updated 4:16 a.m. ET Dec. 22, 2003

OAKLAND, Calif. - Brett Favre has never played a regular-season game before the raucous Raider Nation, and the Green Bay quarterback needs to make sure his debut is a success Monday night.

The Packers must win their last two games to have a chance at the playoffs — and the Oakland Raiders sure would love to spoil things.

“I look forward to it,” Favre said. “We’ve played there preseason. I know it’s preseason and not regular season, but I think their fans are great. If I played at Oakland, I know I’d appreciate them a great deal. They’re die-hard Raiders fans. It’ll be a tough place to play.”

But Favre’s availability for the game was in doubt Sunday night, hours after his father, Irvin, died Sunday in Mississippi. Police said the elder Favre died of a heart attack or a stroke while he was driving.

Favre’s status will be determined Monday, Green Bay spokesman Aaron Popkey said from San Francisco.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported that the quarterbacks told teammates at a meeting Sunday night that he planned to play.

Green Bay (8-6), which has won four of its last five games, is traveling to California for the second straight week after beating the San Diego Chargers 38-21 last Sunday to remain alive in the NFC North title race.

Favre threw a season-high four touchdown passes, three in his team’s 21-point fourth quarter, to rally the Packers, and he finished 23-of-33 for 278 yards and a 122.2 quarterback rating. It was only the second time in 94 regular-season road games with Favre as starter that he’s had to lead a Packers comeback in the final quarter.

Green Bay has had its share of struggles away from Lambeau Field this year, including a Thanksgiving Day loss to Detroit.

The Raiders don’t care — they know Favre. He’s playing phenomenally well considering he has played with a broken right thumb and is still wearing a protective splint.

“You’re always going to get the best out of Brett Favre,” said Oakland’s four-time Pro Bowl cornerback, Charles Woodson. “He’s been dealing with some injuries, but I know the kind of competitor he is. Brett is a playmaker. He’s been doing it all his career.”

Minnesota and Green Bay both are 8-6 atop the NFC North, but the Vikings will win the division with victories in their final two games, even if the Packers win out.

At 10-6, the Vikings would win on better conference record, the fourth tiebreaker, because the other three — head-to-head, division record, record against common opponents — would be tied.

“I think we’re good enough,” Packers coach Mike Sherman said. “I think we’ve done a good job of fighting and scratching our way back to an opportunity to get in. And it’s probably no different than what a team like Minnesota feels like — they let some things slip through the cracks. If you get in, anything can happen. ... I would like to have the opportunity. I think this team is capable of making a run.”

Green Bay is playing its first regular-season game in Oakland since Oct. 24, 1976. The Packers played a preseason game in the Coliseum in 2001.

The Raiders, a disappointing 4-10 after their Super Bowl run a year ago, have lost their last three to the Packers. Green Bay beat the Los Angeles Raiders 28-0 in 1993, then the Oakland Raiders were more competitive in a 28-24 season-opening defeat in 1999.

“No matter what your record is, no matter what time of year it is, Monday night still holds a special place for a football player,” Raiders right tackle Lincoln Kennedy said.

Oakland’s patchwork defense again will be challenged by one of the league’s top rushers — Ahman Green — after beating Baltimore and Jamal Lewis last week to snap a three-game losing streak. At times, the Raiders brought eight or nine players into the box to upgrade their last-place run defense, and they limited Lewis to 125 yards.

Green ranks fourth in the NFL with 311 carries for 1,538 yards and 12 touchdowns. And the Raiders still must face San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson in the final week of the season.

Stopping Green will be a different task than containing Lewis.

“Lewis is more powerful,” Oakland safety Derrick Gibson said. “Green is quicker and more elusive. They’re both good backs.”

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