Editor's note: Possibly Brett Favre's greatest game was on Dec. 22, 2003 at Oakland Coliseum against the Raiders. It occurred a day after his father died. Here is former Bee reporter Greg Bell's account of the game published Dec. 23, 2003.
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Brett Favre, the Green Bay Packers' invaluable quarterback and folk hero, had come to play his 188th consecutive game, an ongoing NFL record for football's most demanding position. But more than that, Favre had come to play for his father, Irvin, his former high school football and baseball coach in tiny Kiln, Miss.
Irvin Favre, 58, died suddenly Sunday from an apparent heart attack or stroke.
Favre found out Sunday afternoon while in the Packers' Berkeley hotel. All night, he fielded calls from his family urging him to play in Monday night's game against the Raiders at the sold-out Coliseum and then come home for Wednesday's funeral.
Favre slept on that advice. Monday, he awoke to the sight of his wife, Deanna, whom he began dating when he was 14. She had flown all night to be with her husband.
Then Favre decided to play.
Oh, did he play.
The three-time NFL MVP rode a palpable, genuine wave of compassion and motivation into a tsunami of scores. Favre fired, plopped and lofted four touchdown throws, two to Javon Walker, during a 311-yard passing onslaught - in the first half.
Favre's eventual 399 passing yards was essentially all there was - or needed to be - to the Packers' 41-7 annihilation of the uglier-than-ever, 4-11 Raiders. The loss tied for the Raiders' nastiest in their 44-year history of home games.
This dark-then-darker Oakland night quickly became a debate of whether Favre was that amazing or whether the Raiders' gawking, flatfooted pass defenders were that atrocious. Call it a little bit of both.
"I can't say anyone has played better against us," 16-year Raiders wide receiver Tim Brown said.
Favre credited his father, foremost, for perhaps the most personally rewarding of his 116 career regular-season victories. Then he credited what he called an extraordinary effort from his teammates, who went out of their way to block for him, catch for him, hug him and - ultimately - present the game ball to him.
"I've never seen a first half like that," Favre said of his near-perfect two quarters, which obliterated the Raiders into a 31-7 pulp. "I'd like to take credit for a lot of it. But when you make catches like those guys did and block the way our guys did, I don't know if I've ever seen an effort quite like that before.
"I knew that my dad would have wanted me to play. I love him so much, and I love this game. ... I didn't expect this kind of performance, but I know he was watching tonight."
The man named in a Harris poll last January as the country's most popular NFL player, and the third-most popular man in sports behind only Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, seemed at times to be the only player on the field.
Cameras, both film and flash, followed Favre's every pregame move. Even the rabid home fans, who characteristically booed every Green Bay offensive player before him, lowered their beers and stopped their jeers to salute Favre when he was the last Packer introduced.
The Coliseum ball boy gave Favre a handshake. Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman gave him a hearty hug. Favre smiled warmly. Then he went to work.
Favre repeatedly and almost sadly picked on diminutive, overmatched Raiders cornerback Phillip Buchanon. Four of Favre's first eight completions came against Buchanon, including a 46-yard sprint and catch by Robert Ferguson on a third-and-11 play in which Buchanon whiffed on a jamming attempt. That set up Favre's first touchdown, an exquisitely lofted pass over close-covering Raiders safety Derrick Gibson that landed softly into diving tight end Wesley Walls' arms in the end zone.
"He threw that perfectly," Gibson said, marveling.
Buchanon created Favre's second score when he let Walker go down the sideline, thinking safety Nnamdi Asomugha would pick Walker up in a zone. He didn't.
Favre threw a dead-on dart to Walker off the wrong foot, and the receiver's 23-yard score gave Green Bay a 14-0 lead nine minutes into the game.
Favre's third touchdown pass was his most brazen. He threw a 43-yard jump ball to Walker, who was flanked by safety Anthony Dorsett and Buchanon. Buchanon futilely grabbed Walker's left hip while falling, although that didn't keep the receiver from catching the ball and the Packers from taking a 24-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
In all, Favre roasted Buchanon for six completions and a whopping 164 yards in the first half before the Raiders finally benched Buchanon.
"He took advantage of us - especially me," Buchanon said.
Favre's fourth touchdown pass was a comically easy, short pass into the flat that left tight end David Martin to practically walk into the end zone 54 seconds before halftime. Favre punctuated the six-yard toss and the Packers' 31-7 lead by extending both arms skyward.
Then came a resumption of Favre's pregame love-in. Twenty-one Packers greeted Favre after the score.
Favre's night ended fittingly. Green Bay defensive back Michael Hawthorne clutched his second interception of the second half, this one an easy snag of a Rob Johnson pass intended for Jerry Rice (perhaps one of Rice's final Raiders act), then walked over to Favre. Hawthorne presented the ball to his leader, who had just been taken out of the game.
The Packers (9-6) enter the regular season's final week in a tie with the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC North lead.
The Raiders enter it in an embarrassing mess.
