Packers vs Raiders notes

Travis Duncan

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At least one person believes the Packers could gain significant yards on the ground against Oakland on Sunday should they try.

Vittoria Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle points out the Raiders aren't the best against the run.

"After all, the Raiders gave up 100 yards rushing last week to Reggie Bush, better known in six years in the NFL for once dating Kim Kardashian than piling up yards. Oakland is last in the NFL, giving up 5.2 yards a carry, last in 20-yard-plus runs given up (20) and 28th in yards rushing allowed per game (141.4).

James Starks did not practice Friday because of a lingering ankle injury, and likely won't play Sunday. That will leave the carries to Ryan Grant, Brandon Saine and John Kuhn.

-The Packers can clinch a first-round bye with a win on Sunday OR a New Orleans Saints loss to Tennessee.

-The Packers signed QB Graham Harrell from the practice squad this week. Harrell could be in the running to be Aaron Rodgers' backup next season should Matt Flynn leave via free agency.

-Raiders coach Hue Jackson wants his team to believe they can beat the Packers.

“I think everybody is beatable," he told Packers media this week, via the team's official website.

"You just have to play your best game. You have to play probably as well as you’ve played all year in order to do it. Everybody is going to take their shot at them. It’s our opportunity now. We’re the next team up. We’re not coming there to lose, that’s for sure. We’re coming there with an attitude that we’re coming there to win a football game, and that’s what you have to do. If you don’t, you might as well not even make the trip."

-The Raiders are the fourth-best rushing team in the NFL this season. Their total offense is ranked 12th (skewed for a run-first team).

Michael Bush has 266 yards of rushing in his last two games, filling in for the injured Darren McFadden.

-CBS will send its top broadcast team to Green Bay Sunday. Play-by-play man Jim Nantz and color analyst Phil Simms will have the call from the broadcast booth.

-The last time Green Bay and Oakland met, it was also in Week 14 at Lambeau Field. The Packers won that ’07 contest, 38-7, as they clinched the NFC North title in front of their home crowd.

-When LB Clay Matthews intercepted Giants QB Eli Manning at New York on Sunday and returned the pick 38 yards for a score, it marked the third straight season that Matthews had scored a defensive TD.

-The Lambeau Leap turns 18-years old this month. Fitting that in year that has seen a league leading 23 interceptions that the Leap was invented not by an offensive player but by safety LeRoy Butler. Butler performed the very first Lambeau Leap, according to the team, on Dec. 26th 1993 against the Los Angeles Raiders.

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-Fans can vote Aaron Rodgers onto the cover of the Dec. 26th issue of Sports Illustrated. 15 covers are up for vote for the "Best Sports Moment of 2011" Rodgers nomination will be for his 3 TDs in Super Bowl XLV. You can vote at http://www.facebook.com/SportsIllustrated
 
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