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Brett Favre completed one pass and also got
clobbered on a sack that lost Minnesota 10 yards.


      Favre's highly anticipated first game back with the Vikings
lasted all of four unspectacular plays and one series in a 15-10
loss to the 49ers in a nationally televised preseason game Sunday
at Candlestick Park, the only NFL show of the night.


      Favre completed a 13-yard pass to Adrian Peterson on his first
play from scrimmage, but was sacked by Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick
Willis two plays later and the Vikings wound up punting. 


The
40-year-old quarterback took the field just four days after his
first training camp practice of the year. He decided to return for
a 20th season and make yet another run at a Super Bowl title.


      It's hard to make much of the small sampling. Not that Favre's
numbers mattered to the Vikings, just thrilled to have him back.


      Alex Smith, Favre's 49ers counterpart, went 9 of 13 for 88 yards
in a solid first half. Willis had four tackles playing only nine
snaps.


      After that single series, Favre headed to the bench and gave way
to backup Tarvaris Jackson - who had been in line to be the starter
before Jared Allen, Ryan Longwell and Steve Hutchinson flew to
Mississippi early last week to recruit Favre back to the Twin
Cities. Favre, sporting a 5-o'clock shadow peppered with gray,
could be seen laughing on the sideline in the second half.


      Smith bounced back a week after stumbling through a subpar
outing in which he completed 3 of 9 passes for 37 yards and only
two first downs in a win at Indianapolis. David Carr and Nate Davis
rallied the Niners to 34 straight points in the 37-17 victory.


      He made do for a 49ers offense missing three of its biggest
stars: receiver Michael Crabtree, tight end Vernon Davis and
running back Frank Gore.


      "We just came out against the No. 1 rush defense in the NFL and
marched it down the field," Smith said. "We were moving the
chains and getting a bunch of third-down conversions and just took
it down the field methodically."


      Smith completed his first four passes for 48 yards and 5 of his
first six on the Niners' opening drive, including a 24-yard strike
to backup tight end Delanie Walker that set up a 4-yard scoring run
by rookie Anthony Dixon.


      After all the drama that surrounds Favre each offseason - will
he or won't he really retire? - he's back in his No. 4 jersey and
told his teammates he's as committed to this as ever.


      Favre is coming off a year in which he threw for 4,202 yards and
33 touchdowns and established career highs for completion rate
(68.4), quarterback rating (107.2) and fewest interceptions
(seven).


      He was booed by the crowd Sunday when running onto the field for
the first time midway through the first quarter. Favre has been the
Niners' nemesis for years.


      In late September last year, Favre hit Greg Lewis on a 32-yard
touchdown with 2 seconds left as the Vikings stunned San Francisco
27-24 in Minneapolis. That was the first of six straight road
losses - five in a row by a combined 19 points - for the 49ers that
helped cost them a playoff trip and a winning season.


      Davis, San Francisco's No. 3 QB and fifth-round pick last year,
completed a pretty 60-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr. in the third
quarter with his foot planted at the goal line when he released the
ball. The pass set up Joe Nedney's 28-yard field goal. Davis later
had an 18-yard completion to Nate Byham.


      Longwell kicked a 40-yard field goal early in the second quarter
for the Vikings' first points. Minnesota rookie quarterback Joe
Webb broke loose up the middle for a 48-yard TD run with 1:54 to
play, then Webb was sacked by Derek Walker in the end zone for a
safety on the final play of the game.


      Former Stanford star and Heisman Trophy runner-up Toby Gerhart
got his first of his four carries for Minnesota midway through the
second quarter, a 3-yard gain. This marked the rookie's first game
back in the Bay Area since the Vikings selected him at No. 51 in
the second round of this year's draft. Gerhart, who rushed for
1,871 yards and 28 touchdowns for the Cardinal last year, also
caught two short passes.

Gallery

Favre's highly anticipated first game back with the Vikings
lasted all of four unspectacular plays and one series in a 15-10
loss to the 49ers in a nationally televised preseason game Sunday
at Candlestick Park.

Favre's first outing a quick one in Vikings loss to 49ers

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