GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak will probably live on thanks to the Green Bay Packers' bye week.

	Favre

The star quarterback doesn't need an operation on his sprained left knee and the Packers expect him to play in their next game Nov. 4 against Miami.

Favre was injured in the Packers' 30-9 victory over Washington on Sunday. An MRI on Monday confirmed team doctor Patrick McKenzie's diagnosis of a sprained lateral collateral ligament and showed no torn cartilage or structural damage.

The prescription of rest and ice was an enormous relief to the Packers, who are tied with New Orleans atop the NFC with a 6-1 record.

"Very much so, particularly since it looked fairly bad on the field yesterday," Packers coach Mike Sherman said. "This guy's just a very resilient individual and we're very fortunate that he's OK."

Favre's NFL record of 164 straight starts at quarterback might have been in serious jeopardy if Green Bay had to play this week, however.

"I think he probably would have been able to play the game, but I probably would have held him out," Sherman said.

Favre, the NFC's leading passer at age 33, will treat his injury with rest and ice packs and will wear a knee brace when he practices.

"Whether he wears it in a game remains to be seen," Sherman said. "But it will give him some lateral support."

Favre, who owns the longest current starting streak in the league, regardless of position, wasn't expected to practice until the team returns from a long weekend that starts Friday.

Still, Favre spent most of Tuesday in the training room at Lambeau Field, walking gingerly but smiling as he started working on his recovery from the sprained knee.

"I guess it helps that it snowed, so that when he's out in his deer stand, he can kneel in a little snow," Sherman joked.

On Monday, Sherman wasn't sure whether Favre would go home to Mississippi for the bye.

"Obviously, if he has an opportunity to go back and sit on his tractor with an ice pack on his knee, he'd probably prefer to do that," Sherman said. "But he said, 'I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize me being able to play Monday night.' "

Favre, who has been unable to finish only four games in his career, was knocked out with 11:26 left in the third quarter and the Packers ahead 17-6. On second-and-6 from the Packers 24, Favre rolled right and was tackled by blitzing linebackers LaVar Arrington and Jeremiah Trotter, who reached the quarterback unblocked before he could get off a screen pass.

Favre could have changed the call when he saw Arrington and Trotter come up to the line before the snap, but he didn't, and the linebackers blew past right tackle Earl Dotson.

Arrington slung Favre to the ground, landing on top of the quarterback, whose left leg got caught underneath his body.

Playing on grass at Lambeau Field might have saved Favre's season.

"It's certainly a possibility that his foot was able to give way because he wasn't on turf," Sherman said.

Also, Favre's knee twisted outward. The damage likely would have been much greater, perhaps season-ending, had it twisted inward.

Favre hobbled off the field and several worried teammates, doctors and trainers gathered around him as he lay flat on his back at the 50-yard line. After a few minutes, he was carted off the field with a towel stuffed under his face mask.

"We're used to seeing Brett grab a drink of water and come running right back onto the field," tight end Bubba Franks said. "We knew it was serious when he wasn't getting up."

By game's end, Favre said his knee felt better.

"It was more painful when it actually happened," he said. "That's the deceiving part of it. Once I got to the sideline, it felt a little better."

Favre wanted to go back in, but the team doctor warned him that if the LCL was torn, he would risk tearing other ligaments and ending his season.

Favre completed 11 of 14 passes for 89 yards and improved his home record to 69-12. His .852 home winning percentage is the best in league history.

Backup Doug Pederson took advantage of good field position provided by three Redskins turnovers to lead the Packers to 13 fourth-quarter points in his first action at quarterback since 2000, when he was in Cleveland.

"It's tough shoes to fill when the whole stadium is aghast and it's quiet and you're trying to replace a Hall of Fame quarterback," Sherman said. "But I thought Doug did a fantastic job for us."