Bittersweet homecoming for Favre

Green Bay, Wisconsin: Brett Favre savoured a triumphant but frosty homecoming, tossing four touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings (7-1) survived a Green Bay Packers (4-3) comeback to claim a 38-26 win on Sunday.

For Green Bay fans, Favre's performance was a bitter reminder of the glory days when the quarterback was firing touchdown passes for the Packers and leading them to the Super Bowl title in 1997.

Back at Lambeau to face his former team for the first time since a messy split in 2007, Farve was lustily jeered by a Green Bay regular season record crowd of 71,213 from the moment he stepped off the Minnesota team bus until he exited the field.

"I had mixed emotions coming in because I know how special these [Packers] fans are," Favre admitted to reporters. "It was loud and that is what makes Green Bay such a special place.

"I want to lead this Vikings team to the Super Bowl but I also know what Packers fans, who make this organisation so special and unique will never change. How could you not miss that."

There were some things, however, Favre will not miss about his first visit to Green Bay as a Viking.

Prior to the kick-off, some Packers' fans burnt replicas of his old Green Bay jersey while entrepreneurs cashed in on the Favre-bashing selling t-shirts proclaiming ‘Traitor 4-Ever' and ‘Once a Hero, Now a Zero.'

"I mean, anybody but the Vikings, going to the Vikings it just borders on war," said Packers fan Bob Schaaf, as a small plane circled above Lambeau trailing a banner that read ‘Retire4Good.'

The hostile reception, however, failed to rattle the 40-year-old Favre, who completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for 244 yards, including touchdowns to Visanthe Shiancoe, Percy Harvin, Jeff Dugan and Bernard Berrian.

After Green Bay opened the scoring on a Mason Crosby 37-yard field goal, Minnesota dominated the first half, Adrian Peterson diving over for a one-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a lead they would not surrender.

"He is an equal opportunity thrower," said Vikings coach Brad Childress. "He is going to find them if they are open, it doesn't make any difference who it is.

"There is no such thing as too many good players, or too many tools in the tool box."

RESULTS

Houston 31 BUFFALO 10

CHICAGO 30 Cleveland 6

DALLAS 38 Seattle 17

St. Louis 17 DETROIT 10

INDIAN'POLIS 18 San Fran 14

Miami 30 NY JETS 25

BALTIMORE 30 Denver 7

PHIL'PHIA 40 NY Giants 17

SAN DIEGO 24 Oakland 16

TENNESSEE 30 Jacksonville 13

Minnesota 38 GREEN BAY 26

Carolina 34 ARIZONA 21

Home team in CAPS