Vikings-Packers: Brett Favre Throws Four TDs in Return to Lambeau

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Brett Favre threw for four touchdowns in his return to Lambeau Field as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers 38-26.

After a lopsided first half, the game developed into a battle of quarterbacks past and present as Favre went head-to-head with Aaron Rodgers.

Favre tied Dan Marino's record of 21 games of four or more TDs, throwing for 244 yards on 17 of 28 passing and helping Minnesota improve to 7-1 on the season.

After being sacked four times in the first half, Aaron Rodgers fought valiantly to bring the Packers back from a 21-point deficit, only to fall short in the end. 

Green Bay racked up just 47 yards of total offense in the opening 30 minutes—its lowest in a decade—but Rodgers dug deep after the interval, finishing with 287 yards through the air on 26 of 41 passing and 52 more on the ground. 

Minnesota's Adrian Peterson rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 25 touches and Percy Harvin caught five balls for 84 yards and a TD.

Favre made 275 consecutive starts for Green Bay over 16 seasons between 1992 and 2008, but he never received the kind of reception he did on Sunday afternoon.

Favre was greeted by a chorus of boos when he came out to warm up, a second round of jeers when he ran out onto the field—head down—at the start of the game, and once more when the Vikings' offense entered the game three-and-a-half minutes into the first quarter.

He connected on his first two passes, a 3-yard completion to Harbin, and a third-down pass up the middle to Taylor that was good for 20.

After a pair of short runs for little gain, Favre missed Benard Berrian on 3rd-and-9 to bring the punt team onto the field. When he re-entered, Green Bay had put points on the board.

Green Bay took a 3-0 first quarter lead, but Minnesota hit back with a 1-yard touchdown run and 12-yard TD pass to establish a 14-3 advantage.

The Vikings took a 17-3 lead into halftime following a 41-yard field goal, and Favre threw for his second score early in the third quarter to make it 24-3.

Green Bay then scored 17 unanswered points of its own to make it a four-point game, but Minnesota hit back with a TD for an 11-point cushion.

Unfazed, the Packers put six more on the board in the fourth quarter, but Favre and the Vikings scored once more to put the game to bed.

The Packers took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Crosby after the Vikings turned the ball over on the first play of their second possession.

Favre appeared to step up to the line to change his protection, but the center snapped the ball early, throwing it off Favre's leg and onto the ground. 

Percy Harvin took the resulting kick-off 77 yards to the Green Bay 14, and Adrian Peterson took the ball to the house on 4th-and-goal from inside the one.

The Vikings would have had to settle for a field goal, but Jonathan Jolly was penalized for a headbutt immediately after the Packers had stopped Minnesota on third down at the nine-yard line.

Minnesota doubled their score in the second quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Visanthe Shiancoe, topping off a seven-play, 51-yard drive after receiving the ball in great field position at midfield.

Green Bay caught a break on Minnesota's following drive as a Packers' penalty actually helped saved them from going behind even further.

Crosby later missed a 51-yard field goal for Green Bay with 5:38 remaining in the game, and Favre came back down the field for his 21st game of four or more touchdowns when he connected with Berrian on a 16-yard reception.

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