Favre and Friend Lead Packers Over Vikings

Brett Favre tied a career best with four touchdown passes and fill-in tight end Mark Chmura caught five passes for a career-high 101 yards and a touchdown as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 38-21, on Sunday in front of a record 60,332 at Lambeau Field.

Favre completed 22 of 43 passes for 295 yards in leading the Packers (5-2) into a first-place tie with Chicago in the NFC Central.

“Mark has given this team everything he has. That’s all you can ever ask from a player,” Packer Coach Mike Holmgren said of Chmura, a third-year player from Boston College who had only 16 receptions prior to this season. “When you have a player that’s willing to do that, you have a great player.”

Chmura, Favre’s best friend on the team, has been an effective starter in the absence of Keith Jackson, who ended a three-month holdout last week.

Chmura’s 22-yard diving grab set up Favre’s five-yard touchdown toss to fullback Dorsey Levens to break a 14-14 tie with 4:22 left in the third quarter.

“I’ve never been in this room. It’s pretty nice,” Chmura mused as he entered the interview area.

He said he wasn’t out to prove a point Sunday. “Not at all. I didn’t feel I had to go out and prove myself. The Packers know what I can do,” Chmura said.

Favre passed to Edgar Bennett from six yards out with 11:51 left for a 28-14 lead, and only 48 seconds later, Reggie White sacked Warren Moon for a 20-yard loss and forced a fumble, which Sean Jones recovered in the end zone.

White’s two sacks gave him a team-best 7 1/2 this season and an NFL-best 152 1/2 for his career. Jones’ first sack since the season opener was the 101st of his career.

White, who played with Jackson in Philadelphia, said there was no way Jackson’s arrival would disturb the team’s good chemistry.

“He’s got the talent and ability to help,” White said. “He can do nothing but help us. But as I mentioned, I think Mike Holmgren will find a way to keep Mark on the field. He’s playing too good.”

Amp Lee’s three-yard run made it 35-21 and Chris Jacke kicked a 26-yard field goal to end the scoring with 2:31 left.

For the Vikings (3-4), Cris Carter was held to five receptions for 58 yards, and four came after Green Bay had built a 35-14 lead. Jake Reed caught only two passes.