Brett Favre looks healthy, taking hits and delivering a big one as Vikings beat Texans 17-10

Favre takes hits, dishes one as Vikings top Texans

HOUSTON — Brett Favre has taken hundreds of hits in nearly two decades in the NFL.

On Monday night, everyone was talking about the one he gave.

Adrian Peterson scored on the game’s first play, Favre played three quarters and the Minnesota Vikings beat the Houston Texans 17-10 in a preseason game.

In his second game since unretiring again less than two weeks ago, Favre was 13 of 18 for 142 yards. He didn’t move the offense much following Peterson’s touchdown until a 28-yard catch and run by Chester Taylor just before halftime.

The 39-year-old quarterback drew a penalty for an illegal crackback block to the knee of Houston’s Eugene Wilson when he lined up wide in the wildcat formation in the third quarter. Wilson was injured on the play, but said he’ll be OK.

Favre said he wasn’t out to hurt anyone and was simply trying to protect rookie Percy Harvin, who took the snap.

“I will be 40 years old in October and (was) weed-eating 13 days ago,” Favre said. “I wasn’t thinking about throwing blocks.”

Wilson said he hadn’t spoken to Favre, but if he did he would ask him one thing.

“What was up with that?” Wilson said. “Seriously, what was up with that?”

Vikings coach Brad Childress said he hadn’t seen the block, but had a lot to say about it.

“I have not spent a lot of time with him blocking in the last 10 days,” Childress said. “Nor do I think he has spent any time doing any blocking, but I will in the future if he is going to be at the point of attack. I don’t think he did any of this down in Mississippi either. So that one is on me, I will take that one.”

Favre isn’t sure if he’ll play in Minnesota’s final preseason game on Friday.

“It’s up to Brad, but I’ve always been an advocate for playing,” Favre said. “But (it depends) on how I feel (Tuesday), with that block I didn’t help myself out at all. But I’ll probably rest.”

ESPN reported before the game that Favre said he thinks he has a cracked rib, but he didn’t look to be in pain while getting sacked twice and taking numerous hits against the Texans.

After the game he backed off his comments.

“There is nothing you can do about it first of all, secondly, I don’t believe it is (cracked),” he said. “It doesn’t feel great but I think I will be fine. We have not done an X-ray yet. If it is cracked, there is nothing you can do about it.”

Childress said Favre was much better than in his debut, but there’s still work to do.

Houston’s Matt Schaub had a tough day. He was called for intentional grounding and threw an interception before spraining his ankle in the second quarter. He returned after the injury, but was limping and was replaced by Dan Orlovsky to start the third quarter.

He said he hurt his foot when it caught the rubber on the sideline as he ran out of bounds.

“I just felt a little something in my ankle and it kind of progressively got a little sore,” Schaub said. “I was able to stay in there and just came in at the half and figured it was best to just get some treatment on it and proceed that way.”

Schaub was 10 of 14 for 108 yards with one interception. He said he expects to play Friday.

Peterson scored on a 75-yard run when he sliced through Houston’s defense virtually untouched. He finished with 117 yards rushing, the second straight game the Texans have allowed a 100-yard rusher. Mike Bell had 10 carries for 100 yards in a loss to New Orleans.

“I’m concerned about a lot of things,” Houston coach Gary Kubiak said. “There was some very good things (but) the first play of the game was obviously a disaster.”

Minnesota’s three drives after Peterson’s touchdown ended with punts, one of them coming right after Favre was sacked by Mario Williams.

The Vikings got the ball at the Houston 24 early in the second quarter after Schaub’s interception, but had to settle for a field goal after Favre’s pass was deflected on second down and then fell incomplete on third.

Favre led a Vikings drive that took seven minutes in the third quarter, but that too ended with a punt after an incomplete pass and a false start penalty.

Houston’s first three drives ended with punts before Schaub’s interception, and the Texans’ only touchdown came on a 4-yard run by Steve Slaton in the second quarter.