So, it’s come to this:
All the Oakland Raiders need to do to earn their first winning record since 2002 and a possible trip to the playoffs is win Sunday’s home game against the explosive Green Bay Packers, come back on Thursday night to beat the visiting Chargers on Christmas Eve and then close out the year with a victory at hostile Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
No problem, right?
One oddsmaking website gives the Raiders a 0.7 percent chance of pulling it off.
Yet the 6-7 Raiders, coming off an upset victory over the AFC West-leading Broncos last week, know that a three-game sweep won’t happen unless they take care of the Packers first. And that will be a difficult assignment.
Green Bay, 9-4, is coming off a 28-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and is a dangerous, explosive team on offense with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and rejuvenated running back Eddie Lacy. Lacy has rushed for 100 or more yards in three of the past four games, and the Packers rank No. 4 in the NFL in rushing.
Rodgers, off course, is the key. His quick release and mobility in the pocket are a counter to the Raiders’ ferocious pass rush in recent games, led by Khalil Mack (who had five sacks in Denver). This season, Rodgers has thrown 28 touchdown passes vs. just five interceptions.
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On defense, Green Bay has playmakers in linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers and a solid secondary. Peppers has seven sacks in just three career games vs. the Raiders.
Though oddsmakers have made Green Bay a 3-point favorite, the Raiders appear capable – and hungry enough – to pull the upset. Oakland’s defense against the run has been tough and its pass rush tougher. The Raiders now rank No. 12 in the NFL against the run.
And the Raiders’ passing attack with quarterback Derek Carr has proven it can put up points against any team in the league. Carr is 10th in the NFL with a 96.5 quarterback rating, with 28 TD throws vs. nine interceptions, and his receiving corps – featuring playmakers such as Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Seth Roberts, Clive Walford and Mychal Rivera – is talented and deep.
This week, Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio talked about how proud he is of his team and the strong defense being built. He says the Raiders want to have “a dominant defense here.”
But to beat the Packers, he said that defense will have to control Rodgers, something most teams can’t do.
“A big challenge,” said Del Rio. “Obviously he’s got a great arm, real quick delivery, he can kind of flip it from any position and make plays down the field, but he takes off and runs, makes plays happen with his feet. I think it’s 38 scrambles on the year for big yardage. He doesn’t just go and get a first down and get down, he’s going and taking off and trying to score with it.”
