FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The last time Brett Favre played a game in Oakland, his head was elsewhere, which was understandable.

On the night of Dec. 21, 2003, after a day of golf in the California sun, Favre found out his father, Irvin, had died of a heart attack. Favre and the Packers were scheduled to play the Raiders the following night on Monday Night Football.

"I think from the time I found out, I really felt like I was going to play because I knew we needed to win the ballgame," Favre said.

The Packers did, improving to 9-6 and into a tie atop the NFC North with the Vikings with a 41-7 victory over the Raiders, a game that added another legendary chapter to a career not needing it.

On the prime-time stage, Favre threw for 399 yards — 311 in the first half — and four TDs, all of which came in the first half. The four TD passes moved Favre past Fran Tarkenton and into second place on the career list with 345, trailing only Dan Marino's 420. Favre has long since passed Marino, and is now the career leader with 455.

"It's not like the game meant nothing to us," Favre said. "So it was a question of could I play and help the team win? That was really the most important thing for me."

But more than that, Favre said, missing the game wouldn't have been acceptable to the man he had just lost.

"I knew my dad would want me to play," Favre said.

But there was a problem when Favre took the field that night. His mind was blank.

"The shock of it," Favre said. "I mean, really, when I went out for pregame the next day, I'd forgotten everything I studied all week. I couldn't tell you what coverage they were going to play, what particular checks we had."

Those were his mental limitations. He had physical ones also — at least before the game — as he struggled to play even a simple game of catch with his backup, Doug Pederson.

"In pregame warm-ups, just throwing 10-yard passes with Doug, I mean, I was all over the place," Favre said. "Even though I dressed for the game, I was more concerned at that point, 'If I can't throw it to Doug here in pregame warm-ups, what makes me think I could complete a 30-yard crossing route?' "

That night, Favre ended up not having trouble with those, completing six passes of more than 30 yards, or much of anything.

He completed his first nine passes and 12 of his first 13. He finished the first half 15-for-18 and the game with a near-perfect quarterback rating of 154.9.

One of those victimized that night was Jets linebacker Eric Barton, then a linebacker with the Raiders.

"That night he lit up," Barton recalled. "Everything he did that night was right and we couldn't stop him. Everything he did was working and they played well. They played inspired."

One of Favre's most vivid memories of the night was the response he got at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum, home of the Black Hole and some of the league's most notoriously rowdy and inhospitable fans.

"When the offense was introduced that night, I didn't know what to expect," Favre said. "Believe me, I didn't expect them to give that type of ovation."

The reaction was so surprising, The Associated Press reporter on duty even made note of it, writing, "Favre got a respectful ovation from the normally vicious Raider Nation when he was announced as a starter in his 205th consecutive game, an NFL record for quarterbacks."

Favre, however, smiled broadly when asked what kind of ovation he thought awaited him this Sunday.

"Well, if they're watching, I hope it's still a standing ovation," Favre said. "But we'll see."