MINNEAPOLIS (AP) &8212; Even after sprinting 82 yards to celebrate with Donald Driver in the end zone, Brett Favre still had enough strength left to pick the receiver up, throw him over his shoulder and carry him off the field.

In his 16th NFL season, the old man can still put the Packers on his back.

Favre threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns and Driver had a career-high 191 yards receiving in Green Bay&8217;s 23-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The Metrodome has long been one of Favre&8217;s chief tormentors, which is perhaps why he spent Sunday afternoon running around the field like a little kid rather than the 37-year-old pestered by questions about retirement.

&8220;Considering how we were ineffective running the ball, which doesn&8217;t surprise me, I think it is maybe the best win we have had here,&8221; Favre said.

There&8217;s no overstatement there. Favre entered having lost 10 of his 14 career games in the Dome.

Taking a page from New England&8217;s playbook after watching Tom Brady throw the ball all over the field in a 31-13 victory over the Vikings two weeks ago, the Packers (4-5) all but abandoned the running game in the second half and just let Favre wing it.

The Vikings&8217; top-ranked rush defense was as good as advertised Sunday, holding Ahman Green to 55 yards on 22 carries. But again, they were picked apart by one of the game&8217;s top quarterbacks.

Minnesota&8217;s front didn&8217;t get close to Favre for most of the game, and he made them pay time and again.

&8220;Whenever you let him get time in the pocket, he&8217;s going to find people open,&8221; said Vikings safety Darren Sharper, a former teammate of Favre&8217;s in Green Bay. &8220;You can&8217;t do that against a Hall of Fame quarterback.

A month ago, the Vikings were 4-2 and considered one of the better teams in the NFC coming off a very impressive win at Seattle. They&8217;ve lost three in a row since and need to turn things around in a hurry.

Things looked promising in the first half, with the offense generating several big plays to bounce back from a woeful performance in a 9-3 loss to San Francisco last week.

Brad Johnson threw a 40-yard touchdown to Billy McMullen, who later recovered a fumble by Chester Taylor in the end zone for his second TD of the day and a 14-10 lead.

But Favre came right back, finding Driver on a quick slant that he turned into an 82-yard touchdown right before halftime that gave Green Bay a 17-14 lead and all the momentum.

The Vikings offense dried up in the second half, only getting one first down until their last drive of the game.

Johnson &8212; 18-for-30 for 257 yards, a touchdown and two turnovers &8212; was sacked four times, and penalties put the offense in difficult situations for much of the second half.

&8220;You&8217;re going to have back-and-forth swings,&8221; Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson said. &8220;Seems like it&8217;s always swinging away from us more than it&8217;s swinging to us. We&8217;ve got to come in and find a way to correct it.&8221;

Vikings coach Brad Childress hasn&8217;t hesitated to criticize Johnson after poor performances this year, but this loss couldn&8217;t be pinned on the 38-year-old quarterback.

&8220;We need to play better around Brad Johnson,&8221; Childress said. &8220;Again, I&8217;m not going to stick that on him. Are there plays that maybe he would have liked back? Sure there are, but I think basically those other 10 need to play around him better.&8221;

Dave Rayner kicked three field goals for Green Bay, besting former Packers kicker Ryan Longwell, whose 34-yarder in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 23-17.

Minnesota recovered the ensuing onside kick but was flagged for offside on the play. Longwell&8217;s second attempt was booted out of bounds, sealing the win for the Packers, who have equaled last year&8217;s win total with seven games to play.

&8220;I&8217;ll take it,&8221; Favre said. &8220;I&8217;ll take any kind of win. They are hard to come by, especially here.&8221;

Notes: The Packers lost RT Mark Tauscher and KR Shaun Bodiford to injuries. McCarthy had no update on their condition. … Taylor had 20 carries for 75 yards for the Vikings. … Hutchinson (sprained knee), special teamer Jason Glenn (sprained knee), LB Dontarrious Thomas (hamstring) and OG Artis Hicks (groin) all were banged up for Minnesota.