DETROIT — Brett Favre slumped over in the middle of the field after his third turnover of the day.

The three-time MVP, who turns 36 next month, limped to his news conference about an hour later with gray in his hair and a scruffy beard.

"I'll probably feel worse (today), but I could play another game now," Favre said after two of his three turnovers led to 10 points in a game in which scoring was scarce, helping the Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers, 17-3, yesterday.

The news got worse after the game. Wide receiver Javon Walker suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee midway through the third quarter and is likely out for the rest of the season.

The Packers will determine the full extent of the injury today through diagnostic tests. However, team physician Patrick McKenzie told Sherman that it was a torn ACL, which will require reconstructive surgery and anywhere from a 6- to 12-month rehabilitation.

The game marked the fewest points Green Bay scored with Favre as its starting quarterback.

Tampa Bay beat the Packers, 31-3, on Sept. 13, 1992, two weeks before Favre began his record streak of starting 227 straight games, including the playoffs.

Lions quarterback Joey Harrington threw two touchdown passes, including one to rookie Mike Williams with 4:13 left.

GIANTS 42, CARDINALS 19

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was billed as a showdown between mentor and apprentice. Instead of Kurt Warner vs. Eli Manning, the New York Giants' special teams stole the show.

Manning bounced back from a poor first half to throw for two touchdowns in New York's win over the Arizona Cardinals. But the Giants' highest-scoring game in more than two seasons had as much to do with kick returns as it did Warner being upstaged by his former teammate.

Willie Ponder returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown and Chad Morton, signed by the Giants a week and a half ago, returned a punt 52 yards for another as New York accomplished both types of returns in the same game for the first time in 50 years.

Tiki Barber and rookie Brandon Jacobs ran for touchdowns for the Giants, who scored 21 points in the third quarter to take command of the game.

Playing against the quarterback who helped guide him through his rookie season with the Giants in 2004, Manning finished 10 for 23 for 172 yards.

"I thought Eli looked poised," said Warner, who was 27 for 46 for 264 yards. "It was one of those games where, fortunately for him, he wasn't called upon to do a whole lot."

BUCCANEERS 24, VIKINGS 13

MINNEAPOLIS — Tampa Bay forced five turnovers — including two interceptions by Brian Kelly — in a scrappy season-opening victory over the Vikings.

"That's the type of thing we can do on defense," Simeon Rice said. "We want to do something special."

Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper lost two fumbles and threw three interceptions, the second one glancing off Moe Williams' hands and into Kelly's arms at the Tampa Bay 6-yard line with 1:45 left and Minnesota trailing by four.

Tight end Alex Smith caught two touchdown passes and fellow rookie Carnell "Cadillac" Williams finished with 148 yards on 27 carries, including a 71-yard touchdown run with 1:23 remaining that sealed it.

REDSKINS 9, BEARS 7

LANDOVER, Md. — Washington's defense allowed only 166 total yards, and the Redskins overcame three turnovers, several untimely penalties and the loss of starting quarterback Patrick Ramsey in their win over Chicago.

Ramsey had his neck wrung in the second quarter by blitzing linebacker Lance Briggs. Mark Brunell, booed mercilessly last year by the home fans, entered and led three scoring drives, all ending in field goals by John Hall and powered in part by the running of Clinton Portis, who rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries.

Ramsey is fine with a mild neck sprain, but coach Joe Gibbs would not commit to a starter for next week's game at Dallas.

"I have to see how this all shakes out," Gibbs said. "We will see how everybody heals up, and I will sit and look at it and decide what we are going to do."