The Nfl

Higher Ground

A rejuvenated Brett Favre is showing that this Packers season will be much more than just a run for the records

AS BRETT FAVRE rallied the Packers to the 38th fourth-quarter, come-from-behind win of his career on Sunday, throwing for 369 yards and three touchdowns in a 31--24 defeat of the Chargers at Lambeau Field, Greg Jennings turned to fellow Green Bay wide receiver Donald Driver and said what many in the sellout crowd of 70,733 were probably thinking to themselves, "The old Brett is back."

Combining a youthful enthusiasm that belied his fast-approaching 38th birthday with the poise and wisdom of a player who has seen it all over 17 NFL seasons, Favre dissected the San Diego secondary, led the Packers to their first 3--0 start since 2001 and tied Dan Marino's career record of 420 touchdown passes. For the first time since 2004, Green Bay has sole possession of first place in the NFC North, with suddenly winnable division games at Minnesota and against the Bears coming up in the next two weeks.

It's been a stunning turnaround for a Green Bay club that dropped 12 games in 2005 and started 4--8 in '06, its first season under coach Mike McCarthy. Last year the Packers struck bottom after losses to the Patriots and the Jets by an aggregate 73--10 in Weeks 11 and 13. Since then they have won seven straight, with all of their victories this season over teams that went to the playoffs last winter: the Eagles, Giants and Chargers. McCarthy had circled San Diego on the schedule because the Chargers play a 3--4 style similar to the Patriots and the Jets, and because he wanted to prove that the Packers, who were just 2--10 against the AFC over the last three season, could beat a playoff-caliber team from that conference.

"It was a big win for our program because we're doing it one step at a time," said McCarthy on Sunday night. "We knew [the Chargers] were going to try to come in here and pound the ball, so I thought we definitely responded to that. And in that fourth quarter we matched them blow for blow, punch for punch, big play for big play. That's what you have to do to win those types of games. That's what we're pushing, that's what we're selling, and these guys are believing it. It's fun when it works out your way."

No one was having more fun than Favre on Sunday. When the Packers, trailing 21--17, failed to score on a first-and-goal from the one midway through the fourth quarter, the game seemed lost. But after Green Bay forced a punt with 2:27 remaining, Favre showed he can still conjure magic with his right arm. On second-and-10 he took a three-step drop and, without hesitation, fired to the backside of the formation, where Jennings had broken free on a slant route after freezing nickelback Antonio Cromartie with a stutter step. The ball hit Jennings in stride, and he raced 57 yards for the go-ahead, Marino-tying touchdown.

"I used to watch the Packers when I was growing up, and I hated them because they always pulled out that game that you just knew they were going to lose," said Jennings, 24, a Kalamazoo, Mich., native who cheered for Lions running back Barry Sanders as a kid. "I couldn't stand Brett, the Packers or anything to do with a Cheesehead because they always found a way to win. That's what [Sunday] kind of reminded me of. The Pack's got the swagger back."

The comeback and the playmaking may have been vintage Favre, but the approach was not. Long known for his eagerness to take chances and air it out, Favre was instructed by the coaches to make less risky choices this season. Well aware that the Chargers led the league in sacks last season and that his offensive line was banged up—Green Bay listed 17 players on the injury report during the week, including three offensive linemen and a tight end—Favre followed orders on Sunday. He released the ball quickly rather than daring the rush to get him and often relied on three-step drops. At one point on the goal line he even suggested a run to McCarthy, something a younger, more rambunctious Favre would never have done.

"He's been extremely sharp the last two weeks," McCarthy said of Favre, who has a 93.5 passer rating through three games, after 70.9 in 2005 and 72.7 in '06. "His ability to make that quick decision is second to none. Hopefully he's hit a stride that we're going to stay in for a long time."