And somewhere, Brett Favre is laughing.

OK, well maybe not laughing...but you've got to think that the subject of unprecedented off-the-field coverage this summer might manage at least a smile or two over how things have turned out for his former comrades-in-arms.

Cut from the cheese-loving flock after a tedious "I'm retired, I'm not retired, I might be retired, I'm coming back" dance that stretched from March through August, Favre tossed six touchdown passes in his most recent outing for his new green team - the New York Jets.

Meanwhile, after a two-game "Brett who?" win streak to begin the season, his previous green team - the Green Bay Packers - have lost three straight while grappling with an injury bug that's already bitten starting defensive end Cullen Jenkins, All-Pro cornerback Al Harris and new QB Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers sprained his right shoulder during a 30-21 loss at Tampa Bay two weeks ago, then soldiered bravely through the discomfort in the Pack's surprising 27-24 home defeat to the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday - throwing for 313 yards on 25-of-37 passing with three touchdowns.

For the season, the first-year starter has completed 103-of-163 attempts for 1,274 yards, four interceptions and a 95.5 passer rating, while forging a third-place tie in the NFC with nine touchdown passes. Favre, by the way, leads the league in both TD passes (12) and passer rating (110.8).

Tee hee, tee hee, tee hee...

Still, the defense has been the most glaring underperformer so far in Wisconsin, ranking 27th in the league stopping the run and 26th overall in yards allowed.

Green Bay allowed 176 rushing yards against the Falcons and was torched by receiver Roddy White to the tune of 132 yards and a score on eight receptions.

"I'm not happy with the way it's going as far as the fundamentals," coach Mike McCarthy said Sunday. "We're making common mistakes, things you're stressing in practice, and we need to clean it up. Our house is messy right now and nobody is happy about it."

The clutter is just as unsightly in Seattle.

A playoff loser to Green Bay last winter - in Favre's last win as a Packer - the Seahawks entered 2008 as a consensus pick to once again dominate the NFC West and place themselves somewhere among the elite in a power-cluttered conference.

They encountered Week 1 turbulence with a 24-point loss at Buffalo, however, then returned home to drop a 33-30 overtime verdict to division rival San Francisco seven days later.

A pre-bye rout of weak sister St. Louis eased the panic in Week 3, but things turned sour once again on Sunday, when the Seahawks again came east and were again blasted - losing 44-6 to the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

The 38-point margin was Seattle's most lopsided since a 41-3 loss to the Jets in 1997.

"I believe we're a better football team than that," said coach Mike Holmgren, who led the Packers to two Super Bowl appearances in the late 1990s. "Give the Giants credit, they really took it to us. They're a talented team. They got rolling and we couldn't stop them."

SERIES HISTORY

Green Bay owns a 6-5 lead in its all-time regular season series with Seattle, but was a 34-24 road loser when it last faced the Seahawks, in Week 12 of the 2006 regular season. The Packers were home winners in the previous two regular season matchups, in 2003 and 2005. Green Bay last won in Seattle in 1996.

The clubs have also met in a pair of playoff contests, both won by Green Bay at Lambeau Field. The Packers took a 33-27 overtime victory in a 2003 NFC Divisional Playoff, and a 42-20 triumph in a 2007 NFC Divisional Playoff.

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