F For Vendetta: Favre Terrific Against Packers

NFL News - October 6th, 2009 - Written by John

Brett Favre wanted it. You could tell by the way he zipped his passes, by the way he exploded after every touchdown. And by the comments he made leading up to the game, saying Packer fans should just "move on" and how he wanted to "stick it to" the organization.

"He downplayed it all week," Viking running back Adrian Peterson said. "But I just knew it meant a lot to him. I could see it in his eyes."

But, to be honest, it really didn't matter how badly he wanted it. The Vikings were a better team anyway. Their receivers continually made fingertip grabs. The defense was harassing. And the quarterback was, well, brilliant. They all spelled a vindicating return for Favre, beating his former team, 30-24, Monday night. He didn't have a turnover and became the first quarterback in NFL history to beat all 32 teams.

"I don't know how to explain it," said Favre. "I felt right, but I guess I never thought I'd be in that situation."

We should've expected this. After all, Favre has churned out some of his best performances regularly on Monday Night Football. He has thrown for three-plus touchdowns in 12 MNF games and rarely faulters at all. The way his receivers clung to the ball, the way Favre couldn't seem to do wrong, Monday was eerily reminiscent to 2003 when the future Hall of Famer played against Oakland after his father passed. He even mentioned that the nerves he felt before the game were similar. And he was terrific early on, going 5-for-5 on the Vikings' first drive to put them ahead 7-0.

"My statement has been what I've done over my career," Favre said on ESPN. "One game does not define my career good or bad. I know what I've done. I'm proud of what I've done. I know I can play. I wanted to do what it takes to win."

Minnesota's defense just wouldn't Green Bay recovery. They sacked Rodgers eight times, tackled him in the end zone and forced his first two turnovers of the year. It put Green Bay in a big hole early when both turnovers turned into touchdowns and the Packers were forced into two failed on-side kicks to get back in it.

Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen did most of the work. He had 4.5 sacks to bring his season total to 6.5, had two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and the aforementioned safety. Even when he made a mistake, he repayed for it. He was called for offsides on Green Bay's final drive on 1st-and-10 from Minnesota's 40. Two plays later, however, he bullrushed the pocket and sacked Rodgers for a loss of five.

Favre, on the other hand, was comfortable all night. He wasn't pressured hardly at all, only hit once, and none of his passes were so much as deflected. The only turnover Green Bay could manage was on the usually sure-handed Adrian Peterson. Down 14-7 late in the second quarter, Green Bay's Clay Matthews literally put his paws around the ball Peterson was carrying, ripped it from his grasp and returned it 42-yards for a touchdown.

But that's as close as the Packers ever got. Favre marched his team down to a touchdown on the next drive, right before halftime, then connected with Bernard Berrian on a beautiful go-route on the first possession of the second half to put his team up 28-0. Allen then mauled a scrambling Rodgers for a safety.

But Rodgers did finish the game on a high note, throwing a ball to Jordy Nelson off the wrong foot that resulted in a 33-yard touchdown. Overall he was 26 for 37 for 384 yards and is the only player other than Favre to throw for 300 yards against the Vikings since 1984. But that was no consolation.

"Below my expectations, definitely," Rodgers said. "To have three possessions where you're in their territory and come away with zero points, two of them are directly related to mistakes by myself, that's disappointing."

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