Brett Favre dealt with the grief in the best way he could imagine.
He played his heavy heart out.
PHOTO: AFP
Favre passed for 399 yards and four touchdowns a day after his father's death, moving into second place in NFL history for career TD passes while leading the Green Bay Packers to a 41-7 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Monday night.
Favre finished just 3 yards shy of his career high while sending the Raiders to their worst loss in eight years.
Favre threw for a personal-best 311 yards and four TDs in the first half, quickly turning a crucial game for the Packers' playoff hopes into a blowout victory -- and he did it on one of the saddest days of his life.
Irvin Favre died of a heart attack Sunday night while driving near his son's hometown of Kiln, Mississippi. Brett decided to stay with the Packers (9-6) long enough to lead a victory that kept them in a tie with Minnesota atop the NFC North.
Favre was 22-of-30, smiling and hugging his teammates throughout the game. In the fourth quarter, he embraced his wife, Deanna, before they headed home to Mississippi.
Though the formula is complicated, Green Bay can all but clinch a playoff berth with a victory over Denver on Sunday -- and if the Vikings lose to Arizona, the Packers will win their second straight division title. The Packers also will be in the playoffs if Seattle loses to San Francisco on Saturday.
With the first of two first-half scoring passes to Javon Walker, Favre passed Fran Tarkenton on the NFL's career list with his 343rd career TD throw. The three-time MVP finished with 345, trailing only Dan Marino's 420.
Favre got a respectful ovation from the normally vicious Raider Nation when he was announced as a starter in his 205th consecutive game, an NFL record for quarterbacks. He might have been drowning in emotion, but his performance was almost amazingly poised -- and his receiving corps was just as impressive against the befuddled Raiders (4-11).
On the Packers' fourth play from scrimmage, Favre threw a breathtaking 47-yard completion to Robert Ferguson -- a high-arching ball that traveled at least 55 yards in the air, the kind of throw that only a handful of quarterbacks have ever mastered.
One play later, tight end Wesley Walls leaped for a 22-yard score in the back of the end zone. Favre jumped into Walls' arms for a lengthy hug.
Favre completed his first nine passes, including a perfect 23-yard TD pass down the Packers' sideline to Walker, before throwing an intentional incompletion out of the end zone. He then completed his next three, hitting Walker again when the receiver outmuscled two Oakland defenders for a 43-yard TD catch.
Many of Favre's throws were into coverage, but the Raiders' secondary allowed repeated catches -- seven of at least 20 yards. Favre capped the half with a 46-yard pass to Walker and a 6-yard TD to David Martin with a minute left.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Favre's 311 yards passing were the most in a first half in his career and the most in any first half since Peyton Manning had 324 for Indianapolis on Sept. 23, 2001.
Charlie Garner made a spinning 25-yard TD run in the first quarter, but Oakland's offense had no chance to keep up with Favre and his receivers. The Raiders will finish their hugely disappointing campaign Sunday in San Diego, where they lost the Super Bowl last season.
Favre's receivers beat Oakland cornerback Phillip Buchanon for three of the first-half scores, and Buchanon was benched in the second half. So was quarterback Rick Mirer, who went 12-of-23 for 114 yards before Rob Johnson took over late in the third quarter.
Green Bay defensive lineman Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila had three sacks, giving him 10 for the season to become the first player in franchise history with at least 10 sacks in three straight seasons. Gbaja-Biamila's brother, Akbar, plays for the Raiders, and two more of their brothers were in attendance at the Coliseum.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care