Homecoming king: Favre reigns at Lambeau

GREEN BAY, WIS. — Brett Favre wasn't sure he agreed with the sentiment, but he heard the same message on multiple occasions over the weekend as he prepared to play his first game in Lambeau Field as a visitor.

"I can't tell you how many text messages or guys just in passing today and yesterday [said], 'Hey, you're going to play great. I know you're nervous,' " Favre said. "I'm like, 'It's easy for you to say.' But they were right again."

Indeed, they were. Favre, whose Hall of Fame résumé has been built on winning some pressure-filled games, did it again Sunday, throwing four touchdown passes with no interceptions in a 38-26 victory over the Packers. In doing so Favre helped the Vikings complete a series sweep of the Packers and again proved to Green Bay General Manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy that he still had plenty of life left in that right arm that was no longer desired in these parts after 16 years.

That bitter divorce is what made Sunday's matchup so intriguing and actually buried the story line that this game was of huge importance in the NFC North race.

Favre was met with a chorus of thundering boos from disapproving fans in the crowd of 71,213 -- the largest for a regular season game in Lambeau Field history -- as he entered the field before the kickoff. Many of those fans had warmed up by booing Favre earlier when he came out about a half-hour before kickoff to warm up.

What Green Bay fans quickly learned is what Vikings fans knew for so many years: Favre is a pain to play against. His performance Sunday and throughout the season is a big reason the Vikings will head into their bye week in control of the NFC North with a 7-1 record. That mark gives them a 2 1/2-game lead over the Packers (4-3) and Chicago (4-3). The Vikings also have the tiebreaker on Green Bay because they swept the series.

"It's huge. This is all we could ask for going into the bye," defensive end JaredAllen said of being 7-1. "We're exactly where we want to be. We're ahead in the division going into the bye week. This is a team that continues to learn from our victories and from our losses."

Favre finished with seven touchdown passes, no interceptions and 515 yards passing in two victories against his old team. He also wasn't sacked in either game. The Vikings defense, meanwhile, sacked Favre's successor, Aaron Rodgers, six times on Sunday and 14 times in the two meetings. Allen had three sacks on Sunday and has 7 1/2 of his 10 1/2 against Green Bay.

The Vikings had not swept both games from the Packers since 2005, and Sunday's victory was coach Brad Childress' first in Lambeau Field after three losses. The Vikings also have won three in a row over the Packers after Childress lost his first five against McCarthy. The first four, of course, were orchestrated by Favre when he was a hero to the Lambeau faithful and not the pariah he has become.

Childress said Favre did a good job of controlling his emotions and aside from an unexpected shotgun snap that center John Sullivan delivered in the first quarter, which resulted in a turnover that led to a Packers field goal, there were few mistakes.  "We talked a little bit about not doing too much," Childress said. "You have a tendency to do too much sometimes, and I thought he did just about what he needed to do. He didn't get too creative or try to rig anything up. I just thought he kept it in body, didn't get out of body."

As he stood in the cramped visitor's interview room Sunday, Favre again swore the fact he is now having success as a member of the Packers' arch-rival isn't about revenge.

"Am I pleased with the way these two games have turned out? Absolutely," he said. "It had nothing to do with trying to prove myself to anyone. I still have a passion for it. It's a little bit tougher to get up and bounce back but my arm feels great. My mind is in a good place, the team has welcomed me in and really all the other stuff doesn't matter. I know it makes for a good story. But I'm glad it's over, I'm glad we won both but I'm not going to sit here and throw any daggers."

Favre didn't need to, considering he and his teammates had done that on the field, although they made things far more interesting than was necessary. The Vikings appeared to be set to embarrass the Packers when Percy Harvin caught a 51-yard touchdown pass that Favre put into triple coverage, making it 24-3 early in the third quarter. The Packers countered with a field goal. But when Vikings defensive end Brian Robison attempted to run with Mason Crosby's short kickoff, he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Packers' Nick Collins at the Vikings 41.

Green Bay, which had 47 yards on offense in the first half but 304 in the second, got back-to-back touchdown passes from Rodgers to tight end Spencer Havner, and it was 24-20 entering the fourth quarter.

But as he had done for much of the day, the explosive Harvin made a big play after that second score. The rookie, who had a 77-yard kickoff return that set up the Vikings' first touchdown, went 48 yards with a return to start a seven-play drive that ended with Favre hitting Jeff Dugan for a 2-yard touchdown. The Packers had a chance to pull within two points in the fourth quarter but Crosby missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt.

Harvin, who had been listed as questionable after missing practice Thursday because of an illness, had five catches for 84 yards with a touchdown and returned five kickoffs for an average of 35 yards. Harvin finished with 261 total yards.

"I hate losing to whoever's at quarterback for them," Rodgers said of having been beaten twice by Favre. "I hate losing to the Vikings, especially. Division rivals. Don't like losing at home. The crowd was electric tonight. Their support was amazing. It kind of carried us through there in the third quarter. We just could not keep that momentum going and couldn't finish off the drive we had to take the lead. That's disappointing. It doesn't matter who you play, though; it's tough to lose."

Favre made it clear when he signed in August that he was coming back because the Vikings had a chance to win a Super Bowl and there have been times this season where it would be hard to argue. There have been other points, however, when missed tackles and defensive mistakes appear to have the ability to derail the Vikings' success.

"I tell you what," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "If we fix our mistakes, and we made a lot of mistakes today, we are a Super Bowl caliber team."

Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@startribune.com