Rastak
12-07-2007, 05:18 AM
Why To Watch
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.
When the Raiders have the ball
Rushing: Oakland's ground attack has been the Raiders strong suit offensively in 2007. Since the injury to RB LaMont Jordan, Justin Fargas has carried the load with excellent vision, burst and power-inline speed. The Raiders' offensive line appears to have gelled over the past couple of weeks and has done a nice job of sustaining their blocks in the power-zone schemes. Fargas has enough strength to be effective between the tackles, but also possesses great straight-line speed to turn the corner on the perimeter. Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin relies heavily on establishing a ground attack to control the tempo of the game.
Green Bay's defense uses a base 4-3 scheme that has been stingy versus the run and yields 100.5 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders will use a variety of zone-run blitzes, interior stunts and extra men in the box to derail the opponent's ground assault. Sanders uses a high-pressure defensive philosophy and may likely take more chances with eight-man fronts to keep Fargas from getting on track. The battle in the trenches and the ground attack will help the Raiders keep the ball away from the potent Packers' offense.
Passing: Oakland's passing game has been less than impressive in 2007 and the Raiders continue to bounce back and forth between signal callers Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown. Plus, rookie QB JaMarcus Russell did play in limited action last week and may get more playing time in Week 14. Oakland has two solid perimeter targets in WRs Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry. McCown had an excellent game versus the Broncos while completing 66.7 percent of his passes including three touchdowns. Tight end Zach Miller has been a reliable short and intermediate route runner while both Fargas and Justin Griffith are effective options out of the backfield.
The Raiders have had a tough time protecting their passer giving up 33 sacks thus far and the Packers have been very good at getting after the opponent's quarterback with a variety of pressure packages. Sanders likes to play press man coverage with his talented corners on the outside and bring extra defenders from different areas. The Packers have one of the best pass rushing duos in the league when Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila are healthy. With the Packers being so good at pressuring the quarterback, Kiffin may spread their defense out and use a short, quick passing game to keep pass rushers off balance.
When the Packers have the ball
Rushing: Green Bay's ground assault has improved since midway through the season with the emergence of backup running back Ryan Grant. Though the numbers are less than impressive (only 85 yards per game on the ground) the Packers have been more balanced in recent weeks establishing Grant early in the contest. He has shown excellent inline vision, foot agility and power while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Grant doesn't have great perimeter speed, but has enough quickness, balance and athleticism to pick up chunks of yards. If Green Bay spreads the Raiders out by formation, it may open up some natural running lanes for Grant to exploit. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and head coach Mike McCarthy will continue to work for a balanced offensive game plan, but will go to the air quickly if the Raiders play well in the trenches.
Oakland's defense has been poor stopping the run yielding 148 yards per contest. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan uses a base 4-3 front with a good mixture of interior stunts and zone blitzes to derail the run, but rarely puts eight in the box. The Raiders did a nice job versus Denver's ground attack a week ago out of their base 4-3 scheme and will likely have to play more nickel packages versus the Packers' explosive spread sets.
Passing: Green Bay's air attack is one of the most explosive in the league with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre having one of his best seasons ever. With the injury to Favre (right elbow, left shoulder) there is still some question on how well he will perform. He is likely to play (and keep the streak alive), but just how much it will affect his accuracy and arm strength is not yet known. The Packers use a variety of formations to outmaneuver defensive schemes. McCarthy and Philbin will use an empty set with five quick receivers or more conventional formations and motions to get their best matchups. Favre has several excellent targets to get the ball to with veteran WR Donald Driver and second-year WR Greg Jennings on the perimeter along with TE Donald Lee having his most productive season on short and intermediate routes. Rookie wide receiver James Jones has also been explosive with the ball after the catch.
The Raiders have been inconsistent at pressuring the quarterback, but have two capable defenders at the corner position that can match up on the outside. The Raiders will use a variety of zone and man coverages along with a pressure package that will come from different areas of the defense. This should be an intriguing matchup between Oakland's secondary and the explosive targets that Favre will spread the ball to.
Special Teams
Oakland's special teams have been somewhat average in 2007, but have a bright spot in punter Shane Lechler. He has excellent leg strength and is one of the best at pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line. Place kicker Sebastian Janikowski has a powerful leg, but is inconsistent with his accuracy. Both return specialists for the Raiders, Johnnie Lee Higgins and Chris Carr, are very average, but are sure handed.
The Packers have been solid with their kickers, but inconsistent with their coverage teams. Punter Jon Ryan has good leg strength with effective hang time. Rookie Mason Crosby has been solid hitting 80 percent of his attempts. Charles Woodson has been average returning punts and will likely yield this responsibility to Tramon Williams due to injury. Williams has shown great quickness and speed to change field position. Koren Robinson and Williams are solid returning kicks but have few explosive plays.
Can the Raiders string three effective offensive games together and score enough for a road win?
The Raiders have won the past two contest in impressive fashion by establishing a physical ground attack and efficient passing game. First year head coach Lane Kiffin has found something to hang his hat on in fifth-year running back Justin Fargas. The emergence of Fargas as their featured back has been impressive and Fargas is averaging 3.7 yards per carry.
The Packers have been solid defending the run yielding 114.1 yards per game, but have been exploited at times in the trenches. In their last game versus Dallas, Marion Barber averaged 4.8 yards per carry versus the Packers' 4-3 defensive scheme, which enabled the Cowboys to open up the field. It's likely that Kiffin will continue to pound the ball early in the contest to give which ever signal caller that's at the helm easier third down conversions.
The Raiders had their most complete offensive outing of the season with Fargas marking up 146 yards and backup quarterback Josh McCown tossing three touchdowns and no interceptions last week. This week's matchup against a rested Packers defense will be the Raiders toughest task to date. The Raiders are feeling good about themselves, but it's unlikely that they can string a third good offensive outing against a Packers defense that wants to redeem themselves.
Can Brett Favre bounce back from his Week 13 outing?
The last time the Packers took the field they left with a loss and their ageless quarterback left due to injury. Despite the fact that Favre has declared himself healthy for this week's contest versus the Raiders, there are still questions as to how well he will perform after a right elbow injury and a separated left shoulder.
The game plan, reads and importance of this contest won't be a challenge for the future Hall of Famer but, depending on how much practice he has missed this week, the timing and confidence in how well his banged up 38-year old body can bounce back, may be. The passing game has carried this Packers club in 2007 despite an improved ground attack and a solid defense, so he will have to continue to toss the ball around effectively for Green Bay to keep pace for NFC supremacy.
Favre has been able to be more judicious with his passes in 2007, but appeared to force the ball some against the Cowboys. Oakland's defense isn't on the same level with Dallas, but it's likely that Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will use some of the same pressure packages and combination zone coverages versus the explosive Packers' air assault. Odds are Favre won't be 100 percent for this game, but if anyone can bounce back from those injuries it is him.
Is the Raiders' defense equipped to slow down this explosive Packers offense?
The Packers are first in passing and second in total offense in the NFC. Only the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys have a more impressive offense than the Packers this season.
The Raiders' defense had been underachieving much of the season, but has played much better as of late. Ryan appears to have found the right combination of pressure packages and coverages to keep opposing offenses off balance. This week's matchup versus the Packers' offense will be Oakland's toughest task to date. With head coach Mike McCarthy likely to spread defenses out with four and five-receiver sets it will be a challenge for Ryan to come up with a new wrinkle that Favre hasn't seen. It did appear that Favre had a chink in his armor throwing the ball into coverage and when he has to get rid of the ball early.
Look for Ryan and the Raiders' defense to play wide open football because they have nothing to loose and would love to knock off one of the big dogs in the league. On paper, it seems the Raiders defense should struggle agaisn the Packers, but with Favre coming off of injury and the elements up in Wisconsin may be enough to level the playing field in this week's matchup.
Scouts' Edge
The Scouts Inc. Position Advantage
QB RB WR OL DL LB DB ST Coach
The Packers are coming off a 10-day lay off after a hard fought defeat in which they lost their Hall of Fame quarterback for much of the contest. The Raiders have strung two impressive victories together and are feeling great about their progress. Oakland's defense has started to shows signs of last year's excellent play and will be aggressive versus a banged up Favre.
Most who follow the Packers closely are waiting to see just how well Favre will perform with his left shoulder separated and a banged up right elbow. Green Bay has a formidable defense that was somewhat-embarrassed in last week's loss to the Cowboys, while the Raiders' ground attack has been extremely physical in the past two games.
This should be a hard fought battle between one of the NFC's elite teams that needs to get back on track and an invigorated AFC bottom feeder that is trying to build on their recent success. If the Raiders can take care of the football it will be close in the fourth quarter, but it's more likely that the Packers will bounce back with an excellent effort to make a statement in Week 14.
Prediction: Packers 27, Raiders 17
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.
When the Raiders have the ball
Rushing: Oakland's ground attack has been the Raiders strong suit offensively in 2007. Since the injury to RB LaMont Jordan, Justin Fargas has carried the load with excellent vision, burst and power-inline speed. The Raiders' offensive line appears to have gelled over the past couple of weeks and has done a nice job of sustaining their blocks in the power-zone schemes. Fargas has enough strength to be effective between the tackles, but also possesses great straight-line speed to turn the corner on the perimeter. Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin relies heavily on establishing a ground attack to control the tempo of the game.
Green Bay's defense uses a base 4-3 scheme that has been stingy versus the run and yields 100.5 yards per game. Defensive coordinator Bob Sanders will use a variety of zone-run blitzes, interior stunts and extra men in the box to derail the opponent's ground assault. Sanders uses a high-pressure defensive philosophy and may likely take more chances with eight-man fronts to keep Fargas from getting on track. The battle in the trenches and the ground attack will help the Raiders keep the ball away from the potent Packers' offense.
Passing: Oakland's passing game has been less than impressive in 2007 and the Raiders continue to bounce back and forth between signal callers Daunte Culpepper and Josh McCown. Plus, rookie QB JaMarcus Russell did play in limited action last week and may get more playing time in Week 14. Oakland has two solid perimeter targets in WRs Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry. McCown had an excellent game versus the Broncos while completing 66.7 percent of his passes including three touchdowns. Tight end Zach Miller has been a reliable short and intermediate route runner while both Fargas and Justin Griffith are effective options out of the backfield.
The Raiders have had a tough time protecting their passer giving up 33 sacks thus far and the Packers have been very good at getting after the opponent's quarterback with a variety of pressure packages. Sanders likes to play press man coverage with his talented corners on the outside and bring extra defenders from different areas. The Packers have one of the best pass rushing duos in the league when Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila are healthy. With the Packers being so good at pressuring the quarterback, Kiffin may spread their defense out and use a short, quick passing game to keep pass rushers off balance.
When the Packers have the ball
Rushing: Green Bay's ground assault has improved since midway through the season with the emergence of backup running back Ryan Grant. Though the numbers are less than impressive (only 85 yards per game on the ground) the Packers have been more balanced in recent weeks establishing Grant early in the contest. He has shown excellent inline vision, foot agility and power while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Grant doesn't have great perimeter speed, but has enough quickness, balance and athleticism to pick up chunks of yards. If Green Bay spreads the Raiders out by formation, it may open up some natural running lanes for Grant to exploit. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and head coach Mike McCarthy will continue to work for a balanced offensive game plan, but will go to the air quickly if the Raiders play well in the trenches.
Oakland's defense has been poor stopping the run yielding 148 yards per contest. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan uses a base 4-3 front with a good mixture of interior stunts and zone blitzes to derail the run, but rarely puts eight in the box. The Raiders did a nice job versus Denver's ground attack a week ago out of their base 4-3 scheme and will likely have to play more nickel packages versus the Packers' explosive spread sets.
Passing: Green Bay's air attack is one of the most explosive in the league with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre having one of his best seasons ever. With the injury to Favre (right elbow, left shoulder) there is still some question on how well he will perform. He is likely to play (and keep the streak alive), but just how much it will affect his accuracy and arm strength is not yet known. The Packers use a variety of formations to outmaneuver defensive schemes. McCarthy and Philbin will use an empty set with five quick receivers or more conventional formations and motions to get their best matchups. Favre has several excellent targets to get the ball to with veteran WR Donald Driver and second-year WR Greg Jennings on the perimeter along with TE Donald Lee having his most productive season on short and intermediate routes. Rookie wide receiver James Jones has also been explosive with the ball after the catch.
The Raiders have been inconsistent at pressuring the quarterback, but have two capable defenders at the corner position that can match up on the outside. The Raiders will use a variety of zone and man coverages along with a pressure package that will come from different areas of the defense. This should be an intriguing matchup between Oakland's secondary and the explosive targets that Favre will spread the ball to.
Special Teams
Oakland's special teams have been somewhat average in 2007, but have a bright spot in punter Shane Lechler. He has excellent leg strength and is one of the best at pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line. Place kicker Sebastian Janikowski has a powerful leg, but is inconsistent with his accuracy. Both return specialists for the Raiders, Johnnie Lee Higgins and Chris Carr, are very average, but are sure handed.
The Packers have been solid with their kickers, but inconsistent with their coverage teams. Punter Jon Ryan has good leg strength with effective hang time. Rookie Mason Crosby has been solid hitting 80 percent of his attempts. Charles Woodson has been average returning punts and will likely yield this responsibility to Tramon Williams due to injury. Williams has shown great quickness and speed to change field position. Koren Robinson and Williams are solid returning kicks but have few explosive plays.
Can the Raiders string three effective offensive games together and score enough for a road win?
The Raiders have won the past two contest in impressive fashion by establishing a physical ground attack and efficient passing game. First year head coach Lane Kiffin has found something to hang his hat on in fifth-year running back Justin Fargas. The emergence of Fargas as their featured back has been impressive and Fargas is averaging 3.7 yards per carry.
The Packers have been solid defending the run yielding 114.1 yards per game, but have been exploited at times in the trenches. In their last game versus Dallas, Marion Barber averaged 4.8 yards per carry versus the Packers' 4-3 defensive scheme, which enabled the Cowboys to open up the field. It's likely that Kiffin will continue to pound the ball early in the contest to give which ever signal caller that's at the helm easier third down conversions.
The Raiders had their most complete offensive outing of the season with Fargas marking up 146 yards and backup quarterback Josh McCown tossing three touchdowns and no interceptions last week. This week's matchup against a rested Packers defense will be the Raiders toughest task to date. The Raiders are feeling good about themselves, but it's unlikely that they can string a third good offensive outing against a Packers defense that wants to redeem themselves.
Can Brett Favre bounce back from his Week 13 outing?
The last time the Packers took the field they left with a loss and their ageless quarterback left due to injury. Despite the fact that Favre has declared himself healthy for this week's contest versus the Raiders, there are still questions as to how well he will perform after a right elbow injury and a separated left shoulder.
The game plan, reads and importance of this contest won't be a challenge for the future Hall of Famer but, depending on how much practice he has missed this week, the timing and confidence in how well his banged up 38-year old body can bounce back, may be. The passing game has carried this Packers club in 2007 despite an improved ground attack and a solid defense, so he will have to continue to toss the ball around effectively for Green Bay to keep pace for NFC supremacy.
Favre has been able to be more judicious with his passes in 2007, but appeared to force the ball some against the Cowboys. Oakland's defense isn't on the same level with Dallas, but it's likely that Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will use some of the same pressure packages and combination zone coverages versus the explosive Packers' air assault. Odds are Favre won't be 100 percent for this game, but if anyone can bounce back from those injuries it is him.
Is the Raiders' defense equipped to slow down this explosive Packers offense?
The Packers are first in passing and second in total offense in the NFC. Only the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys have a more impressive offense than the Packers this season.
The Raiders' defense had been underachieving much of the season, but has played much better as of late. Ryan appears to have found the right combination of pressure packages and coverages to keep opposing offenses off balance. This week's matchup versus the Packers' offense will be Oakland's toughest task to date. With head coach Mike McCarthy likely to spread defenses out with four and five-receiver sets it will be a challenge for Ryan to come up with a new wrinkle that Favre hasn't seen. It did appear that Favre had a chink in his armor throwing the ball into coverage and when he has to get rid of the ball early.
Look for Ryan and the Raiders' defense to play wide open football because they have nothing to loose and would love to knock off one of the big dogs in the league. On paper, it seems the Raiders defense should struggle agaisn the Packers, but with Favre coming off of injury and the elements up in Wisconsin may be enough to level the playing field in this week's matchup.
Scouts' Edge
The Scouts Inc. Position Advantage
QB RB WR OL DL LB DB ST Coach
The Packers are coming off a 10-day lay off after a hard fought defeat in which they lost their Hall of Fame quarterback for much of the contest. The Raiders have strung two impressive victories together and are feeling great about their progress. Oakland's defense has started to shows signs of last year's excellent play and will be aggressive versus a banged up Favre.
Most who follow the Packers closely are waiting to see just how well Favre will perform with his left shoulder separated and a banged up right elbow. Green Bay has a formidable defense that was somewhat-embarrassed in last week's loss to the Cowboys, while the Raiders' ground attack has been extremely physical in the past two games.
This should be a hard fought battle between one of the NFC's elite teams that needs to get back on track and an invigorated AFC bottom feeder that is trying to build on their recent success. If the Raiders can take care of the football it will be close in the fourth quarter, but it's more likely that the Packers will bounce back with an excellent effort to make a statement in Week 14.
Prediction: Packers 27, Raiders 17