Packers-Cardinals: Game notes

Brett Favre said after Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field that he just wants to have fun, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting some serious work done.

En route to the Packers’ 31-14 victory, Favre recorded his first rushing touchdown in nearly five years, which led to his first Lambeau Leap.

“I hope that’s my last one, said Favre. “Donald (Driver) provoked me. I wish he would have given me a boost."

Favre broke down his inaugural leap like he was diagramming a play:

“I’m going to catch heat for that. I should have found a lower spot. I’m not real savvy in the stands jumping department. Not to mention I was pooped out. I guess there were a lot of negatives. But the one positive was that I did score, and we’ll take that anytime we can get it.”

Favre’s last rushing touchdown was December 3, 2001 at Jacksonville.

The QB also made a more traditional entry into the record book. With an 11-yard pass to Driver with nine minutes remaining, Favre eclipsed the 25,000-yard passing mark at Lambeau Field. He is only the second man in NFL history to reach that mark at a single stadium. The first was the Broncos’ John Elway at Mile High.

Green’s back
It was just like old times for running back Ahman Green. His two rushing touchdowns put him ahead of Paul Hornung into second place on the Packers’ career rushing touchdown list with 51. Jim Taylor is the record-holder with 81. Both Taylor and Hornung accrued their totals over nine seasons, while Green’s 51st rushing TD comes midway through his seventh Packer campaign.

Green now has 64 overall touchdowns, putting him in second-place in team history all alone ahead of Hornung (63) and behind Taylor.

The running back became the first man in team history to amass 10,000 yards from scrimmage. Last week he surpassed James Lofton (9,901) and came into Sunday’s game with 9,909. Green reached 10,000 in the third quarter and now stands at 10,042.

Driver keeps it going
With an 8-yard reception to open the Packers’ first scoring drive, Donald Driver extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 71. Driver is second on the team’s all-time list, behind Sterling Sharpe with 103.

Nobody wants Driver’s streak to continue more than his quarterback. Favre even suggested to Driver late in the game that he might want to sacrifice a few yards at the end of the catch in the best interest of staying in one piece.

Injury report
Three of Sunday’s stars were injured late in the game, and at least one may be a serious concern. RB Vernand Morency suffered a lower back injury and had to be taken off the field on a cart late in the fourth quarter. FB Brandon Miree suffered a hyperextended left elbow and TE David Martin injured his jaw and was being x-rayed after the game. CB Charles Woodson (knee), DT Corey Williams (knee) and S Nick Collins (cramp) all left the game briefly but returned to action.

Extra points
-- WR Greg Jennings was deactivated Sunday because of a sprained right ankle sustained in the previous game. Jennings hadn't practiced the entire week leading up to the 31-14 win over Arizona. The rookie, who leads the team with three touchdown catches and ranks second with 21 receptions, figures to be questionable for the Nov. 5 game at Buffalo.

-- WR Ruvell Martin started in place of Jennings. The first-year player had two catches for 26 yards.

-- WR Donald Driver, who had a team-high five receptions for 48 yards, sustained an ankle injury late in the game but finished it.

-- LB Ben Taylor was deactivated for the third straight game because of a hamstring injury. Taylor practiced throughout the week but was questionable to play for the first time since suffering the injury at Philadelphia on Oct. 2. The backup is second on the team with seven special-teams tackles.

-- LB Abdul Hodge could return to the field later this week after being sidelined since the Oct. 2 game with a knee injury.