Not Dead Yet

Packers 23 - Vikings 17

Make that four times we've been one game under .500 this season.

Now Favre has won in the TerrorDome a total of just five times, but what a victory. The last time he threw for so many yards was in the Christmas Eve game two seasons ago, when we beat the Viqueens (thanks to a last-second Ryan Longwell) for the second time that season by the same score: 34-31. This time, Longwell, did connect on a kick, but for the 'Queens, and only too little, too late. Driver had another amazing game - his most productive ever, in fact, thanks in large part to his 82-yard touchdown catch-and-run near the end of the first half (gotta' love that slant!).

Reports of the Packers' demise are greatly exaggerated. Hendy came back to play again and made a difference, for example. Perhaps he can learn the new schemes, eh coach Oblio? And Kampman and Big 99 Williams keep turning up, too. Even Brady Poppinga got some of the spotlight, with a fumble-causing sack early in the game.

With two TD passes in this game, Favre is now sitting at 409 in his regular-season career -- just 12 away from surpassing Marino. It will be miraculous if he can string together 12 in the last seven games... but he has had 13 in the first nine. Just saying.

Greg "The Jennerator" Jennings remains my standout favorite for the season. (Quick 'Did You Know?': We haven't played a game yet this season when we haven't started at least three rookies on the line.) All the kid does is catch first downs. In the first half against the Bills, I think that's all he did catch, in fact. And BTW, the only difference between this game and the Bills game was the fact that, in this one, we didn't have any turnovers. Favre was throwing more checkdowns and even throwing more balls away against Minnesota, and it made a huge difference. With Jennings in the mix, some of those checkdowns are turning out to be as good as the scripted plays, if not better. Keep an eye out for him.

Now this week, we've got a New England team that hasn't lost three consecutive games in over four years. I recall looking at our 'easy' schedule back before the season began, and these next two -- New England and Seattle -- stood out as the toughest opponents. I can't say that impression has changed, although a young start-up team like ours is shaping out to be really doesn't bother caring about what's supposed to happen. If they can have one of those games where they play as a team, they can own any of our slated foes. I'm not making any guarantees, but look for Big 99 to quiet down in these next two just enough so that A.J. Hawk can start getting loud. You read it here first.