Favre Puts Life Back Into Pack

Steve Tasker was ejected from his retirement game and Brett Favre nearly made an early exit himself.

Favre was slow getting up after getting plastered on his first pass Saturday, but he bounced back to throw two touchdown passes as the Green Bay Packers beat the Buffalo Bills 31-21 at Lambeau Field.

Favre put a scare into the Packers and their fans as he lay writhing following a hit by defensive end Phil Hansen.

“I was on the sideline screaming at him to get up,” Packers defensive end Reggie White said. “It was scary to see him laying down out there.”

Favre was frightened for a moment, too.

“It just kind of knocked the wind out of me, bruised my sternum or whatever you want to call it,” he said. “It scared me more than anything. I couldn’t breathe there for a few minutes.”

The Packers’ primary mission Saturday was to keep Favre & Co. healthy.

The only goal they failed to accomplish was getting Dorsey Levens the club single-season rushing record.

In a regular-season finale that had no bearing on the playoff picture, the Packers (13-3) - despite a clumsy second half by their subs - stretched their winning streak at Lambeau Field to 26.

They even made history.

Flanker Robert Brooks joined Antonio Freeman in giving the Packers two 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in their 78-year history.

Levens fell 39 yards short of Jim Taylor’s 35-year-old record of 1,474 rushing yards. Playing into the fourth quarter, Levens gained 71 yards on 22 carries.

Rookie Darren Sharper tied the team record for most defensive TDs in a season (three) with a 20-yard interception of Alex Van Pelt in the fourth quarter.

After Favre caught his breath, he put on another strong display. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 156 yards and two TDs, his 34th and 35th of the season, and left at halftime with Green Bay ahead 21-0.

Buffalo finished the season 6-10 and Tasker said goodbye a little early.

Tasker decided not to catch a punt deep in his own territory less than 2 minutes into the game. As he got out of the way, the ball bounced inside the 5-yard line, grazed the back of the Bills’ Raymond Jackson and caromed into the hands of Tyrone Davis for a Packers touchdown.

Referee Mike Carey immediately signaled the score, and the usually easygoing Tasker protested. He was ejected for bumping back judge Tom Sifferman.

“It’s not really the way I wanted my career to end,” Tasker said. “Even though I had no intention of pushing an official, it is a rule.”