Quick Kicks

No passing fancy …

Brett Favre threw his 153rd touchdown pass Sunday, breaking the record of Green Bay Packers great Bart Starr as the team’s career leader.

Favre did it in just five-plus seasons and 83 games.

“We throw the ball a lot more than Bart did back then,” Favre said. “I don’t want to take anything away from him.”

The Packers went on to defeat the Vikings 38-32.

Favre hit Antonio Freeman with a 28-yard pass with 10:51 remaining in the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings to break Starr’s record, set between 1956 and 1971.

Play was stopped so an official could present Favre the football. Favre, 27, raised it above his head to the roar of the crowd.

Monumental moment

Mike McCormack, the Carolina Panthers’ first president, was inducted into the team’s Hall of Honor during a halftime ceremony.

McCormack, 67, who retired in March, is the first person in franchise history to be selected for the honor. The team placed a 7-foot-tall bronze statue of McCormack outside one of the main entrances to Ericsson Stadium.

Previously, McCormack, a former NFL lineman, served as the first general manager of the Seattle Seahawks.

Bells are ringing

Tennessee’s Mel Gray, the leading kick returner in NFL history, suffered a concussion on the first play of the Baltimore-Tennessee game.

New York Giants quarterback Dave Brown was shaken up on the first play of Sunday’s game against St. Louis while scrambling for a 6-yard gain. Brown stayed on the turf for several minutes, but returned to the lineup midway through the first quarter.

Indianapolis QB Jim Harbaugh was knocked groggy in the final minute of the Colts’ game at Buffalo.

By the numbers

A 6-yard gain by Barry Sanders in the second quarter made him only the sixth player to exceed 12,000 career rushing yards… . In their first two home games in Memphis, where the stadium seats 62,300, the Oilers have drawn crowds of 30,171 and 17,737… . Denver’s Terrell Davis surpassed the 3,000-yard rushing mark for his career faster than anyone in Broncos history… . Broncos quarterback John Elway, who now has 3,698, passed Fran Tarkenton for second place in career completions… . San Francisco linebacker Ken Norton Jr. made his 100th straight start… . Buffalo coach Marv Levy won his 150th career game, including regular season and playoffs.

Noteworthy

Ki-Jana Carter gave the Bengals their first 100-yard rushing performance since Harold Green ran for 190 against New England on Dec. 20, 1992… . Cincinnati’s last victory against the Broncos was a 38-21 win in 1981… . John Carney kicked five field goals for San Diego, but the Chargers lost at Seattle… . Cary Blanchard kicked five field goals for Indianapolis, but the Colts lost to Buffalo.

The final thought

University of Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning turned down his chance to become a Jet last spring.

But he may not have the opportunity to refuse to become a Giant.

- Bill Pennington, N.Y. Times

, DataTimes