The Donkey from Minnesota Rides into Jerusalem

It seemed like the in the weeks leading up to Brett Favre's homecoming game at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, whenever Favre was asked about the game, he gave his awww shucks routine. He seemed to want the world to believe that this game means no more to him than the pickup type of game shown in his Wrangler jeans commercial. Given the length of time that Favre spent deliberating and strategizing on how to make this game become a reality, I find this hard to believe.

In the pre-game commentary, Troy Aikman commented that this game probably is more important to Rodgers than Favre. I couldn't agree less. True this game was important to Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers. However, it is important, because the Packers need to win in order to prevent themselves from falling 3 games behind Minnesota in the Division with 8 games to go. Rodgers knows that he is the Packers franchise quarterback and is doing a fine job of coming out from beneath the Brett Favre shadow. Win, lose or draw Rodgers seems destined to enjoy the opportunity of leading Packers for an indefinite period of time. Brett Favre on the other hand is in the twilight of his career and this game appears to be the pinnacle of his career. I am sure he enjoyed his wins as the Packer quarterback and also adored his win as a Viking over the Packers in the Metrodome. However, Favre seems to need a win in this game in Green Bay, to vindicate himself from his perceived mistreatment at the hand of the Packers management. A loss here could force us all to endure another off-season of his indecision.

I think this game will be won in the trenches. In Minnesota, the Packers defense gave Favre all day in the pocket. They paid a terrible price as Favre shredded them like cheese. On the other hand, the Vikings defense harassed and sacked Rodgers from start to finish. Though Rodgers played fearlessly, it was not enough to make the Packers prevail.

The Green Bay faithful have apparently embraced the changing of the guard. When Aaron Rodger was introduced, the crowd erupted with cheers of support. The Packers first drive was uneventful other than a fumble that Rodgers fell on and a challenge of another fumble that was not heard do to forward progress. When Favre with a wink of his eye, took the field for the first time, the Lambeau filed fans erupted in near unison with boos and hisses that kept up for the duration of the offensive series.

Again the Packers accomplished a lot of nothing in their second drive going three and out. The fans picked up where they left; treating Favre and his offensive gang to more boos. On the first play from scrimmage, Favre fumbled a snap that he was not ready for. He surrendered the ball to the Packers deep in Viking territory. The Packers couldn't move the ball much, but were able to capitalize on the Minnesota miscue by kicking a field goal. Unlike in Minnesota, this time the Packers took the early lead 3-0. Unfortunately for the Packers, Percy Harvins returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards all the way to Packer 14 yard line. Again the crowd does not provide much support for Favre and the Vikings as they take the field. The Packers stopped Adrian Peterson and on a key 3^rd down screen play, Packer player Johnny Jolly committed a head butting penalty that allowed Favre and the gang to set up shop inside the Green Bay 10 yard line. The Vikings gave the ball to Peterson three straight times to get inside the 1 yard line. On 4^th and one, Favre gave it Peterson and he jumps over the top into the end zone. After the extra point, the Vikings lead 7-3.

The Packers got the ball again and did nothing. After a punt the Vikings set up shop just shy of the 50 yard line. Favre completed three straight passes and Vikings were inside the Packers 25 yard line. A run play to Peterson and another completed pass to Sidney Rice and the Vikings are at the Packer 12. Favre then fired a bullet to Sonte Sanchez and Vikings got their second touchdown. The extra point made it 14-3 in favor of the Vikings.

The Vikings kicked off and after the return, the Packers started inside their own 25 yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Rodgers is sacked again. This is the third time that the Vikings have sacked Rodgers. They pick up a few yards on the next run play. The Rodgers 3^rd down pass falls incomplete and the Packers are forced to punt. The Vikings enjoyed good field position again, starting just inside the Packer side of the 50. Peterson took the first play to the Packers 15 yard line. A few plays later, the Vikings called timeout to decide what their plans were for an all important 4^th and 1 from the Packer 5 yard line. The Packers defense came up big and stacked up Peterson, denying the Vikings another score.

The Packers took control of the ball and converted a key 3^rd down play. On the ensuing set of downs Williams sacked Rodgers setting up 3^rd and 12. Rodgers pass fell incomplete and the Packers were forced to punt it back to the Vikings with over two minutes to go in the half. Favre completed a pass, bringing the Vikings into Green Bay territory. The two minute warning followed. After a Peterson run, Favre completed his 11^th pass to Sydney Rice, taking the Vikings to the Packers 22 yard line. An incomplete pass to Harvin, a run play for nothing and an incomplete pass, forced the Vikings to attempt a 41 yard FG by Ryan Longwell. It went straight through the uprights and Vikings led the Packers 17-3.

The first half of this game seemed like an extension of the first game in Minnesota. Again, the Packers defense could penetrate and pressure Favre.

The Vikings returned the 2^nd half kickoff to about the 35 yard line. On 3^rd and 17 Favre had plenty of time and fired a pass to Herriman for a 1^st down. On the next play, Favre completed a 51 yd pass play to Percy Harvey. The extra point made it 24-3 in favor of the Vikings. The Packers needed to something or face the looming outcome of being embarrassed by Brett Favre on their beloved Lambeau field turf.

Rodgers with time to throw answered back with a nice pass to Jennings and the Packers were in Viking territory. After a couple runs, boos were heard in the stadium. On 3^rd and 5, Rodgers was forced to scramble. Luckily, he picked up the first down. On the next play on a pass to Donald Driver, the Viking committed pass interference and the Packers were at the 15. The Packers wasted a time out, because they allowed the play clock to wind down too far. The Packers came back and Rodgers completed a pass for a first down at the Vikings 7. Rodgers then ran the QB draw to the 4 yard line. The Vikings batted down Rodgers next pass, setting up a key 3^rd and 4. The Vikings Jerry Allen sacks Rodgers. This was the Vikings 5^th sack of the day. Troy Aikman proclaimed that Aaron Rodgers is a fine young Quarterback, but sat some point needs to stop taking sacks. The Packers are forced to settle for a FG, cutting the deficit to 24-6. The other announcer, Thom Brennaham, said it will not be enough.

The Vikings fumbled the kickoff. Again, the Packers struggled to move the ball. However on 3^rd and 9 Rodgers finds Hayner for a Touchdown. The extra point was good and the Vikings lead shrank to 24-13

The Packers kicked off again to the Vikings. For the first time the Packers were able to pressure Favre. On 1^st down a Favre pass was tipped and nearly intercepted. On 2^nd down Nick Barnett got a hold of Favre's arm as he threw, sending the ball up into the air again almost to be intercepted. On third down the Packers pressured Favre again and he threw the ball incomplete. The Vikings punted, forcing the Packers back to about their own 15 yard line. Rodgers completed a little dump pass to Ahman Green for a first down. The Green Bay crowd began to come to life. Rodgers found James Jones who caught his 7^th pass of the year and he completed another pass to about the 30 yard line of the Vikings. Rodgers completed two more passes, the second one to Greg Jennings at the 10 yard line. Rodgers fired again, finding Jennings at the 5 yard line. Ahman Green ran it to the 4 yard line. On 3rd and 4 Rodgers was pressured, but found Hayner again in the endzone for the score. The extra point was good and the score stood in the Vikings favor at 24-20.

The Packers collapsed on the kickoff, allowing Percy Harvin to return the kickoff to the Packer 38 yard line. On 3^rd down Farve fiound Percy Harvin for a first down at the Packer 21 yard line. On the next play the Packers committed a personal foul allowing the Vikings to move up to the 9 yard line. On 1^st down, Peterson got nothing. Taylor fights to the 4, setting up 3^rd and goal. Favre rolled out and completed a TD pass to TE Dugan, his 1^st of the year. The Vikings were now up 31-20 with 13:40 to play.

The Viking kickoff was uneventful and the Packers set up at their 25 yard line. On 2^nd down, Rodgers found Jennings at Packers own 43 yard line. On 2^nd down from about their own 49 yard line, Rodgers under pressure found away to hustle down to the Viking 15 yard line. Soon the Packers found themselves at 3^rd and 5 at the 10 yard line. Despite two defensive penalties, including pass interference, Rodgers tossed a TD completion to Greg Jennings. The Packers went for two, but the Vikings kept them from scoring. The Vikings now led 31-26 with 10:26 left in the game.

After the Packer kickoff, the Vikings opened up their drive at their own 25 yard line. Favre handed off two times in a row to Peterson. On the second carry, Peterson rushed to the Packer 47 yard line for a first down. On another 2^nd down play, the Packers knocked Favre down on an incomplete pass. On 3^rd time Favre was pressured and threw behind his intended receiver for another incompletion.

The Vikings punted to the Packers. The Packers took over at about 18 yard line. There was a little more than 8 minutes to go in the game. On the first play, Rodgers completed a pass for about 16 yards. On the next play, Rodgers handled a poor snap and Driver caught a pass, bringing it out to about the 50 yard line. A roughing the passer penalty tacked on 15 yards and ball was spotted at about the Minnesota 35 yard line. Driver was also roughed up on the play. The Packers got no further and brought their kicker in for a 51 yard FG attempt. The kick went wide right. The Vikings come out throwing and hit Peterson with a screen and he scampered all the way down to about the Packer 15 yard line. The Packer defense held tough, but on 3^rd down Favre fired a TD pass. The extra point put the Vikings ahead 38-26 with 3:48 to go in the game.

The Packers brought the kickoff to 26 yard line. Rodgers completed a pass to the 36. However, a completed pass to the 50 comes back on a holding call. The Packers turn it over on downs with 2:38 left in the game. The Packers had no time outs so it seemed likely that Minnesota would simply run out the clock. They in fact did just that, giving the Packers the ball back with just a few more seconds left in the game. As the clock wound down to zero, I did not detect much enthusiasm from the crowd for their once beloved hero.

As the game drew to a close, Troy Aikman reaffirmed his position that this game meant more to Aaron Rodgers than Brett Favre. I still disagreed. Rodgers hopefully has a long career ahead of him. Though he was not perfect, he played valiantly in defeat. These are the type of learning experiences that are vital to a young quarterback's development, particularly one that did not have much of a mentor. Favre on the other hand had a mission. He wanted to come back on the roster of the Vikings, the Packers arch rival and defeat them. He now can relax a bit, knowing that he accomplished this mission. He can now set his sights on leading his Minnesota Vikings; a team that he feels is among the best teams he has ever played for in his entire career to a victory in the Super Bowl, the Promised Land that even Fran Tarkington could not take them. If this occurs it will be interesting to see Fran Tarkington's reaction. If he fails, it will also be interesting to see if Brett Favre again plays the role of Harold Stassen.