Favre beats the Packers in Lambeau with the help of his Viking teammates

November 2, 3:15 PMMinnesota Vikings ExaminerJoseph Oberle

Previous Next

5 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Minnesota Vikings Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Brett Favre was knocked down but still completed the pass--letting nothing deter him from victory.

(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

With the Vikings' games against the Green Bay Packers games and all their distractions now in the rearview mirror, it is time to concentrate on what really matters--the division, the playoffs and beyond. But before we head down that road, the Vikings and their fans deserve one more look back at one of the biggest regular season games in Vikings history, and one of the greatest in quarterback Brett Favre's long and storied career.

There will never be another game like the one that took place yesterday at Lambeau Field. Favre returned for the first time since leaving, his first in a purple uniform, and he was booed loudly and long, so he put it right back on the Packers and their fans with a 38-26 victory. Favre convincingly demonstrated that he wasn't done yet (17 of 28, 244 yards, four touchdowns, no picks) and was the best quarterback on the field yesterday. It is safe to say that Favre had the better team surrounding him, which certainly contributed with an inspired performance for their newly adopted leader. But if we simply watch how the two quarterbacks in the game react to what is going on around them in the backfield, Favre is still superior.

Favre comes to the line with a plan, makes adjustments, looks off receivers and then finds the open man before the rush can get to him. Aaron Rodgers on the other hand, needs a little more time to figure things out. He does well when sprinting out of the pocket or on a quick three-step drop, but if the player he wants to go to is not open, Rodgers takes a little time to make an adjustment and has paid for it to the tune of 14 sacks in two games against the Vikings.

Why has Favre been so successful in Purple? Antoine Winfield gave Paul Allen of KFAN a very simple theory:

"He's poised in the pocket. Making all the correct calls and is not turning the ball over."

In many ways, that is the biggest difference for the Vikings this season--the quarterback is managing the game and has given his team the steadying influence and consistent performance they have needed. Even more, he has become the leader the Vikings have been missing. As a result, the team has stepped up its performance, resulting in a 7-1 record halfway through the season. Yesterday was no different:

Percy Harvin--Percy hit pay dirt with another Farvin TD pass, but that was just icing on the cake for one of the leading offensive rookie of the year candidates. Harvin's racing through the Packers' special teams with 5 kickoff returns for 175 yards was game-changing-type stuff that constantly gave Favre a short field to work with and never allowed the Packers to crawl out of their first half hole.

Phil Loadholt--Another rookie who keeps getting better every week, Loadholt shut down Aaron Kampman like he has done to other defensive lineman this season and has given Favre the time he needs to go through his progressions and find an open receiver. Enough can't be said about him quickly getting up to speed and the improvement he has shown.

Ray Edwards--Improving play has been a hallmark of Edwards this season, and he played perhaps his best game yet against the Packers with two sacks, several QB hurries, two defended passes and four hits on Rodgers. As more and more teams focus on Jared Allen, Edwards should have more opportunities to reach the quarterback and he made the most of that yesterday.

Chad Greenway--With 11 tackles (10 solo), one pass defended and great all-around play, Greenway was a major defensive force in the game yesterday. Meanwhile, Allen continued his beastly ways against the Packers (5 tackles, 3 sacks and four tackles for a loss)--for just a second-year Viking, he seems to really get this Minnesota-Green Bay rivalry thing.

Tough yards by AP, solid work by Sidney Rice and a decent performance by Bernard Berrian coming off another injured hamstring all contributed to helping Favre win one more time in Lambeau Field. Fortuitously, both Packers games came in the first half of the season, so the team can put Green Bay behind them and concentrate on the road ahead. In some ways, it sounds like the quarterback already has begun.

“I want to lead this Viking team to the Super Bowl,” Favre said after the game. “Believe me. I do. I’m going to do everything in my power. … At this point, we’ve put ourselves in a good position.”