Packers vs Raiders: Previews & Predictions

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http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/story/2007/12/6/15627/3930

Preview: Oakland at Packers

With QB Brett Favre back at practice and likely to start (but now QB Aaron Rodgers is maybe out for two weeks?) this game looks like a bad matchup for Oakland. Despite their poor 4-8 record Oakland has been good on the road this season. Their road record is only 2-4, but 3 of their 4 losses have been within 7 points. The Packers have played some close games at home earlier in the season, but steamrolled Minnesota and Carolina in their last two home games.

Teams FO Ranking NFL Ranking
Packers Rushing Offense 8 30
Oakland Rushing Defense 32 30

Ignore those NFL rankings; the Packers have one of the best run offenses in the NFL. RB Ryan Grant is good and defenses don't dare put 8 men in the box the way Favre is playing this season. Oakland's run defense isn't just the worst in the league, it's the worst in the league by a wide margin. Expect another big day for Grant.

Teams FO Ranking NFL Ranking
Oakland Rushing Offense 14 4
Packers Rushing Defense 7 12

Once again ignore those NFL rankings. RB Justin Fargas has been great the past few weeks for Oakland, but the Packers run defense is very good. This could be a good battle, but if the Packers let S Atari Bigby play up in the box because they don't respect Oakland's pass offense then Fargas will have nowhere to run.

Teams FO Ranking NFL Ranking
Packers Passing Offense 6 2
Oakland Passing Defense 8 5

This will be a good battle. No matter what rankings you look at the Packers pass offense is good and so is Oakland's pass defense. Actually Oakland's pass defense is about as good as Dallas and QB Aaron Rodgers had a 104.8 passer rating against them last Thursday. Although will Favre will start, and he struggled big time against Dallas, he also had his worst decision making game of the season. Assuming Mike McCarthy shows Brett the film of all the bad decisions he made against Dallas, he's unlikely to play that bad again.

Teams FO Ranking NFL Ranking
Oakland Passing Offense 30 30
Packers Passing Defense 18 23

The Packers pass defense is struggling, especially with the loss of pass rusher DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and CB Charles Woodson, but Oakland's pass offense is exceptionally awful. Oakland's pass offense is similar to Kansas City's and QB Damon Huard managed an unimpressive 74.1 passer rating against the Packers in week 9 despite a big game from TE Tony Gonzalez. If the Packers defense is healthy and TE Zach Miller doesn't imitate Gonzalez on Sunday, then Oakland's pass offense will be shut down.

Teams FO Ranking
Packers Special Teams 11
Oakland Special Teams 17

Both special teams are about average and shouldn't give either team an advantage.

The injuries are a concern, but the Packers are currently favored by approximately 10 points, which sounds about right. The Packers scored over 30 points in four consecutive weeks until Dallas held them to only 27 points last Thursday, so Packers 30, Oakland 20.

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http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/teamReport?categoryId=67046&type=StrategyAndPersonnel

GAME PLAN: With a division title to be had, heavily favored Green Bay might have to grind out a bounce-back victory after being humbled by the Cowboys last week. Brett Favre's bruised throwing elbow, coupled with the potential for some harsh weather, could mean a bigger role for emerging HB Ryan Grant. If the Packers expect to advance deep in the playoffs, they'll need an effective running game that they can turn to when throwing the football in January becomes treacherous. This is an ideal time to pound away because Oakland has a run-challenged defense. Green Bay was a train wreck defending the pass at Dallas but gets a reprieve with the Raiders being a one-dimensional offense that goes as Justin Fargas does on the ground. The Packers can load the box with eight and take their chances with single coverage on Oakland's pedestrian group of receivers. Just the same, Green Bay can throw more pressure at Josh McCown in the pocket after going sackless against the Cowboys' Tony Romo.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

Packers RB Ryan Grant vs. Raiders RB Justin Fargas -- The run defenses for both teams will be on the spot to contain the two most productive backs in the league since Week 8, with Fargas rushing for 591 yards and Grant 561. Grant should be in better position to keep piling up the yards, what with Oakland ranking 30th in stopping the run (average of 148 yards yielded per game). Grant has three 100-yard games in the past six and nearly hit the century mark last week at Dallas, when he ripped off a 62-yard touchdown run. In that game, the Packers' 12th-rated run defense struggled with the punishing Marion Barber. Fargas also is a load and is eyeing a third consecutive 100-yard outing.

Packers K Mason Crosby vs. Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski: Subfreezing temperatures, wind and a chance of snow showers are in the forecast for Sunday in Green Bay. Two of the league's most powerful kickers will face a stern test in creating favorable field position for their teams. Janikowski has a league-leading 20 touchbacks. Crosby is tied for seventh with 11. The Packers rookie, though, hasn't figured out the prevalent wicked conditions at Lambeau Field as the season wears on -- he has made only four of eight field-goal tries in the last three home games.

INJURY IMPACT: QB Brett Favre took it easy on his injured throwing arm in practice Wednesday but expects to play Sunday against Oakland. Favre suffered a bruised right elbow, along with an aggravation of a separated left shoulder, in the loss at Dallas on Nov. 29. Having Favre make his 270th straight start seems imperative because top backup Aaron Rodgers suffered a strained hamstring at the end of practice Tuesday. Rodgers could be out for as much as two weeks. Craig Nall, re-signed to the team Saturday, would be Favre's understudy. CB Charles Woodson (toe) and DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (ankle) are hopeful of playing Sunday after being held out of the last game for precautionary reasons. Getting Woodson back would push Jarrett Bush, who flopped in a starting role last week, back to the nickel spot. Tramon Williams and Will Blackmon also are in the mix to serve as the third defensive back should Woodson play. With DT Johnny Jolly possibly headed to injured reserve because of a strained shoulder, the defense will be relying on untested rookies Justin Harrell and Daniel Muir to provide depth as backups.
 

DoddPower

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So Jolly's injury isn't looking any better? I figured he would be getting close to coming back soon, especially after the long week.

And what about Bubba? He should be coming back soon, too.
 

tromadz

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Raider Pride said:
Packers win but Raidaaahs cover the 10 point spread.

i knew you weren't a Packers fan.

blah blah blah blah blah


Packers: 34
Raiders: 17
 

wpr

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The Raiders come out shivering and complaining about how bitterly cold it is while the Packers only shake their heads and laugh because it is 34 degrees out and hardly even worth mentioning.

GB 32
Oak 7
 

Raider Pride

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The Raiders come out shivering and complaining about how bitterly cold it is while the Packers only shake their heads and laugh because it is 34 degrees out and hardly even worth mentioning.

GB 32
Oak 7

Remember the "Tuck Rule" game in that "Wicked" blizzard in New England.

Te Raidaaahs played very well. The cold is not going to bother them.

I want the Packers to win. So I am hoping they are not looking past this frisky Raidaah team.

R.P.
 

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The Raiders come out shivering and complaining about how bitterly cold it is while the Packers only shake their heads and laugh because it is 34 degrees out and hardly even worth mentioning.

GB 32
Oak 7

Heh. As someone now in the Bay Area, I laugh when Californians complain about the "cold." Like they know what cold is. :lol:
:rotflmao:

:twisted: :lol:

Favre throws 3 TDs
Grant runs for 150+ yards and gets at least 1 TD on the ground.
Packers 37-13.
 

wpr

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Raider Pride said:
The Raiders come out shivering and complaining about how bitterly cold it is while the Packers only shake their heads and laugh because it is 34 degrees out and hardly even worth mentioning.

GB 32
Oak 7

Remember the "Tuck Rule" game in that "Wicked" blizzard in New England.

Te Raidaaahs played very well. The cold is not going to bother them.

I want the Packers to win. So I am hoping they are not looking past this frisky Raidaah team.

R.P.

OK RP how many years ago was that? It was in the playoffs after the 20001 season. There are 4 players on this team that also played on that one. The kicker, the punter a WR and OT.
Not much to lean on.
Shiver shiver.
 
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TOPHAT

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wpr said:
The Raiders come out shivering and complaining about how bitterly cold it is while the Packers only shake their heads and laugh because it is 34 degrees out and hardly even worth mentioning.

GB 32
Oak 7

Heh. As someone now in the Bay Area, I laugh when Californians complain about the "cold." Like they know what cold is. Favre throws 3 TDs. Grant runs for 150+ yards and gets at least 1 TD on the ground.
Packers 37-13.

TOP HAT: A Bay Area Raiders writer wrote a "hype the lost season" game with a eerie reference comparing the 4-8 Raiders to last year's 4-8 Packers, claiming they have momentum, and can be 8-8 getting into the playoffs. Meanwhile, they run a national news wire article about snow weather plan, then AP runs a Sappy story talking about his rivalry with Favre, and so on! LAUGHABLE! HILARIOUS! I wrote the sports guy telling him so. He responded, "I am sorry if it doesn't appeal to your senses." They are just a typical late season maybe party poopers!


:USA: :USA: :USA: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
 
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TOPHAT

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ESPN: Prediction

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/nflpreview?gameId=271209009

Oakland's secondary has its hands full with Green Bay's WRs

Scouts Inc.: While the Oakland Raiders are coming off their second consecutive victory and feeling good about their progress the Green Bay Packers are licking their wounds after a tough loss to the Cowboys. The injury to QB Brett Favre is still some what of a question mark and it remains to be seen how well he will come back and perform. The Packers need to continue to win and keep the pressure on the Cowboys for NFC supremacy. The Raiders are out of postseason contention, but are trying to build on the recent success. This should be a physical contest between Oakland, which has over powered its last two opponents, and Green Bay, which had its worst defensive outing of the season last week.
 
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TOPHAT

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http://www.packerforum.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=198713#198713

Key matchup: Packers pass vs. Raiders defense


Oakland may be among the bottom-feeders this season, but it’s not because of any chinks in its pass defense. The Raiders rank fifth in the NFL in that department, yielding just 186.1 yards per game through the air. But can that trend continue against the Packers, who prefer to fill the field with receivers and boast one of the NFL’s top passing attacks? Brett Favre didn’t exactly look sharp during last week’s loss at Dallas, often throwing into double coverage and looking every bit his 38 years before the injury bug bit and knocked him out of the game. While No. 4 has been deemed good to go on Sunday, a repeat of what we saw against the Cowboys will only play to Oakland’s strength. Consider the Raiders’ D has 15 picks to its credit against only eight passing TDs. Also consider Oakland is limiting opposing QBs to a passer rating of 71.3 - third-best in the league. A patient Favre, decent protection up front and an efficient game plan could lead to big offensive yards -- especially if the running game can exploit one of the NFL’s worst rushing defenses -- and a resounding win. But if any, or all, of those elements fall short, Sunday’s contest could prove closer than many expect.
 
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