Favre savors triumphant but frosty return

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Reuters) - Brett Favre savored 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 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, Favre 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 organization 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 kickoff, some Packers' fans burned replicas of his old Green Bay jersey while entrepreneurs cashed in on the Favre bashing selling t-shirts which included "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."

Almost forgotten in the pre-game hype surround Favre was a pivotal NFC North matchup that saw the Vikings take control of the division, improving their record to 7-1 while the Packers slip to 4-3.

In the second quarter, Favre hooked up with Shiancoe on a 12-yard touchdown and Ryan Longwell booted a 41-yard field gold to send the visitors into the break leading 17-3.

Favre came out firing in the second half hitting Harvin with 51-yard touchdown strike to put the Vikings up 24-3 before the Packers launched a third quarter fight back.

The Packers, held to just 47 total yards in the first half, exploded for 17 straight points, as Aaron Rodgers, Favre's understudy in Green Bay, tossed five and 16 yard touchdown strikes to Spencer Havner.

Crosby then added a field goal to slice the Minnesota lead to 24-20 setting the stage for wild final quarter.

Favre found Dugan with a two-yard touchdown pass to open the fourth but the Packers hit back, Rodgers connecting with Greg Jennings on a 10-yard strike.

But the Packers could not complete the comeback, Favre sealing the victory with a 16-yard touchdown to Berrian.

(Editing by Julian Linden)