Next game: Sunday, November 8th at Tampa Bay
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The quarterback stats for Sunday's 38-26 Vikings win over Green Bay (4-3) are interesting to look at:
• Brett Favre: 17-28, 244 yards, 4 TD passes, 0 INT's, QB rating = 128.6
• Aaron Rodgers: 26-41, 287 yards, 3 TD passes, 0 INT's, QB rating = 108.5

Yes, Brett Favre out-statted Aaron Rodgers in meeting two between these rivals with the emotion ratcheted up to the highest levels imaginable.

But check out these stats, which really tell the story of the Packers' loss which seemingly throws them out of the NFC North race:
• Sacks of Favre: 0.
• Sacks of Rodgers: 6.

Then add the conditions of the two quarterbacks:
• Favre: nary a bruise on him.
• Rodgers: looking like a slab of pounded meat.

What does this prove? Not that Brett Favre is a world-beating quarterback.

It proves you can't win if your quarterback is looking like the world has beaten on him and you can't beat on the other team's quarterback, Favre or otherwise.

Who needs to get the blame - not for the Brett Favre situation which has turned into a statistical wash because of the more-than-solid play of Aaron Rodgers, but the line situations? Yes, folks, Ted Thompson.

Look at the personnel he's picked for Mike McCarthy to work with. (Scroll down for defense.)

Offensive line
• LT: T.J. Lang, zero years experience, eaten alive by Jared Allen.
• LG: Daryn Colledge, a four-year veteran and a sieve for most of the season
• C: Jason Spitz, a four-year veteran who has performed OK
• RG: Josh Sitton, one year of experience, penalty-prone but occasionally OK
• RT: Allen Barbre, a three-year veteran around whom Brazilian flag makers should focus their protests because referees use up too much fabric due to his penalties

That offensive line has a combined 12 years of experience and have given up a combined 14 sacks to the Vikings in their two meetings.

The sad thing is, they proved how incredible this offense can be when they can actually block.

In the second half, the Packers' offense produced 23 points. Normally, if you average more than .75 points per minute in the National Football League, you'll win.

I'm not in the camp that Ted Thompson should have kept around Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera. In 2009, they would have not given much.

I'm in the camp that Ted Thompson should have developed a much better offensive line than this to work with.

Who is this line working with?

Well, it's arguably the best young quarterback in the National Football League (young = drafted in 2005 or later).

It's the deepest receiving corps in the NFL when healthy (Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Donald Lee, and when not in a training room, Jordy Nelson and Jermichael Finley).

It's a running back corps with Ryan Grant who has proven that with a good line, he can produce. (Read: 2007.)

But when you can't protect Aaron Rodgers, you can't get the productivity you need while fighting a quarterback legend who's getting the pass protection - again, because of your deficiencies.

Defensive line
• DE: Johnny Jolly, who can make plays but whose brain seemed to leave his head when he committed a head butt in the first half
• NT: Ryan Pickett, who is a man-beast in stopping the run, but not the world's best pass rusher
• DE: Cullen Jenkins, who is great in a 4-3 scheme but can't beat double teams when pass rushing

Any scheme from Dom Capers, anything with blitzing linebackers - only one of whom seemed to make plays, the rookie Clay Matthews - can't get over the fact that your defensive line is getting no pass rush push.

For the second meeting, Brett Favre wasn't sacked at all. Not at all.

Occasionally, a linebacker would get to him, but it was not enough to get him rattled, or physically beaten.

Ted Thompson should be blamed for not going after a defensive end that has enough oomph on pass rush to be able to tie more blockers up and free Jenkins, Kampman or the others from making plays.

Packers fans, don't blame Thompson's decisions on quarterbacks if the team falls far enough that his job is at stake.

Blame him for the other two of the three most important parts of a team (besides quarterback): the guys in the trenches.