Brett Favre completed 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. Brett Favre completed 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. (Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

Brett Favre jogged out of the tunnel in a purple helmet. He might as well have been wearing a black hat.

No, Favre didn't seem to relish playing the villain in his return to Lambeau Field. But it was going to take more than a chorus of boos to throw him off his game.

For the second time in less than a month, Favre sliced up his former team and stuck it to the franchise that cast him aside as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 38-26 at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Despite being jeered repeatedly by Packers fans who once cheered his every move, Favre completed 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

"Packer fans cheer for the Packers first," Favre said. "I know that. But I hope that everyone in the stadium watching tonight said, 'I sure hate those jokers on the other side, but he does play the way he's always played.'"

High-stakes, emotional drama aside, this much is clear: The Vikings (7-1) took a firm hold on the NFC North standings.

Given all the raw tension, cornerback Charles Woodson acknowledged the game was significant beyond the division standings.

"I think it was disappointing for a lot of people," Woodson said. "It's just a loss, but I think a lot of people really wanted this one bad. We let a lot of people down today."

Harvin comes up big

Under less dramatic circumstances, rookie receiver Percy Harvin would have been Sunday's star after catching five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, and returning five kicks for 175 yards.

But Harvin didn't mind yielding the spotlight to Favre.

"He's played this game a long time, he sees a lot of stuff that a lot of quarterbacks can't see," Harvin said. "And he can make a lot of throws that a lot of quarterbacks can't make. With us being explosive, to add him was like a blessing in disguise."

The Vikings' defence roughed up Favre's successor, Aaron Rodgers, sacking him six times.

With the Packers (4-3) on the verge of getting routed, Rodgers rebounded with three second-half touchdowns.

A few of those crunching hits left Rodgers limping at times but he said he'd be fine.

"I'll be OK in a couple of days," Rodgers said. "This one will hurt for a couple of days, though, physically and mentally."

But Rodgers, who threw for only 38 yards in the first half but finished with 287 and three TDs, wasn't hung up on out-dueling Favre.

"I hate losing to whoever's at quarterback for them," Rodgers said. "I hate losing to the Vikings."

Chances fading

The Packers now recognize that their chances of winning the division are fading, but still can compete for the wild card. They might even see the Vikings again in the playoffs.

"Hopefully, we'll have another crack at these guys down the road," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said.

Favre left the field surrounded by cameras, pumping his fist to a mix of cheers and boos as he jogged down the tunnel. He hugged Harris and wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings.

Despite the final score, it was an awkward homecoming for Favre, whose standoff with the front office split the loyalties of Packers fans.

There weren't many signs of a split on Sunday.

Fans booed Favre loudly when he walked out of the tunnel for pre-game warmups, then again when he ran out of the tunnel for the game, and on every snap during the Vikings' first few offensive possessions.