Favre-led Vikings escape with 30-23 win over Packers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brett Favre proved to the Green Bay Packers he has plenty of fire left inside, and in his right arm.

Favre’s first game against his former team was all fun for the Minnesota Vikings and all frustration for the Packers, as the graying quarterback connected for three touchdown passes and 271 yards in a 30-23 victory on Monday night.

Favre went 24 for 31, without a turnover. He did an awkward body bump with kicker Ryan Longwell, also a former Packer, and stayed poised in the pocket all night.

The Vikings (4-0) sacked Favre’s replacement, Aaron Rodgers, eight times.

Jared Allen was credited with 4 1/2 of them, a career high, including a safety in the fourth quarter that stretched the lead to 16.

Rodgers had his first two turnovers of the season, and Favre turned both of them into vintage touchdown passes in the first half.

Favre completed 20 of 24 passes in the first three quarters against the team he helped put back on the map in 16 seasons in Green Bay. He threw a 1-yard TD pass to Visanthe Shiancoe in the first quarter and zipped a 14-yarder to Sidney Rice in the second quarter.

Over the same three quarters, Rodgers completed 18 of 25 passes for 246 yards, including a 62-yard scoring pass to Jermichael Finley. But he was sacked five times, lost a fumble and threw his first interception of the season, with both turnovers led to Vikings touchdowns.

Favre’s third TD of the game — a 31-yarder to Bernard Berrian in the third quarter — put the Vikings up 14 points and in control and the defense came up with an inspired goal-line stand to close out the period.

The Packers drove to the Vikings 1-yard line. But John Kuhn was stopped on second down, Ben Leber made a brilliant open-field tackle on Finley on third down and then Donald Lee dropped a touchdown in the end zone to give the Vikings the ball.

After saying all week that it was just another game, Favre’s actions and the packed Metrodome crowd proved otherwise.

Rodgers fumbled while being sacked by Allen and Brian Robison on the opening drive, and Favre completed all five passes down the field, including the 1-yarder to Shiancoe that got the crowd roaring.