Brett Favre told SI.com’s Peter King that he wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to play against the Packers yesterday because of a groin injury. Favre claims he suffered the injury last week in practice and then re-aggravated it in pregame warm-ups.

“I told T-Jack [backup Tarvaris Jackson] and [offensive coordinator] Darrell Bevell I may not be able to do it,” he said. “I didn’t know if I’d be able to drop back very well. After I aggravated it, there was no way I was going to be able to move around in the pocket very much. We never called one bootleg the whole game. But we made it through OK.”

And now, I wondered, how was the groin four hours and a lot of lost adrenalin later?

“It’s throbbing right now,” he said.

Oh…come…on. Look, I don’t doubt that Favre injured himself in practice (he is 60 years old after all) and then re-injured himself during pregame warm-ups. I also don’t doubt that he told Jackson and Bevell that he was hurt and might not be able to play.

But I don’t buy for a minute that he was going to hold himself out. He wasn’t going to allow a groin injury to get in the way of beating the Packers at Lambeau and if anything, I’m willing to bet that he wanted people to know that he was hurt just so he could build the moment up even more.

Some are going to look at this as the “gritty” Brett playing through pain; I’m sure ESPN is already salivating thinking about the story. But I think this guy has a lot of people fooled.

Maybe I’m being to cynical and over thinking this, but it’s Brett’s comments that bug me the most. If King asked him how he was feeling and Brett said, “Well Pistol Pete, I’m a little sore because of a groin injury I suffered last week,” then I wouldn’t question him because the comment would have been more fly-by.

But no, Brett made damn sure to note that he might not have been able to play. To me, that’s just another prima donna move by one of the more underrated prima donna athletes of all-time.

The Vikings’ 38-26 win over the Packers wasn’t even an hour old yet and I got an e-mail from my partner in crime here at The Scores Report, John Pauslen, who happens to be a huge Green Bay fan and is/was an active Brett Favre supporter.

I won’t share what John wrote in case there are women and children reading, but he wasn’t kind to Brett. And I can’t imagine that John is the only one who feels angry with Favre after what transpired on Sunday.

Brett walked into Lambeau Field, a place where he was known for being a legend, a hero and an icon, and essentially burned the place down. He completed 17-of-28 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns, while also spending most of the game pumping his fists wildly in celebration of his accomplishments.

Many people still want to blame Ted Thompson for why Favre currently wears purple and white. But the fact of the matter is that there are 32 teams in the NFL and he wanted to be a Viking. If he just wanted to play football, he could have returned to the Jets. Hell, if he wanted to play football, he could have returned to the Packers two years ago because they said yes to him twice. It was the one “no” that has fans blaming Thompson, yet they should blame Favre for his indecisiveness and his desire to play in Minnesota before blaming the GM that eventually committed to Aaron Rodgers and decided to move forward.

I hope that Brett is satisfied with the outcome from today, because while he once again got his revenge on Thompson and the Packers, he also torched a lot of loyal Green Bay fans in the process. There will always be people that player worship and will root for Favre no matter what color jersey he wears, but there no doubt are many who watched the game today and said, “You know what? To hell with Brett Favre.”

The funny thing is, Brett’s true fans will always be in Green Bay. Unless he helps the Vikings win a Super Bowl, Minnesota fans will forget about him the moment he’s done playing for them and you’re kidding yourself if you think otherwise. So while he may feel good about the way things have transpired so far this season, he’s hurting his legacy in the long run by accomplishing exactly what he wanted in beating the Packers.

Was it worth it, Brett?

Along with the odds for Week 8, here are a couple of marquee matchups worth tuning into this weekend.

Giants at Eagles, 1:00PM ET
After starting the year 5-0, the Giants have dropped two straight and now travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in a hostile environment. The Eagles didn’t look particularly sharp offensively on Monday night vs. the Redskins, but they have more than enough weapons to put points on the board against a banged up Giants defense. Both these teams are looking for a win in order to keep pace in the NFC East.
Odds: Eagles PK.

Broncos at Ravens, 1:00PM ET
Both of these teams are fresh coming off their byes, but the Broncos have won six straight while the Ravens have dropped three in a row. Baltimore’s secondary has been its Achilles’ heel all season and while the offense continues to put up points, they’ll be tested this Sunday by a Denver defense that has played well this year. Josh McDaniels’ squad has battled adversity all season and will have to do so again this weekend against a Ravens team desperately seeking a win.
Odds: Ravens –3.

Vikings at Packers, 4:15PM ET
This game is important for both teams on so many levels. Brett Favre returning to Lambeau will command most of the headlines, but perhaps more importantly is the Packers need a win to prove they can beat an opponent with a winning record and keep pace with Minnesota in the division. The Vikings would love to bounce back from their loss to Pittsburgh last week, sweep the season series with Green Bay, and take a commanding three game (really a four game when you factor in tiebreakers) lead over the Packers.
Odds: Packers –3.

Falcons at Saints, 8:30PM ET, Monday
The Saints appear to be unstoppable right now, while the Falcons are reeling following their loss to the Cowboys last Sunday. Atlanta’s secondary is a major question mark and if the front four can’t generate any pressure, Drew Brees is going to have a field day. The Falcons also need to get Michael Turner and the ground game going or else the solid New Orleans defense might force Matt Ryan into making a couple mistakes. This is a huge game for the Falcons, because they don’t want to fall three games back in the division.
Odds: Saints –10.

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Earlier this season, Brett Favre said that the 2009 version of the Vikings was the best team he’s ever been on based on a physical and talent level. But some of Favre’s teammates from the Super Bowl-winning 1996 Packers team disagree.

From ESPN.com:

“To say that the team he’s on now, after seven games, is better than the ‘96 team — that’s just preposterous. Not only did we have the No. 1 defense in 1996, but we had No. 1 special teams,” former safety LeRoy Butler told the Journal Sentinel. “I bleed green and gold so much. I don’t want somebody to beat my team.”

Mark Chmura, a tight end on the ‘96 team, said he went through the rosters position by position and could not find an advantage for the Vikings. “And it all starts with Brett — Brett’s not as good as he was,” he said, according to the report.

“I mean, you’re talking about the No. 1 defense in the league at that time, maybe one of the best defenses ever to play the game,” Chmura added, according to the report. “Don’t get me wrong. Favre is still a good quarterback, but he was unbelievable in the day. When we played back then, teams feared us. I don’t know if teams fear the Minnesota Vikings today. We knew no one could beat us at home, absolutely nobody.”

This is a situation where Favre probably didn’t really mean what he said, but he was trying to make people believe that the Vikings were/are a great fit for him and that he could lead them to the playoffs. In other words, he was trying to pump himself and his new team up.

That said, it’s hard to argue with Favre’s ex-teammates. That Packers team used to script the first 10-15 plays and march right down the field for six almost every time on their first offensive possession. Opponents then had to try and play catch up against Green Bay’s relentless defense, which often proved to be a fruitless endeavor.

The Vikings are good, but they aren’t Super Bowl-good. (At least not yet anyway.)

Here are quick-hit previews for all the games in Week 4 of the NFL.

Ravens (3-0) at Patriots (2-1), 1:00PM ET
Baltimore must pressure Tom Brady more than Atlanta did last week if it wants to leave Foxboro with a victory today. It would be wise for the Ravens to stay balanced offensively and grind down a New England defense that looked good for the first time last week. The Pats did a great job establishing the run in their win over the Falcons. If they can do that again, things will open in the passing game and Brady can take advantage of a Baltimore secondary that has not played well so far.

Lions (1-2) at Bears (2-1), 1:00PM ET
Fresh off their first victory in nearly 20 tries, the Lions look to pull off an upset in Solider Field. Detroit could be without running back Kevin Smith, so look for the Lions to throw early and often to take advantage of a suspect Chicago secondary. The Bears will look to establish the ground game with Matt Forte, although Jay Cutler should make more than enough plays in the passing game against a brutal Detroit defense.

Bucs (0-3) at Redskins (1-2), 1:00PM ET
Jim Zorn’s team has a lot to prove this week after losing to the Lions last Sunday. They’ll take on a Bucs team that they can dominate as long as Zorn doesn’t get conservative with his play calling. Washington needs to throw the ball vertically against a brutal Tampa secondary or else they’ll once again give an inferior opponent a chance to win. The Bucs will start Josh Johnson at quarterback and the O-line must give him time to throw or else his inexperience will shine through. It would be nice if Kellen Winslow and Antonio Bryant (who is questionable to play) could step up and help the young man out.

Titans (0-3) at Jaguars (1-2), 1:00PM ET
Will Jeff Fisher’s team fall to 0-4 a year after they started 10-0 and had the best record in the AFC? Keys to victory for the Titans are to run the ball offensively, stuff the box with eight defenders to stop Maurice Jones-Drew, and to get better in a hurry in pass coverage. If they can force David Garrard to beat them throwing the ball, they should be fine. Offensively, however, they need to get Chris Johnson and the running game going to take pressure off Kerry Collins.

Raiders (1-2) at Texans (1-2), 1:00PM ET
Will the real Texans please stand up? Houston has enough talent to make the playoffs, but their inconsistent play so far this season is maddening. They have a prime opportunity to earn another win today, as Oakland continues to struggle moving the ball offensively. The Texans can’t allow Darren McFadden to run wild because that will take pressure off quarterback JaMarcus Russell and the passing game. If Houston can establish its run game early, take shots down field in the passing game with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson, then they should control this contest from the onset and take home a victory.

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Brett Favre should know better than anyone that whatever an athlete says will be examined, analyzed and often criticized by the media.

And since he should know that, it’s a little strange that he’s now claiming that he isn’t out for revenge against the Packers despite previously stating that he wanted to stick it to Green Bay GM Ted Thompson, who traded him to the Jets last year.

This is what Brett said in a conference call with the media on Thursday (via ESPN):

“Never was motivated for that reason,” Favre said in a conference call. “No. That has nothing to do with it.”

Uh Brett, then what would you call your open desire to stick to Thompson then?

“It’s human nature to feel, I didn’t use the word revenge, but to prove that you still could play,” Favre said. “To prove someone wrong, or prove a group wrong. So you can call it what you want.”

While I’m not ready to paint Brett with the liar brush, I do question his true motives to come back and play – specifically for the Vikings. He had to know that donning purple and gold would alienate many of the fans that rooted him for all those years in Green Bay, so why Minnesota?

Chances are that Brett was telling the truth from the start. He’s still angry with Thompson for not bowing down and allowing him to return to Green Bay, no matter how many times he retired and unretired. Why else would he sign with the Packers’ most hated rival?

I’m not oblivious to the fact that Minnesota was a perfect fit for Brett. He already knew Brad Childress’ offense and was familiar with the division. Plus, the Jets were transitioning to a new coach and none of Favre’s former teammates were championing for his return.

But I still find it hard to believe that Brett’s main motivation wasn’t to beat Thompson and the Packers. The easiest way to burn the Pack was to sign with a rival, and then beat them on the field. He already accomplished the first feat, and a win on Monday night would allow him to cross off the other.

Don’t let Favre fool you – he isn’t above trying to make Thompson and the Packers look foolish for not allowing him to return after the 2007 season. The hatchet is certainly not buried.