MINNEAPOLIS — It took less than three minutes for the Minnesota Vikings to relieve the angst created by two consecutive road losses.

Two runs and two completions from Brett Favre to Visanthe Shiancoe, the second covering the final 10 yards, resulted in a quick 7-0 lead, easing fears that the late-season losing streak would spoil the team’s perfect record at Metrodome.

“We appeared to pick up right where we left off (in the second half of last week’s game at Chicago),” quarterback Brett Favre said. “What we did to start the game today is what we need to do every game. Last week’s second half showed what we’re capable of, but for whatever reason, we’ve been inconsistent.”

For the second straight season, the Vikings (12-4) ended the regular season with a victory over the New York Giants, this time by a 44-7 score. The victory, combined with Philadelphia’s 24-0 loss at Dallas, gives the Vikings the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and a first-round bye next week.

The Vikings, who have won consecutive NFC North championships for the first time since 1978, started quickly and finished strong, producing impressive numbers against a Giants team that had nothing to play for and was without six starters because of injury.

“Our goal was to win this game and play well in all phases,” coach Brad Childress said. “I think we were able to accomplish that.”

The first drive went quickly, starting with an offside penalty that preceded five plays and 55 yards. Favre hit Shiancoe with a 13-yard pass, then Chester Taylor ran for 10 yards. Percy Harvin rushed for 22 yards before Favre threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Shiancoe, marking the first time in a month that the Vikings scored on the first drive.

“We knew what we needed to do,” receiver Sidney Rice said. “We played from the beginning instead of waiting until the second quarter or the second half. It’s the the first time in a long time that we executed right away.”

The Vikings blew the game open with 24 points in the second quarter, beginning with Ryan Longwell’s 36-yard field goal. Adrian Peterson’s 1-yard run made it 17-0, and Favre’s second touchdown pass covered 4 yards to Rice for a 24-0 lead. After Chad Greenway’s interception gave the Vikings another possession before halftime, Favre hit Rice again, this time from 12 yards with just seven seconds remaining.

“I was concerned about this game because of the way we played recently,” Favre said. “This helps to get a little confidence back, a little swagger, a little momentum. We’ll see what happens.”

Longwell added a 24-yard field goal on the first possession of the second half, then Jared Allen made a sack and fumble recovery at the Giants’ 9-yard line that turned into 2-yard, fourth-down pass from Favre to Naufahu Tahi that made it 41-0, the infamous score of a 2001 playoff loss to the Giants.

Many reserves were into the game early in the third quarter, when the wave began circling the Metrodome and fans began the hike to the exits. Longwell’s 27-yard field goal came with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

The Giants avoided the shutout with a 1-yard run by D.J. Ware midway through the fourth quarter but finished with only 11 first downs and 202 yards of offense, with 81 of those yards coming on the scoring drive.

“This was one of those days when the offense was explosive, and when they’re playing like that, you just want to get off the field on third down and create some turnovers,” linebacker Chad Greenway said.

Favre finished with 25 completions in 31 attempts for 316 yards and four touchdowns, running his season passing total to 4,202 yards, the fourth time a Vikings quarterback has passed for more than 4,000 yards. Rice caught six passes for 112 yards and two scores, and Shiancoe added seven receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown. Peterson had 54 yards rushing on just nine attempts.

Harvin finished with 81 yards of rushing and receiving to set a team record for rookies with 2,081 yards of combined offense this season. He also broke a rookie-season team record by rushing for 135 yards.

The Vikings amassed 487 yards with 28 first downs and more than 14 minutes of possession than the Giants.

“It’s been a great year,” Favre said. “I’m not surprised by the fact that we’re in the playoffs. Where we go from here, we’ll see. I think this team is capable of doing great things.”