-23 victory before an announced and extremely boisterous crowd of 63,846 at the Metrodome.

He completed 24 of 31 passes for 271 yards with no interceptions, a 135.3 passer rating and touchdown passes that went to Visanthe Shiancoe, Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian. "The good Lord answered my prayers," Favre said.

Favre’s play was especially important because the Packers’ 3-4 defense was able to hold Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson to 55 yards on 25 carries, a very un-Peterson like average of 2.2 yards per touch.

Peterson also "tweaked his leg," according to coach Brad Childress, when he had the ball stripped from him and returned for a 42-yard touchdown by rookie linebacker Clay Matthews in the second quarter.

The fact that Favre put on this performance with the two men who decided it was time to move on without him -- Packers General Manager Ted Thompson was in the press box and coach Mike McCarthy on the sideline -- in the Metrodome did not provide added satisfaction. At least that’s what Favre claimed.

"You guys are going to print what you want," Favre said, pointing to the fact that all that matters to him is the Vikings are 4-0 and atop the NFC North by a game over Chicago. "I just did what I was expected to do today. So you make that decision."

However, Favre might have tipped his hand a bit to what the victory meant to him when he compared Monday’s game to the Monday night masterpiece he put together for Green Bay in December 2003 in Oakland a day after his father passed away.

Favre, though, was not a one-man show. Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen was dominant, recording a career-high 4 1/2 sacks of Aaron Rodgers with five hurries and a forced fumble. Rodgers, of course, replaced Favre as Packers starting quarterback last year.

Allen benefitted from the fact that Packers left tackle Chad Clifton was out because of injury and his replacement, Daryn Colledge, was simply overmatched before he left the game to a knee injury. Rodgers ended up being sacked eight times but still managed to throw for 384 yards playing behind a makeshift offensive line.

"He can take it," Allen said of Favre stealing the limelight. "I will just be the guy creeping around in the back. If it gets me five sacks a week, I will shut up and not say a word."

Favre, who will celebrate his 40th birthday on Saturday, looked like a guy with plenty left in the tank. He threw laser-like passes that had to look familiar to many on the Green Bay side. He also did not prove to be overly excitable going against this old teammates.

"I thought he was great," Vikings coach Brad Childress said. "He got excited when we made good plays. He can keep things stoked up in there pretty good. It’s a great thing for a defensive lineman to get out of his mind crying and slinging snot. It’s another thing for a quarterback because the focus narrows. He’s done it enough times where he is able to keep that in check."

Monday’s victory means Favre has now beaten all 32 NFL teams. The Vikings’ 4-0 start is their best since beginning 6-0 in 2003 and with a game Sunday at winless St. Louis (0-4) their chances to remain undefeated appear to remain strong. Childress also now has two consecutive victories over the Packers after starting 0-5 against them -- Favre was the quarterback for four of those Packers victories.

There is little doubt at this point Favre appears to be a very solid $12 million investment. "I’m trying to not be surprised because it’s what we expected," owner Zygi Wilf said. "I’m happy to say from last week to this week shows us that you can never be surprised. He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback. We’re just going to enjoy this win and move on to the next game. We have larger, bigger goals ahead of us and that’s what we’re going to strive for as a team."

Playing before the usual mixed crowd of Vikings and Packers fans, Green Bay drove from its 26-yard line to the Minnesota 24 on its opening possession. But on first down, Rodgers lost the ball as he was sacked by Allen and defensive end Brian Robison. Linebacker Chad Greenway recovered at his own 33 and the Vikings began a 12-play, 67-yard drive.

After Peterson ran the ball four times for the Vikings, Favre went to work completing a 16-yard pass to Berrian that moved the ball to the Green Bay 48. Favre hit on four more passes, including a 1-yard touchdown pass to Shiancoe on which Favre looked right and then threw left.

Favre excitedly ran and found kicker Ryan Longwell, another former longtime Packer, and the two exchanged a body bump that probably served as a certain amount of vindication for both.

The Vikings held a 21-14 lead at halftime but quickly increased that on their first drive of the third quarter. That ended with Favre throwing his final touchdown pass of the night on a perfectly threaded 31-yard strike down the far sideline to Berrian that beat cornerback Al Harris. Allen’s sack of Rodgers in the end zone for a safety, which came after the Packers actually challenged the play because it was ruled the quarterback had fumbled, gave the Vikings a 30-14 lead in the fourth quarter.

The Packers scored the final 10 points, but it was too little.

"Anytime you’re 4-0 it’s a blast," Favre said. "I really like this group of guys. We have a lot of fun. We work hard and I told them when I talked with them weeks ago, how good I felt like this football team could be. I thank them for giving me a chance to be a part of it, because I know it’s been pretty crazy. ... I don’t know how I am going to play week-in-and-week out. But I know I’ll do whatever I can."

On Monday night, Favre did more than enough.