Vikings' Favre set for clash with former team

By Simon Evans

MIAMI (Reuters) - It has been impossible to ignore Brett Favre this season despite some mediocre displays, and on Sunday he will be the center of attention again as he returns to Lambeau Field to face his former team.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback faced his old team, the Green Bay Packers, last season and received a hostile reception from his former supporters while earning a victory.

"It was nerve-racking. I didn't know what to expect. I was concerned about how we'd play. I had never had that feeling before. When I went back there last year the whole thing just seemed surreal to me," Favre said this week.

"I'd like to think that part of it is out of the way. It's still a special place to play and being on the opposite side just makes it a little bit different.

It is not only that Favre left Green Bay after 16 seasons and a Super Bowl victory that angered the Packers faithful, but that he has since decided to play for their divisional rival.

"I can't be concerned about that," said Favre, who added that he hopes for a better reception in Green Bay this time.

"I know what I did there, the legacy that I left behind, the commitment that I had to that team, the way I played. It was a long, long time. I'm proud of that. I'm not going to really think about it."

Favre has refused to discuss those allegations and insists his greater concern is dealing with the Vikings' 2-3 start to the season which leaves them third in the NFC North, behind the 4-2 Chicago Bears and the 3-3 Packers.

Monday night will see tension of a very different kind as the Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants.

The Dolphins have won all three of their road games but lost both of their home encounters and will be desperate to start impressing in front of their own supporters.

Top spot in the NFC West division will be on the line when the Arizona Cardinals visit the Seattle Seahawks in a game the features two teams with 3-2 records.

(Editing by Frank Pingue)