Favre takes over GB once again

GREEN BAY, Wis. —Brett Favre still knows how to win big games at Lambeau Field, even if this one came for the enemy and to a chorus of boos.

For the second time in less than a month, Brett Favre sliced up his former team and stuck it to the franchise that cast him aside as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 38-26 at Lambeau on Sunday.

If walking out to waves of loud jeers from his former fans threw Favre off his game, it didn't last long. Despite being jeered repeatedly by Packers fans who once cheered his every move, Favre completed 17 of 28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. The Vikings (7-1) took a firm hold on the NFC North standings.

"But Packer fans cheer for the Packers first," Favre said. "I know that. But I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, 'I sure hate those jokers on the other side, but he does play the way he's always played.' "

Rookie receiver Percy Harvin caught five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown and had five returns for 175 yards, but didn't mind yielding the spotlight to Favre.

"He's played this game a long time, he sees a lot of stuff that a lot of quarterbacks can't see," Harvin said. "And he can make a lot of throws that a lot of quarterbacks can't make. With us being explosive, to add him was like a blessing in disguise."

The Vikings' defense roughed up Favre's successor, Aaron Rodgers, sacking him six times. But with the Packers (4-3) on the verge of getting routed, Rodgers rebounded with three second-half touchdowns.

Rodgers said losing the game to a division rival meant more than being beaten by Favre.

"I hate losing to whoever's the quarterback for them," Rodgers said.

But cornerback Charles Woodson acknowledged the game was significant beyond the division standings.

"I think a lot of people really wanted this one bad," Woodson said. "We let a lot of people down today."

The Packers recognize that their chances of winning the division are fading, but are looking forward to the possibility of facing their rivals again in the playoffs.

"Hopefully, we'll have another crack at these guys down the road," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

Already leading 17-3 at halftime, Favre temporarily reverted from game manager to gunslinger on the Vikings' first possession of the second half — and even that worked. Favre threw into triple coverage under pressure and Harvin came down with the ball while Woodson, Atari Bigby and Nick Collins tumbled to the ground like extras in a slapstick comedy as the Vikings took a 24-3 lead.

Fans booed Favre loudly — first when he walked out of the tunnel for pregame warmups, then again when he ran out of the tunnel for the game, and on every snap during the Vikings' first few offensive possessions.

"We'll never forget you, Brent," one fan's sign read.

But even if he's now the enemy, Favre says that doesn't diminish his accomplishments as a Packer — in his mind, anyway.

"What I've done here speaks for itself," Favre said. "What I was part of was awesome. That will never change."

MinGB

First downs1921

Total Net Yards355351

Rushes-yards32-11119-90

Passing244261

Punt Returns5-371-8

Kickoff Returns6-1827-141

Interceptions Ret. 0-00-0

Comp-Att-Int17-28-027-42-0

Sacked-Yards Lost0-06-29

Punts3-45.75-43.2

Fumbles-Lost2-23-0

Penalties-Yards3-296-45

Time of Possession27:2832:32

Minnesota710714—38 Green Bay3 017 6—26

First Quarter

GB—FG Crosby 37, 5:05.

Min—Peterson 1 run (Longwell kick), 1:17.

Second Quarter

Min—Shiancoe 12 pass from Favre (Longwell kick), 10:42.

Min—FG Longwell 41, :09.

Third Quarter

Min—Harvin 51 pass from Favre (Longwell kick), 13:08.

GB—FG Crosby 26, 8:28.

GB—Havner 16 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 6:30.

GB—Havner 5 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 1:57.

Fourth Quarter

Min—Dugan 2 pass from Favre (Longwell kick), 13:35.

GB—Jennings 10 pass from Rodgers (pass failed), 10:26.

Min—Berrian 16 pass from Favre (Longwell kick), 3:48.

A—71,213.

Individual Statistics

Rushing—Minnesota, Peterson 25-97, Taylor 5-12, Harvin 1-2, Favre 1-0. Green Bay, Rodgers 5-52, Grant 10-30, Kuhn 2-7, Green 2-1.

Passing—Minnesota, Favre 17-28-0-244. Green Bay, Rodgers 26-41-0-287, Flynn 1-1-0-3.

Receiving—Minnesota, Harvin 5-84, Rice 4-40, Berrian 3-47, Taylor 2-15, Peterson 1-44, Shiancoe 1-12, Dugan 1-2. Green Bay, Jennings 8-88, Driver 6-63, Grant 3-21, D.Lee 3-17, Kuhn 2-22, Havner 2-21, J.Jones 1-42, Green 1-12, Johnson 1-4.

Missed Field Goals—Green Bay, Crosby 51 (WR).