Vikings right where they wanted to be

The acquisition and solid play of Brett Favre has the Vikings in control of the division heading into their bye week.

The Vikings look as though they are set to repeat as NFC North champions after Brett Favre helped his new team complete a series sweep of his old club, the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday.

Minnesota’s 38-26 victory at Lambeau Field gives the Vikings a 7-1 record and a 2.5-game lead over the Packers and the Chicago Bears. The Vikings will have their bye this week before playing three consecutive home games to close the month of November.

“It’s huge. This is all we could ask for going into the bye,” defensive end Jared Allen said. “We’re exactly where we want to be. We’re ahead in the division going into the bye week. This is a team that continues to learn from our victories and from our losses.”

A big reason why there has been only one loss this season is because of Favre’s presence at quarterback. Coach Brad Childress’ decision to pursue Favre during the offseason has paid huge dividends as the 40-year-old future Hall of Famer has shown there is still plenty of life in his right arm.

The Packers learned this the hard way as Favre threw seven touchdowns passes, including four on Sunday, and no interceptions against them this season.

Favre continues to insist his motives for playing for the Vikings were not to get back at the Packers but rather because he felt Minnesota was so close to a Super Bowl.

“Am I pleased with the way these two games have turned out? Absolutely,” he 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.”

Favre, obviously, know the best revenge is success and the Vikings are having plenty of that these days. There will be some areas to work on during the bye week. Missed tackles have been an issue this season and were a problem again in the second half against the Packers as Green Bay rallied. But overall, Childress has to be very pleased with what he has seen so far.

“I tell you what,” tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. “If we fix our mistakes, and we made a lot of mistakes today [against Green Bay], we are a Super Bowl-caliber team.”

LINEUP WATCH: Karl Paymah, Benny Sapp and rookie Asher Allen continue to see action in the secondary because of the foot injury to veteran CB Antoine Winfield.

BY THE NUMBERS: 261 — Total yards for rookie wide receiver Percy Harvin against the Packers on Sunday. Harvin had 84 yards receiving on five catches, including a 51-yard touchdown, picked up 2 yards on a rush and had 175 yards on five kickoff returns, including one he took 77 yards.

NOTES

DE Jared Allen has 7.5 of his 10.5 sacks this season against the Packers, including three on Sunday at Green Bay. Allen’s total leads the NFL.

LB Erin Henderson was active for the first time this season and played on special teams. Henderson was sidelined early in the year by a leg injury.

RB Adrian Peterson rushed for 97 yards on 25 carries against the Packers, marking the sixth time this season he has been held under 100 yards.

WR Darius Reynaud continues to be sidelined because of a hamstring injury suffered in Week 3. It’s not certain if he is healthy enough to return at this point or if he simply is being held out.

FB Naufahu Tahi missed Sunday’s game because of an eye injury that happened at the team facility. Tahi had a black right eye and FoxSports.com reported that it happened when he was wrestling with Peterson in the locker room Saturday.