GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes, Desmond Bishop returned an interception for a touchdown and the Green Bay Packers took a 28-24 lead over the Minnesota Vikings after three quarters on Sunday night.
Brett Favre, looking to go 3-0 against his former team, also got hit hard in the second half.
On Minnesota's first possession after halftime, Favre's lower left leg was wrapped up by Brad Jones and his throw sailed behind Bernard Berrian to A.J. Hawk for his first interception. Favre limped to the sideline, but stayed in his 291st consecutive start of his career.
The next possession was worse. Favre, trying to evade pressure, was hit squarely by C.J. Wilson and Bishop returned the interception 32 yards to give Green Bay a 28-17 lead. It was the ninth interception that was returned for a touchdown in the league on Sunday.
Favre answered with a 58-yard, six-play drive capped when he found Randy Moss for a 4-yard TD pass in Moss' first appearance at Lambeau Field since pretending to moon the crowd in a playoff game in 2005.
Favre was 11 of 18 for 145 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions through three quarters.
After the Packers trailed 17-14 at the half, Green Bay took the lead when Greg Jennings made a double move to shake cornerback Asher Allen and Rodgers found him open for a 14-yard TD reception.
Rodgers was 17 of 28 for 271 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions through three quarters.
Minnesota thought it would have a bigger halftime lead after Favre found Visanthe Shiancoe for a 17-yard completion in the end zone that was challenged by Packers coach Mike McCarthy.
Referee Scott Green ruled Shiancoe used the ground to help make the catch, and the Vikings settled for a 28-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell that made it 17-14.
Rodgers' second interception was deflected by Frank Walker and intercepted by Madieu Williams in the end zone late in the second quarter. The teams traded touchdowns in the first half with Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson scoring on TD runs.
Green Bay also squandered two opportunities.
Rookie Andrew Quarless, who caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers earlier in the second quarter, had an unfortunate fall on a trick play on fourth down with the score tied at 14.
Instead of attempting a 54-yard field goal late in the second quarter, the Packers motioned out of the formation and snapped the ball to the holder, backup quarterback Matt Flynn.
Flynn had Quarless open downfield, but the tight end tripped and couldn't make the catch. On Green Bay's first possession of the game, Rodgers was intercepted at the Vikings 13 by Jared Allen.
It was the first red zone interception of Rodgers' career over 173 attempts. He had thrown 43 touchdowns and completed 63 percent of his passes inside the 20 before Allen's play.
Favre made his 119th start at Lambeau Field to break John Elway's record for most starts by a quarterback at a stadium in league history. While Favre's first 117 starts endeared him to the Packers, the past two here in purple-and-gold have vilified him. He was booed loudly about 45 minutes before the opening kickoff.
This season hasn't started the way either of these teams expected.
Green Bay has lost consecutive games in overtime, while Minnesota has stumbled to a 2-3 start, prompting the Vikings to reacquire Moss to give Favre another downfield threat.
Off the field, Favre has other issues with the NFL continuing to investigate a report from the website Deadspin that the 41-year-old quarterback allegedly left voicemails and sent lewd messages to a former New York Jets game hostess in 2008. Favre met with an NFL security official this week, but has not directly commented on the allegations in public.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.