It certainly was an "electric" atmosphere at Lambeau Field on Sunday as Brett Favre returned to Green Bay and proceeded to torch his former team to the tune of four touchdown passes.  Favre even admitted after the game that he was surprised to throw seven touchdowns with no interceptions and no sacks against in his two meetings with the Pack.  I read some comments from Favre's former teammate, safety LeRoy Butler on Monday in which Butler said Brett was the master of game management.  And from my seat in the press box on Sunday, I thought Favre was simply amazing to watch.  Weird saying that considering I have been watching #4 for 18 years.  My point is that Brett Favre is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime type of athlete, kind of like Michael Jordan.  Favre has played in 277 consecutive regular season games, truly unbelievable considering how banged up quarterbacks get.  Just look at Aaron Rodgers, he has started every game since Favre's departure, 23 in a row.  How Rodgers is still standing after getting sacked a league-worst 31 times in seven games is incredible?  I give Rodgers a lot of credit for him 1. getting up and 2. refusing to criticize his awful offensive line.  #12 is the future of the Green Bay Packers, and despite getting battered every week, is putting up some incredible numbers. 
The differences between the Packers and the Vikings are many.  Minnesota has a very good offensive line, their running back is the best in football with Adrian Peterson, but Brett Favre is the key.  He makes everyone around him better, and I'm sure the Vikings receiving corp would attest to that.  Minnesota first round draft pick Percy Harvin is perhaps the best example.  This kid was extremely talented coming out of Florida, but getting a chance to start his NFL career with a Hall of Famer was the greatest thing that ever happened to him.  The fact that Favre showed confidence in him from day one is paying huge dividends now.  Give credit to Brad Childress for recruiting Favre to come play in Minnesota.  I struggle giving Childress any credit, but he was right, Brett Favre is the missing piece to what was already a very talented football team.
Where do the Packers go from here?   Well. beating Tampa Bay this weekend is a start.  That would give the Packers a 5-3 record at the midway point of the season.  Following Tampa, the Packers have back-to-back home games against Dallas and San Francisco before a Thanksgiving date with the Lions in Detroit.  Maybe this is too harsh, but I believe Green Bay needs to win all three of those games to be a playoff contender.  The Packers final month of the season is not easy, road games at Pittsburgh, Chicago and Arizona, with home games against Baltimore and Seattle.  Even if the Packers went 4-4 in their final eight games, that's only 9 wins, and I believe that will keep Green Bay home for the playoffs. 
 

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