Minnesota magic: Vikings defeat Packers 38-26

D-Day finally hit Green Bay. For the first time ever, Packers fans watched Brett Favre come into Lambeau Field as an opposing player. The boos were loud from the minute Favre walked onto the field, to the minute he left after doing several post-game interviews. It was the biggest game of the year for both the Vikings and the Packers, and all Favre did was send Packers fans home disappointed. 

At 40 years old, Favre put together yet another masterful performance, completing 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdown passes in a 38-26 win. What's more, Favre threw no interceptions, something he did not do in the first meeting with Green Bay on October 5. 

Though Favre spoke all week about how this game had nothing to do with revenge, it clearly meant a great deal to him. Green Bay was Favre's home for 16 years, and he had hundreds of incredible moments there. 

Packers fans were with him through good, bad and devastating. They cheered him on every step of the way, and many still do -- when he's playing a different team. When it came to this meeting, this gut-wrenching sight of seeing Favre play against the Packers at Lambeau for the first time in his career, all Packers fans could do was boo, and boo some more. What else were they to do? Their hero was now the enemy, and he had already defeated them once this season.  Moreover, Packers fans had to stand up and support their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. 

On this day, Favre turned in a classic performance, much to the dismay of Packers fans everywhere. Every throw he needed to make, he made. His arm looked as strong as ever, and he was right on the money with each throw. On a touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, Favre fit the ball into a small window, and Shiancoe was quickly able to find the endzone. The next was a deep ball to Percy Harvin, which went for 51 yards. The last two touchdowns came in the red zone, one to fullback Jeff Dugan and the other to wide receiver Bernard Berrian, the latter of which put the game away for the Vikings. 

With the win, the Vikings have swept the Packers in the season series. For Favre, he got the revenge that he claimed his was not out to get. "Am I pleased with the way these two games have turned out? Absolutely," Favre said." It had nothing to do with trying to prove myself to anyone. I still have a passion for it. It's a little bit tougher to get up and bounce back but my arm feels great. My mind is in a good place, the team has welcomed me in and really all the other stuff doesn't matter. I know it makes for a good story. But I'm glad it's over, I'm glad we won both but I'm not going to sit here and throw any daggers.”

While the win certainly meant much to Favre, it also was an important game for the Vikings in the NFC North race. At 3-0 and in the division and 7-1 overall, the Vikings have a two game lead over the Packers, which virtually turns into three based on the tiebreaker. 

Green Bay, now 4-3, played well, but there is one gaping hole that this team must address if it wants to stay in the hunt for a playoff berth in the NFC: the offensive line. In the two games versus the Vikings this season, Green Bay's offensive line gave up a total of 14 sacks. 14. Under no circumstances should an offensive line perform that poorly, especially in the two biggest games of the season. Sure, pro bowl tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher have been injured, but that's no excuse. Having depth on the offensive line is paramount in the NFL, and the fact that the Packers don't have it is a reflection on the team's front office. Being forced to start rookie T.J. Lang at left tackle is not good, especially when he had to block All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen. 

Moreover, the Vikings were the better team in all phases of the game. Harvin, the electric rookie wide receiver who quickly is establishing as one of the most explosive players in the National Football League, made his presence felt in the receiving game and on special teams Sunday. Adrian Peterson had an impact, as did Shiancoe, Berrian and a host of others. Defensively, the Vikings out-played Green Bay, especially in pressuring Rodgers. 

In a game where the quarterbacks were on everyone's attention, Rodgers played well. He threw for 278 yards and three touchdowns, but there had to be some moments where fans questioned his decision-making. There's little doubt that Rodgers will develop into a very good quarterback in the future, but he still has a lot to learn. Several of the sacks that he took were based on the fact that he held onto the ball too long, not the fact that the offensive line struggled. Though Favre faced little pressure on Sunday, he rarely holds onto the ball too long. That is something Rodgers must improve if he wants to become an upper-echelon quarterback. 

Even though Minnesota came away with the win on Sunday, it's clear that the Packers have the talent to compete. Whether they have the heart, will and desire to win big football games is an issue that must be further examined. For the Vikings, that questioned has already been answered in a big way. Now it's just a matter of capitalizing on that ability. 

Pennington out for the year -- Dolphins in big trouble

Before Chad Pennington injured his shoulder on Sunday against the Chargers, the Dolphins had a number of issues that needed to be fixed. Now, the situation in Miami has gotten worse. 

An Associated Press report from Monday has esssentially been confirmed by the Dolphins, as they placed Pennington on injured reserve today, ending his season. The Dolphins were struggling prior to the loss of Pennington, and chances for a return trip to the playoffs did not look good. But with Pennington out for the year and his career in jeopardy, the Dolphins now are in need of a miracle. 

Chad Henne, who was tabbed a year ago to be the quarterback of the future in Miami, will take over as the team's starter. In four career games, Henne has completed 17-of-31 passes for 159 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. This will give the Dolphins a chance to see what they have in Henne, a second round selection. 

In need of a backup, the Dolphins traded for Kansas City quarterback Tyler Thigpen, who played fairly well in a starting role late last season. 

Ideally, the Dolphins will not need to use Thigpen this season. But if Henne struggles, Thigpen or 2009 second round pick Pat White could see action. White will continue to get a few snaps in the team's wildcat packages, which is the reason he was drafted by the club. 

Can Henne turn the team around and lead Miami to the playoffs? Sitting with a record of 0-3 and playing in the extremely competitive AFC East, it's unlikely. The Dolphins have a mediocre defense, and not enough weapons offensively. Having Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams operate in the wildcat is nice, but it's not an offense that by itself can carry a team to the playoffs. That's why it becomes all-important that Henne play not just good, but great football, which isn't an easy task for a quarterback who will be making his first NFL start next week. 

Cowboys under intense pressure tonight

The city of Dallas was not a happy one after the Cowboys lost the first game ever to be played in the new Cowboys Stadium. Making matters worse was the fact that the loss came against the hated Giants. This past week, the team has received more than a fair share of criticism for the loss -- most of the blame has been placed on Tony Romo, who threw three interceptions. 

Tonight on Monday Night Football, the Cowboys get a chance to redeem themselves, against the Panthers. Frankly, this is one of the most important games in Romo's relatively young career. With a poor performance and another loss, the criticisms of Romo will only intensify. Jerry Jones surely won't be happy, and a loss likely will put coach Wade Phillips on the hot seat, if he's not on it already. 

When the Cowboys decided to release controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens, the move was largely applauded. The thinking was that by subtracting Owens, the Cowboys would have better chemistry and therefore be a better football team. Reportedly, the chemistry is much better than in the previous three seasons. The team, however, is having its struggles. 

While Romo now doesn't have to worry about who he is throwing to, he still is making the mistakes that have haunted him during his career. His decision-making is poor, and some of his throws have been awful. But why is Romo even getting so many opportunities to throw the ball? The Cowboys have the best trio of running backs in the league, and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett needs to use them more often. 

Getting back to Phillips, he needs his defense to play well for him tonight. Phillips calls the defensive plays, but his unit has been far from perfect this year. The front-seven looks solid, but the secondary has been vulnerable. 

A loss tonight, and the Cowboys will have answered the questions surrounding them in a negative fashion -- and that won't bode well for anyone. As usual, the lights will be shining on Big D tonight. 

Buy or sell: Broncos

Yes, this is a segment on ESPNs Around the Horn. But as long as it's not trademarked, it's a good way to discuss teams that are currently undefeated. And no 3-0 team is more unbelievable than the Broncos, which during a tumultuous offseason looked to be headed for a disastrous season. 

To the surprise of many, Josh McDaniels can actually coach (crazy, huh?). The Broncos have played well in all phases of the game thus far, especially defensively. 

Through three weeks, the Broncos have the best defense in the NFL, surrendering just 5.3 points per game. Now, to put things in perspective, Denver's three opponents have been the Bengals, Browns and Raiders. Of those three teams, only the Broncos performance against the Bengals is impressive. The Bengals this season have proven to be a solid offense -- the Browns and Raiders haven't. Transitioning from the 4-3 to the 3-4 defense is not easy, but the move has payed off early for Denver. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's best work so far has come with Elvis Dumervil, who moved from defensive end to outside linebacker. Dumervil already has six sacks this season, which is the second-best total in the league behind Antwan Odom of the Bengals. 

Offensively, Kyle Orton isn't doing anything special -- but he's not making many mistakes either. Plus, the running looks excellent, with both Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter playing well. If receiver Brandon Marshall can fully grasp the playbook, this offense has a chance to be very good. 

Unlike the situation in Cleveland, Broncos players have bought into what McDaniels is selling. Overall, this is a solid football team. That said, I'm going to have to sell the Broncos for 2009. I like what McDaniels has brought to the team so far, and I think they're going to be in serious play off contention soon enough. 

Right now, this team is not ready to compete with the best teams in the league, which is what they will have to do shortly. Starting next week, the schedule gets brutal; matchups with the Cowboys, Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Giants and Eagles all await. Moreover, Denver still has two games to play against division-rival San Diego. At this point, I don't see the Broncos being good enough to win nine games this season. Next year, however, look out. 

What was Marvin Lewis thinking?

Yes, the Bengals defeated the Steelers 23-20 yesterday. It was a great win for the Bengals and it shows that their hard work this season is paying off. Even with the win, there's still something Marvin Lewis needs to be questioned on: what was he thinking on the final drive?

Trailing 16-20, the Bengals were driving down the field, and Lewis had two timeouts to work with. After getting a first down inside the Steelers 30-yard line, the Bengals had about 50 seconds on the clock to work with. And on first down, Lewis decided to have Carson Palmer spike the football. Instead of taking one of his timeouts, Lewis chose to essentially waste a down and hope the team could convert on three. Though the Bengals did convert the first down and eventually score on a touchdown throw from Palmer to Andre Caldwell, Lewis' clock management is something that needs to be questioned.

It would have made sense to spend a timeout, regroup and have four plays to gain ten yards. Lewis has never been praised for his game management, and he showed why in that situation. Had the Bengals failed to convert in that situation, Lewis would be receiving a great amount of criticism right now. Luckily for his sake, Palmer played great down the stretch, and the Bengals are sitting at 2-1 and in second place in the AFC North.

Bears 25, Seahawks 19

Considering the unfortunate amount of injuries Seattle is dealing with, Jim Mora's squad played one heck of a football game. Against a much better Bears team, the Seahawks fought and clawed their way to a game that was not decided until the final minutes. 

Seneca Wallace, filling in for the injured Matt Hasselbeck, did a commendable job, throwing for 261 yards, one touchdown and one interception. It would have understandable had Wallace turned in an ugly performance, but he showed yesterday why he is a solid backup. At the same time, however, he showed why he isn't a starter -- he completed 26 of 44 passes for a quarterback rating of 79.1, hardly extraordinary numbers. Still, Seattle had a chance to win the football game. And if not for two missed field goals by Olindo Mare, it may have happened. 

Even with the two missed field goals, the Bears proved yesterday that they are the better football team. After putting together a horrific game against the Packers in Week 1, Jay Cutler has played nearly-flawless football en route to two consecutive victories. Yesterday, Cutler turned in his best performance as a Bear yet, completing 21-of-27 passes for 272 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Cutler gives the Bears and offensive coordinator Ron Turner options -- something they didn't have with Kyle Orton. 

If there's one thing the Bears are worrying about today, it's their running game. Matt Forte doesn't look as good as he did last season, when he led the team in both rushing and receiving yards. Forte averaged just 3.1 yards per carry yesterday, which doesn't even come close to what he put up last year. It was encouraging that Cutler was able to find Forte through the air this week, as Forte caught six passes for 40 yards. 

In what is shaping up to be an extremely competitive NFC North, the Bears are in position to be fighting for the division title all season long. The Seahawks, meanwhile, need to get healthy before getting in position to win the wide-open NFC West. 

Baltimore 34, Cleveland 3

The Eric Mangini era isn't off to a good start in Cleveland. The Browns have looked awful thus far, and it doesn't look like the team will be improving any time soon. Playing against a Baltimore secondary that has been surprisingly vulnerable this season, the Browns made the Ravens defense look like one of the best in the league. 

Brady Quinn had a rough first half, completing 6-of-8 passes for 34 yards and one interception. His inability to throw the ball downfield is becoming increasingly clear, and with the team struggling, Mangini decided to play Derek Anderson in the second half. Things had to get better, right? Uh, no. Anderson threw for 92 yards, but also was intercepted three times. Who will start at quarterback for the Browns next week is a mystery, but whoever gets the opportunity likely will do nothing to impress. One positive for the Browns was the performance of running back Jerome Harrison, who started in place of the injured Jamal Lewis. Harrison had 85 total yards on the afternoon -- not bad considering he is a member of the Browns. 

This game was all about the Ravens, a team that is looking like one of the best in the league. What's interesting is how the Ravens are winning games this season. No longer is the team relying on it's running game and defense. Instead, the offense is run through quarterback Joe Flacco, who is quickly establishing himself as a top quarterback in the NFL. Flacco carved up the Browns defense, throwing for 342 yards on 25 completions. Through three weeks, Flacco is seventh in the league in passing yards, an impressive feat for a second-year player. He has shown tangible improvement from last season, which is what a team wants to see out of a young player. Just because Flacco is playing well, don't think offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has forgotten about the running game. Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le'Ron McClain all split carriers, and seem to work well together. McGahee rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns yesterday, while Rice ran for 48 and a touchdown. 

Though it was just a win against the lowly Browns, the Ravens improved to 3-0 on the season and are a team that is much improved from last season. 

The Browns, meanwhile, have many questions surrounding the franchise. For one, it looks like the team has failed to buy in to what Mangini is selling. There's no heart or fight in this team. Neither Quinn or Anderson looks worthy of being a starting quarterback in the NFL, the receiving corps is average at best, and the defense is awful. Though there is still much football left to be played, it looks like the Browns are in for a long season. 

Jets 24, Titans 17

Mark Sanchez played a solid game and the New York Jets are now 3-0, while the Tennessee Titans are 0-3.

With the win, Sanchez becomes the first rookie in NFL history to start and win his first three games. Many questioned how effective Sanchez would be in his rookie season considering he started just 16 games at USC, but he's quickly erasing all doubts. Sanchez went 17-of-30 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown, making his day that much more impressive. His performance wasn't perfect, though, as he turned the ball over twice (one interception, one fumble). Sanchez's favorite receiver has become Jerricho Cotchery, who had eight receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown.

While the play of Sanchez was particularly impressive, it was the Jets stout defense that once again put the team in the win column. Coach Rex Ryan has transformed this defense into a force to be reckoned with, and offensive coordinators are undoubtedly taking notice. Linebacker David Harris was turning into a star before Ryan arrived, but he may become a superstar soon enough. Though the Titans were able to run the ball more effectively than expected, the Jets secondary was able to step up, picking Kerry Collins off twice.

It may officially time to panic in Nashville, as the Titans have struggled to close out games this season. In all three games thus far, the Titans had a chance to win late. Their failure to do so is alarming, and it is something that must be corrected quickly should Tennessee have any chance at making the playoffs this season. Offensively, the Titans have improved from last season. Chris Johnson is an even more complete running back, and the Titans now have a better receiver corps. Whether Collins can play like he did last season is a question that needs to be answered in the coming weeks. It is going to be an uphill climb, but the Titans are a talented football team and still have a chance to compete.