MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - With chants of "MVP! MVP!" showered upon him by an adoring Metrodome crowd, a smiling Brett Favre tipped his cap.
A match that was at first considered bizarre and unthinkable has quickly turned into one for the story books during a season that is growing more magical by the minute for the 40-year-old quarterback and his Vikings.
Favre completed a career-high 88 percent of his passes for 213 yards and four touchdowns, and Minnesota delivered its most complete performance of the season in a 35-9 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
"The way he's playing at 40? MVP," running back Adrian Peterson said, after watching Favre set a Vikings record by completing 22 of 25 throws. "I'm rooting it for him, too. He's doing an outstanding job."
Favre surpassed Dan Marino for another NFL record in his 22nd career game with at least four touchdown passes. He has 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions while leading the Vikings a 9-1 start, right on the heels of New Orleans (10-0) for the top seed in the NFC.
And he has plenty of help. Peterson rushed for 82 yards, Sidney Rice caught two TD passes and the Vikings defense held Seattle to 212 total yards, including 4 on the ground, an all-time low for the Seahawks.
"There is no doubt that the way I am playing now is a direct result of the guys around me," Favre said. "It's not like all of a sudden I've found some fountain of youth."
It just looks that way.
Favre threw touchdown passes to Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe and Bernard Berrian in a 21-point second quarter that got the Vikings rolling, then finished yet another record-setting day with a 7-yard pass to Rice with 4 minutes to play in the third quarter.
He watched the entire fourth quarter from the sideline while Tarvaris Jackson took over, and the Metrodome public address announcer notified the home crowd of Favre's latest achievements, prompting the standing ovation and 63,854 MVP votes.
"I knew everyone was cheering for something, but I thought they were talking about completion records or something," Favre said. "If that is what they were chanting, I thank them for that. But my goal, and only goal, is to lead this team to a Super Bowl."
The way he played Sunday, Favre would probably get another 75 votes from Seahawks players and coaches.
"I saw Brett after the game and said, 'Would you retire, please?"' Seahawks coach Jim Mora said. "He said 'You've been saying that to me for about eight years,' and I said, 'I know, and I'm going to keep saying it to you.' The guy is remarkable, but we've still got to be better."
Nate Burleson had six catches for 100 yards for Seattle (3-7), which has lost seven of its last nine to fade from contention in the NFC West.
Justin Forsett, who rushed for 123 yards on 17 carries last week against Arizona, managed just 9 yards and a TD on Sunday. He did have eight catches for 80 yards, but the Seahawks offense did not cross midfield until late in the third quarter when they trailed 28-0.
Matt Hasselbeck, Favre's former understudy in Green Bay, was 19 of 26 for 231 yards and one interception.
"We just played terrible today," said receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. "I didn't break a sweat until probably five minutes left in the game. We could never sustain a drive."
After four consecutive division titles and a Super Bowl appearance after the 2005 season, the Seahawks are an afterthought in Mora's first season as head coach.
Thirteen starters have missed at least one game due to injury this season, with Pro Bowlers Walter Jones and Lofa Tatupu out for the season.
"It's new territory for most of us," Hasselbeck said. "We've never had a season like this. It's a tough thing and a test."
NOTES: Houshmandzadeh, who turned down an offer to join the Vikings in March before Favre arrived, had four catches for 36 yards. ... Vikings rookie CB Asher Allen had his first career interception. ... Jackson completed 6 of 8 passes for 77 yards and a TD in the fourth quarter. ... Shiancoe had eight catches for 78 yards and Harvin had 79 yards receiving.
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