Favre makes winning start for Vikings

CLEVELAND (Reuters) - Adrian Peterson ran for three touchdowns to help veteran quarterback Brett Favre make a winning start for the Minnesota Vikings with a 34-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Favre, who signed with the Vikings last month to end a second retirement, threw for one touchdown and 110 yards to launch his 19th NFL season.

His six-yard TD pass to Percy Harvin with a minute to play in the third quarter helped secure the opening-day win.

"I was pretty excited," the NFL's all-time leading passer told reporters after the touchdown pass, the 464th of his career.

"Had we scored running the ball, I would have been equally excited," said Favre, who will turn 40 next month. "But that one ranks up there near the top as well."

Favre connected on 14 of 21 attempts with no interceptions and played into the fourth quarter. He was sacked four times and most of his passes were for short gains.

"There is a lot of chemistry yet to gain, and we are doing it on the fly," said Favre.

Peterson's 64-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run put the Vikings ahead 34-13. He also scored on two one-yard runs and finished the game with 180 yards rushing on 25 carries.

"I haven't played with a running back like that," Favre said of Peterson. "That guy is pretty awesome."

Minnesota, expected to be a playoff contender with Favre at the controls, trailed 13-10 at halftime before Peterson's second touchdown put the Vikings in command in the third quarter.

The running back's first touchdown had given Minnesota a 10-3 advantage in the second quarter.

But the underdog Browns seized the momentum on a short field goal by Phil Dawson and Joshua Cribbs' 67-yard punt return to go ahead 13-10.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina. Editing by Ed Osmond and Greg Stutchbury)