Favre's right arm looking just fine

The big 4-0 is right around the corner for Brett Favre. You'd never know it.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback played his last game of his 30s Monday night against the Green Bay Packers and showed everyone that his surgically repaired right arm has new life.

"My arm feels great," said Favre, who threw for 271 yards and three TDs to beat his old team. "It didn't feel very good last year. I'm not going to make excuses.

"But my arm feels a lot better and I think it's showing."

That's for sure. After his first four games in purple, Favre has completed 68 percent of his passes for 837 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception to lead the Vikings to a 4-0 start.

It's a far cry from how he ended his only season in New York. Favre suffered a partially torn biceps in his throwing arm last season. He threw nine interceptions and only two touchdowns as the Jets lost four of five down the stretch and missed the playoffs.

Dr. James Andrews performed surgery on Favre's biceps in May, cutting the partially torn tendon to alleviate the pain that caused Favre, whose birthday is Saturday, to (temporarily) retire for a second consecutive season last spring.

It's a procedure that's growing in popularity and allowing older athletes to extend their careers, according to Dr. Anthony Romeo, section head of shoulder and elbow surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

"Not only do they do well," Romeo said, "but they get better faster."

McNabb ready to go: Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb returned to practice Monday and is expected to start Sunday when the Eagles host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

McNabb has been out since breaking his rib in the season opener. He missed two games before the Eagles had their bye this past weekend.

Giants' Manning expected to play: Eli Manning's teammates expect him to make his 83rd straight start Sunday.

Manning had an MRI on his right foot Monday, which revealed he has plantar fasciitis, an inflammation and swelling of the tissue on the bottom of the foot. The Giants are listing Manning as "day-to-day."

"After talking with Eli, he's pretty confident that he will be out there," guard Chris Snee said. "... Knowing him and knowing how confident he is, I'm pretty sure he'll be ready to play come Sunday. I think knowing he's going to be ready makes us all feel better."

Stafford might play: The Detroit Lions are publicly holding out hope Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, might be healthy enough to play the Steelers.

"It's possible," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Monday.

Stafford's right knee was twisted on a sack in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Bears, and he immediately grabbed behind it and screamed in pain.

"He's day-to-day, and we'll know more on Wednesday," Schwartz said.

Bucs switch kickers: Tampa Bay cut kicker Mike Nugent a day after he missed two field goals in a 16-13 loss to the Redskins. The Bucs worked out former Indianapolis kicker Shane Andrus and signed him Monday.