Silver and Black Report

“I’ve seen how that works. It’s the same relationship Ron Wolf had with coach Mike Holmgren. I think when you have a great relationship from the top, it filters down. The Packer organization is done right, and that’s why I’m gonna make sure our chain of command is done that way. It will factor a lot.” – Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie

Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie has already stated that the Green Bay model for success will play a part in how he operates with his new team. With the Packers ouster from the playoffs, McKenzie can continue his coaching search with staffers he is accustomed to working with.

Winston Moss and Dom Capers are the first names that jump off the list of potential candidates.

Both coach on the defensive side of the ball, one with deep Raider ties, the other a long-time respected coach in the league.

Joe Philbin, Green Bay’s offensive coordinator, who recently endured the death of his son, also could be requested by McKenzie. Tom Clements, their quarterbacks coach could be an interesting option, especially if McKenzie opts to chase Matt Flynn, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

Flynn will not be franchised by the Packers – a costly designation – and will be chased heavily by the Redskins and Seahawks.

Todd Bowles has been the only candidate that has been confirmed. Over the next few hours, we could hear who will be scheduled to visit Alameda. Chances are, it will be someone from the Packers staff.

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Here’s a look at what some former Raiders did yesterday during the divisional round of the playoffs:

Dave Tollefson – Giants DL

Was shutout from the boxscore and was just a reserve during New York’s 37-20 win versus the top-seeded Packers.

Charles Woodson – Packers CB

“Anything you’ve seen through the regular season happened to us today — missed tackles, (missed) assignments, not getting to the QB. We let them throw for a bunch of yards. Everything that happened during the season happened today,” said the former Oakland cornerback. Woodson was of the goats from yesterday’s defeat.

Winston Moss – Packers Asst. HC/LB coach

Played for the Los Angeles Raiders (1991-94) and in 1993, when he led the Silver & Black in tackles on the team that advanced to the AFC Divisional playoffs, he earned the Ed Block Courage Award. All eyes now turn to Green Bay’s ouster, as there a few candidates that Reggie McKenzie can pick from to be Oakland’s next head coach.

Darren Perry – Packers Secondary/Safeties coach

Perry coached the Raiders secondary for two years (2007-2008), aiding the development of Nnamdi Asomugha and helping the Silver & Black stay within the top-10 versus the pass in both of those campaigns. The Packers allowed 325-yards passing yesterday and were ranked last in the entire league in aerial yards per game.

Greg Knapp – Texans QB coach

Houston’s playoff run came to an abrupt end in Baltimore, as Tyler Yates went 17/35 for 184-yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. Knapp had a tough task at the end of the years, prepping his young passer for a post-season experience after losing the team’s top two passers.

Chris Carr – Ravens CB

Chris Carr in his playing days with the Silver & Black.

Was inactive during Baltimore’s 20-13 victory versus Houston.

Chuck Pagano – Ravens defensive coordinator

Spent two campaigns with the Raiders as a defensive backs coach. In 2006, Oakland led the league in pass defense (150.8) and Asomugha had a breakout year with eight interceptions. Pagano is now the mastermind behind that stout Ravens defense.

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According to Todd Bowles the Oakland Raiders head coaching job is not reserved for anyone in particular.

Miami’s interim coach at the end of the 2011 season interviewed with Reggie McKenzie this weekend and according to sources, the time he spent with the new general manager in Oakland was very productive.

McKenzie has been linked to Winston Moss, who is currently the assistant head coach / inside linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers. A report surfaced later in the week that Dom Capers could also interview and possibly offensive coordinator Joe Philbin.

Bowles came away feeling good with his four-hour interview with the Silver & Black, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stop searching for a job, especially since he is a candidate for the Vikings defensive coordinator gig and many Dolphins’ players have openly stated their desire to have Bowles back.

Oakland reportedly plans to meet with him again for another session. Bowles may also get a look at from the Rams.

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Here’s part two of the transcript with analysis of yesterday’s introductory press conference in Alameda featuring Mark Davis and Reggie McKenzie, as the Oakland Raiders introduce a new general manager.

On defensive coaches on staff and new coach:

McKenzie: “No, I’m not going to have any say so. What I’m going to do is empower the head coach to hire his staff. The best possible staff that he can hire. We’re not going ot tie the guy’s hand and tell him ‘he has to hire this guy’ or ‘this guy.’ That wouldn’t be fair to the new head coach.”

ANALYSIS:

Refreshing, huh? No one will tell the coach what system to run, what plays to call, who to play or not play and no one will be imposed on any person in charge of the team. A new era in Raider-land.

On Oakland’s new outlook and whether Mark will stay on course with dad’s path:

Mark Davis: “It’s based on bringing the Raiders to greatness. That’s always been his goal. And to win. And that’s my goal. And we are doing it in different ways because I don’t know what my dad knew.”

ANALYSIS:

Mark is not his dad, and that will keep order in the organization, clearly state a chain of command and bring the Raiders into a modern age of football.

Following Green Bay’s model of success:

McKenzie: “Very much. I’ve seen how that works. It’s the same relationship Ron Wolf had with coach Mike Holmgren. I think when you have a great relationship from the top, it filters down. The Packer organization is done right.”

What defensive philosophy does he prefer; 3-4 or 4-3?

McKenzie: “I like ‘em both. Just give me some players. If you got the great players, you can do whatever you want. That’s what I want.”

On how much he will be involved:

M.Davis: “Reggie is going to be running the show there.”

“Reggie is going to be making the decisions. And that’s where it should be.”

How would you describe yourself as an owner?

M.Davis: “I would say I’m an observer. I like to observe things and see how things are going and then actually act on those types of things I see. I’m not the type of person that will make a decision right away.”

“I guess I have patience.”

Why he took the GM job?

McKenzie, a former linebacker who was drafted by the Raiders said: “Guys, this is where I came from. I’m back home now. Ok, I’m back home. So, the job was easy. As soon as Mark told me, ‘we want you for the job,’ I couldn’t stop smiling.”

Do you think the 2011 Raiders were a playoff ready team?

M.Davis: “Yeah, I felt it was.”

On his new duties:

McKenzie: “Top priority is trying to get this personnel staff. The team, our talent are what we need to upgrade. From meetings, from going to the Senior Bowl, the combine, the draft preparation – it’s all about the team from here on out.”

On his QB situation, Jason Campbell being a free agent and Carson Palmer being under contract:

McKenzie: “Competition will be at every position. Nobody is going to have a job handed to them. You don’t get better that way. Yes, there will be competition, who that is, that’s going to be day-to-day, checking the waiver wire, day-today evaluations. We will find good players to compete with the good players that we have, everyday. Carson Palmer will not be immune of a good player behind him to push him – that’s how you get better.”

ANALYSIS:

Oakland is really thin at quarterback after Palmer, so expect McKenzie to look through the market for a guy who may be able to push the incumbent. Palmer at times looked like his old self – a very good sign considering he was plucked out of retirement and did not have the luxury of camp to acclimate himself with the offense and teammates. But McKenzie clearly stated his want for competition, and he inherited this situation, so he has no strings attached to Palmer. Matt Flynn, who is the Packers current back-up and raised eye-brows with his 480-yard and six TD performance at season’s end is a free agent. Someone like him could be brought in to compete with Palmer and possibly take over in the future. He’s only 26, and McKenzie has seen him first hand.

On John Madden’s role with the organization:

M.Davis: “I think John is happy with what he’s doing.”

On his playing days with the Silver & Black:

McKenzie: “A lot of great memories. I played with a great group of guys. When I walked into the building, I was greeted by some of my teammates – that was great to see. I did not expect to see that.”

On building a team:

McKenzie: “The bottom line, you want to make sure you got productive good football players. And what that means is, it’s not totally talent. I want some guys who love to play the game that’s going to play hard – play tough. That’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for some guys who want to play and want to win. That will to compete – you can find that in a guy easily.”

“I like big and strong [players]. Always will. Like speed. That’s not going to change. We want good football players.”

On Jackson ripping the players and wanting a stronger hand in the organization:

M.Davis: “I don’t want to comment on that.”

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The National Football League’s All Pro team was selected this week and no members of the Silver & Black were selected.

Six Oakland Raiders received votes, but their cross bay rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, kept two stand out players off the squad. Sebastian Janikowski and Shane Lechler, who will represent the conference in the Pro Bowl, were runner-ups to David Akers and Andy Lee.

Tyvon Branch, Richard Seymour, Jared Veldheer and Marcel Reece all received at least one vote of a possible 50 at each position by a national panel of writers that cover the league.

Now that the Raiders will have Reggie McKenzie as their new general manager, here are some initial thoughts on the hiring:

What’s his philosophy in selecting players and evaluating talent? Yesterday, I posted an article that gave you some insight into his thinking. But, we all know that when Al Davis was in action during the draft, it was all about the biggest, fastest and most decorated players.

Hue Jackson: There’s no denying his want for power and the fact that he wants to have his fingerprints on anything Silver & Black. But now he has a general manager he has to answer to. Jackson can now be held accountable for all the moves he has made and will be tied with the success or failure of Carson Palmer. McKenzie inherits Palmer, a depleted draft class and a team chopped full of talent that went on a slide after posting a 7-4 record heading into December. Will McKenzie even want to work with Jackson? It could also be one and done for the coach if McKenzie wants to do it his way. That may be the case if Oakland wants to start fresh and wash away the taste of a 2011 season that ended badly. And if Jackson does want too much power over the roster and becomes a nuisance, let the coaching search begin.

The Defense: It’s a matter of time for the ax to come down on a few staffers. McKenzie will likely see this unit in-fit to move forward and compete. Who stays, who goes… especially players will be very interesting.

Contracts: Palmer is here to stay — you can’t argue that. But what other contracts may the new g.m. see unfit? Will Stanford Routt’s contract be in jeopardy? Who will be asked to take a pay-cut or allocate their money elsewhere?

Free Agency: I’ve mentioned the importance of retaining Michael Bush, but now, it’s not just what Jackson may want, but what McKenzie will want to accomplish with the club with the future in mind. Jackson did the ultimate live for today move by trading for Palmer. In the NFL, some coaches live from year-to-year. Not general managers who have a plan for the organization and want to see them build towards consistency.

Green Bay crossover: McKenzie spent a lifetime for some as a Packer. So its natural for him to try to migrate some people over; whether staffers or players that he has had success with to Oakland. Darren Perry, Winston Moss, Kevin Greene and Mike Trgovac could all have a possible role with the Raiders once the defense begins to get revamped.

TE/WR Jermichael Finley, RB Ryan Grant, C Scott Wells, DL Johnny Jolly will be free agents. If Bush does not get tagged or signed, Grant could be an option. If Kevin Boss’ contract is not honored, Finley could be a dynamic addition and if Stefen Wisniewski is kept at guard and Samson Satele is not around, Wells could be replacement.

We’ll find out more about McKenzie during his introductory press conference and bring you more info on SBReport.net then.

MORE

Ron Wolf on McKenzie: “Well, he’s worked his way right from the bottom up, all the way up to the top. He’s gone as far as you can go in his particular area, personnel. He’s handled every aspect in the personnel office that one could handle. He’s signed players. He’s cut players. He’s involved with players in contractual disputes. He’s handled things with the union. He understands how contracts work. He understands how the money end of the game works. He’s negotiated contracts. But most importantly, he’s an exceptional judge of talent.”

Wolf on Mark Davis: “I think what Mark Davis’ deal is, he wants to bring the Raiders back to where they were, the glory years of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. I think that’s what he wants to do. I also think he’s smart enough to realize what he can and cannot do, what he’s capable of and what he isn’t capable of. So I think, rather than putting himself in the limelight, I would think that he is going to hire people that would enable him to bring out the best in the Raiders. He knows, I believe, Mark is smart enough to know what he can do, and he will only help in areas that he can help in. I don’t think he feels that he needs to be the front line guy here.”

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Tim Tebow is now 7-1 as a starter and the Denver Broncos are atop the AFC West. Anything that could go right for the division leaders did; anything that could go wrong for the Oakland Raiders, has.

It’s not a full-blown collapse for Hue Jackson’s team, but they are headed in the wrong direction during the league’s most important stretch – December football. Oakland was shellacked in Green Bay, 46-16 and now must chase and hope for help in the final three weeks of the season.

“I’m not going to let this team keep going backwards,” Jackson said. “The last two weeks, we haven’t come close to playing or looking like the football team we’ve been.”

Oakland has looked horrible in back-to-back weeks, trailing 34-0 for a second straight contest, adding to their record pursuing tally for penalties and playing lifeless football.

“We didn’t play well on either side of the ball or on special teams, and when you play the best team in football, that’s what’s going to happen. You can’t turn the ball over five times, commit 11 penalties and think you have a chance to win a game,” continued the head coach.

Meanwhile, the Tebow-lead Broncos are doing whatever it takes; regardless if it appears to be divine intervention, they are winning when it matters most.

“We just didn’t finish,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said yesterday. Something Oakland is not dong.

Whether the injuries are catching up to them, or the competition, the Raiders have not shown grit or desire to take grasp of their division.

They had a three game home stretch earlier in the year that could’ve put some distance between the other clubs that were struggling in the west, and they failed.

They had a brief stay atop by themselves in the West – that was squandered.

Now, if they make it into the post-season, the Silver & Black will need to show some guts and navigate through a schedule that has a tough Detroit Lions’ team, with the return of their best defender, and two rivals that would love to add to their current misery.

M.I.A – RICHARD SEYMOUR

It seems like when Richard Seymour is needed most, the Raiders defensive tackle has disappeared or not helped his club at all.

During their loss versus the Patriots, Oakland needed a massive effort from their interior lineman, instead they got undisciplined play. Unnecessary roughness infractions, no sacks and little impact was the final stat line.

In Miami last week, Seymour extended his streak of ejections per season to three and was chastised by his coach.

Yesterday, the defense was plowed through and he failed to even make the boxscore – no tackles, no sacks and no impact.

Seymour stated: “We couldn’t get off the field on third down. They kept drives alive. We had too many penalties. We just played bad football, no excuses about it. That’s just bad football, period, and I’m a part of it.”

He was acquired for runs like this. A veteran with winning experience – a champion who players can look up to and follow when it’s time to take it to the next level.

Seymour has three weeks to show he can.

MORE NOTES

• Seeding for the AFC playoffs would be this if they started today: 1. Texans; 2. Ravens; 3. Patriots; 4. Broncos: 5. Steelers: 6. Jets.
• In the 2009 season, after a 38-0 trouncing at the hands of the Jets, Seymour stated: “I don’t think we could have beaten an Oakland high school team today. Ironically, earlier in that week he commented Oakland would make the playoffs. Yesterday, Aaron Curry was quoted: “You are not going to beat a high school team with the penalties and mistakes (like) the ones that we made.”
• “I don’t want to give him all the credit,” Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said of  Tim Tebow. “But at the same time, he comes through at crunch time every week. Every single week it’s like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ It gets to the point where you say, ‘What the frickin’ is happening here?’ “

 

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The Oakland Raiders (7-6) ran into the NFL’s best team – the undefeated, defending Super Bowl champs – and were massacred 46-16. Sunday’s victory by the Green Bay Packers (13-0) clinched a bye week  in the post-season and just emphasized how far the Silver & Black are from being at their level. Here’s a look at what went wrong at Lambeau Field for Oakland:

PENALTIES, TURNOVERS & POOR TACKLING

Oakland had eight penalties for 64-yards in the first half and ended with 11 infractions for 89-yards at games end.

Jared Veldheer’s hold on their second drive was disheartening due to the fact that they were moving the ball well at the onset of the game and were already down 7-0 on that possession. The Raiders did not move the ball after that penalty and were forced to punt.

Green Bay scored on their next drive and was quickly up 14-0.

Mike Mitchell was flagged for pass interference on a 3^rd and 16.

Carson Palmer had the Silver & Black moving on the opening drive, but a costly interception in Green Bay territory was the start of an ugly afternoon. Oakland’s starting passer set-up the Packers in the 2^nd quarter with his second interception of the game into the hands of Charles Woodson. The quarter was quoted after the game, “I put us in a position not to win, turning the ball over and not taking advantage of opportunities. That is what cost us this game. I did not play well enough to give us a chance to win.”

The Packers began the drive at the Oakland 25-yard line and four plays later, were up 31-0 on Ryan Grant’s six-yard run.  Oakland finished with five turnovers. “You can’t turn the ball over five times, commit 11 penalties and think you have a chance to win a game,” said Hue Jackson after the game.

The defense did not wrap up many times, missed opportunities to take down Green Bay ball carriers and were undisciplined in the first half.  Grant recorded 44 of his 85 rush yards after initial contact. That’s the most rush yards after contact in a single game for a Packers running back all season.

DEFENSIVE NO-SHOW

Granted, the offense did put Chuck Bresnahan’s bunch in tough spots with quick possessions and short fields, but the run defense was a sieve and a lack of energy early in the contest was evident.

Rolando McClain was lost in Ryan Grant’s 47-yard run for a score to open the game, as the rusher danced through the line of scrimmage and had everyone in the secondary trailing.

Green Bay out-rushed the Silver & Black 136-117 and averaged a staggering 9.2 rush yards per carry in the first half.

The Raiders did finish with four sacks, but not enough pressure was put on Aaron Rodgers when they needed it most. Veteran lineman Richard Seymour was non-existent.

At the half, the Packers 296 total yards of offense and were 2-4 on 3^rd downs. That’s when it mattered most, and at that point, their lead was an insurmountable 31-0. Green Bay had four touchdowns and a field goal on its first five possessions.

“Our quarterback is outstanding at handling the no-huddle. He has the best seat in the house. We’re playing at home. We knew our defense would have a chance to go out and jump on these people,” Packers head coach Mike McCarthy commented.

ANYTHING THAT COULD GO WRONG…DID.

Just when you thought Oakland had executed soundly, something happened to make their afternoon a longer one.

Trailing 31-0, the Raiders called a fake punt, but Shane Lechler missed a wide-open Rock Cartwright, giving the Packers possession at the Oakland 28-yard line. Lechler commented: “I just missed the throw. If I don’t miss the throw, it’s a first down, easy. It was there. I haven’t missed that pass since I don’t know how long. Just a bad throw.”

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Randall Cobb clearly had his foot out of bounds during a 50-yard return. But the replay system malfunctioned and kept the play from being changed.

Kamerion Wimbley had recovered a fumble and returned it 82-yard for a score before halftime, but Green Bay challenged the call on the field and the play was reversed, as Rodgers’ apparent turnover was ruled an incompletion.

GAME NOTES

• Carson Palmer ended the game 24/42 for 245-yards, one touchdown and four interceptions (42.4 QB rating). Aaron Rodgers was 17/30 for 281-yards, two scores and one interception (96.7 QB rating, lowest of the season).
• Darrius Heyward-Bey led Oakland with 78-yards receiving, on five catches. Louis Murphy added another 70-yards on four grabs. Kevin Boss tallied his second touchdown as a Raider in the 4^th quarter.
• Rolando McClain had 7 solo tackles, 3 tackles for losses and 2 sacks. His second sack was of Matt Flynn in the end zone, leading to a safety. At that point, Oakland was down 46-9.
• On Erik Walden’s 5-yard fumble return for a score, Marce Reece had lost possession of the football and Palmer was unable to recover it.
• Shane Lechler had a 71-yard punt, downed by Brandon Myers at the one-yard line in the final quarter.
• For a second straight game, the Raiders were down 34-0. Last week, they were down by 34, without scoring a point, to the Dolphins. They also allowed a long return on special teams coming out of the locker room. The 31-0 halftime deficit was the largest in team history. In 1961, they were down 30-0 to the Chargers.

 

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Here’s a listing of all the inactives and line-up changes for the contest between the Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers:
Oakland:
8 QB Jason Campbell
12 WR Jacoby Ford
17 WR Denarius Moore
20 RB Darren McFadden
22 RB Taiwan Jones
37 CB Chris Johnson
74 G Bruce Campbell

Green Bay:
6 QB Graham Harrell
31 CB Davon House
44 RB James Starks
55 LB Desmond Bishop
71 G Josh Sitton
76 T Chad Clifton
97 LB Vic So’oto

On offense, #62 Evan Dietrich-Smith will start at right guard in place of #71 Josh Sitton. On defense, #51 D.J. Smith will start at linebacker for #55 Desmond Bishop.

The NFL came down on Richard Seymour, imposing a $30,000 fine on the defensive tackle for his actions during last weekend’s game versus the Miami Dolphins.

Seymour was ejected after punching lineman Richie Incognito – his third ejection in as many years. The Oakland Raiders acquired Seymour prior to the 2009 season, and he was fined $10,000 and booted from a game against the Cleveland Browns that campaign. Last season, he was tossed when he went after Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and eventually fined $25,000.

Hue Jackson was frustrated with Richard Seymour‘s ejection last weekend, stating, “I told him he can’t get kicked out of the game, he’s one of the rocks on this football team.”

This week, defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan talked up his strong safety and his place among other strong safeties in the conference.

“Tyvon [Branch] is, in my mind, a Pro Bowl player, without a doubt,” Raiders Bresnahan commented. “This is a guy who, every game, he comes with his ‘A’ game. Effort wise, tenacity wise, playing physical and doing what you ask him to do. And we do move him around.”

Branch leads the team in tackles (88), has one interception and one fumble recovery in 2011. He recorded his first sack of the season two-weeks ago versus the Chicago Bears, but what goes unnoticed is his versatility and the diverse way Bresnahan uses him throughout the formation.

Bresnahan stated: “He plays safety in base, he plays nickel in nickel, he plays in a corner position in our big package against big personnel. He does anything we ask him. He never says a word. He comes out and practices a thousand miles-an-hour every day at practice.”

For Branch, pro-bowl talk is nice, but there’s only one objective in his mind right now, “Man, I just want to get to the playoffs,” Branch said. “That’s what I tell people. I’m doing my part to try to get us to the playoffs. And whatever comes of that, it just happens.”

Oakland will have their walk-thru today outside to get acclimated to the weather in Green Bay.

“We’re not going to worry about the elements,” Jackson said. “We’re a weather-proof football team. Snow, rain, hot cold, we got to play. That’s just the way it goes.”

Bresnahan realizes the importance of the Oakland run game this weekend, as it pertains to his defenses’ ability to stop the Packers. “You’re not going to eliminate the plays in this game but you have to minimize them and keep it within a good realm of keeping in our offense in the game, and then we got to limit their series,” Bresnahan said. “The best way to keep guys like that out of the end zone is to keep them on the sideline.”

Jason Campbell is rehabilitating his broken right collarbone, and could be ready for more extensive team workouts in the coming weeks. “I have a plan for Jason, and we’ll just continue to exercise that,” Jackson said. “I knew it could be a little bit longer than what everybody thought, and it has taken some time, but that’s OK. We’re in pretty good shape as far as that’s concerned, so we’ll just continue to move forward and stick with the plan that way.”

The Packers will be without running back James Starks [ankle] and linebacker Desmond Bishop [calf]. Guard Josh Sitton will also be deactivated on Sunday.

Charles Woodson will play, and the status of linebacker A.J Hawk could be unclear till tomorrow morning.

Click on this link to follow Victor Cotto on Twitter and get up to date news, updates & thoughts on the Silver & Black.

 

The Green Bay Packers (12-0) are looking to clinch a first round bye in the playoffs with a win versus the Oakland Raiders (7-5). The Silver & Black are locked-up with the Denver Broncos (7-5) with just weeks remaining atop the AFC West. There’s no questioning who the desperate team is here, but Green Bay has visions of an undefeated campaign and a historical finish to their season – going perfect all the way through an scoring a consecutive Super Bowl victory. Hue Jackson’s team has to travel to a chilly environment and show that they belong with the upper echelon clubs in the league.

OAKLAND RAIDERS

On Offense:

It’s another week of who’s who on the infirmary report on offense, with running backs Darren McFadden [foot] and Taiwan Jones [hamstring] officially out on Sunday. Wide receivers Denarius Moore [foot] and Jacoby Ford [foot] also will not play against Green Bay.

Michael Bush will make his sixth start of the season against the 13^th ranked rush defense. “We need to get back to playing Raiders football, get back to doing what we do,” Jackson said. “We’re a big, physical football team and we need to play that way. We need to be able to stop the run and we need to be able to run the ball. That’s where it starts for us and that’s where it’s going to end. We need to be who we are and that’s what we plan on doing.”

A solid run game could keep Carson Palmer upright on Sunday, but more importantly, keep the Packer offense off the field.

“Control the clock,” Palmer said. “We weren’t successful the last two weeks running the ball, and it’s definitely on our minds, something we’re getting screamed at and ripped for, but something we’re working very hard on, because you have to keep the ball out of Aaron’s hands and keep those receivers off the field.”

On Defense:

It’s all about getting to Aaron Rodgers this week if you’re the Raiders. Problem is, you can’t blitz the league’s leading passer too often. Rodgers’ overall passer rating is an NFL-best 125.3, but when he’s blitzed it’s a staggering149.3.

So Oakland must get to the passer with four down linemen. Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly have to be disruptive in the trenches, and the likes of Jarvis Moss, Lamarr Houston and Trevor Scott have to win their battles on the edges.

“You have to get him off his rhythm,” stated Chuck Bresnahan.

Making Green Bay one-dimensional is a must. James Starks may not play, so containing Ryan Grant, who rushed for a career high against Oakland in 2007, is imperative. The Packers rank 29^th in the NFL rushing the football.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

On Offense:

The last time the Raiders defeated Green Bay, Rodgers was four-years old. The quarterback is at the top of his game and Oakland’s secondary knows it.

“They definitely have an ace at quarterback,” cornerback Lito Sheppard said. “He’s definitely on the same page as his receivers. He knows what they’re going to do, when they’re going to do it and how they’re going to do it. He’s just really good with putting the ball where it needs to be for them to make plays. … Aaron Rodgers is playing like an MVP right now.”

“You see a quarterback that can make every throw on the field,” added Stanford Routt. “He has great receivers, great scheme, great defense — he’s got basically everything you need to be successful. He’s got a little of that Tom Brady, where he doesn’t mind who is going to be the leading receiver that Sunday. Obviously, they do have a lot of good receivers. They’ve got about two or three guys that are actually like number ones, so it’s definitely going to be a good challenge for us on the back end on Sunday.”

Green Bay had many key drops last week against the New York Giants, something that they focused on for their next contest.

On Defense:

The Packers will have Charles Woodson on Sunday, and possibly A.J Hawk, who returned to practice on Friday for the first time since he pulled a calf muscle on Thanksgiving Day.

Linebacker Desmond Bishop is out.

“Having A.J. up for the game to me is a bonus,” coach Mike McCarthy said.

One area the Packers are susceptible at is their pass defense.  They are allowing 306.7 passing yards per game (31^st in the NFL) and have only tallied 26.0 sacks in 2011.

They are opportunistic though, as they have tallied 23 4^th quarter interceptions, tops in the league.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Raiders Front-Four vs. Packers Offensive Line

It’s all about disruption, and whether Oakland can bring the heat with their massive bodies in the interior versus the Pack’s offensive line. If they can get to Rodgers with four down linemen, they will have a shot at staying close.

Bush-Time

Controlling the clock is vital – keeping the Packers offense on the sideline.  Bush has a career high 196-touches, but has been slowed the last two weeks. Has he hit a wall? Can Oakland regain their run dominance from earlier in the season? Palmer will have an easier time dissecting that secondary if he can have play-action to complement the attack.

GAME NOTES

• “Tyvon [Branch] is a Pro Bowl player, without a doubt,” said Bresnahan about his starting strong safety, this week. “This is a guy who every game he comes with his A game.”
• “Nope. I’m done for the rest of the year, rest of my career. It was fun while it lasted,” stated Rolando McClain about his self-imposed silence with the media.
• The Colts lead the NFL with 83 missed starts because of injuries. The Panthers are second with 80, followed by the Giants, Rams and Raiders 65 missed starts.
• “He’s a very poised quarterback,” safety Mike Mitchell on Rodgers. “’That’s the one thing I’ve seen on film. He doesn’t rattle very easy. He gets the ball out of his hand very quickly. And he really just trusts his one-on-one matchups. When he sees the one-on-one, he thinks that his guy is better than yours. So, as a defender, it gets you a little excited because you know that you’re going to get opportunities to play the ball and make game-changing plays. It’s also a lot of pressure because the ball is coming.”
• Since their loss versus the Patriots, Oakland is one of two teams in that span to allow less than half the passes against them to be completed, with their 49.5 percent mark trailing only the Texans. They’ve tallied 22 sacks and 11 interceptions in that span, holding opponents to a 68.6 passer rating — second only to the Texans.

PREDICTION

Packers 37 – Raiders 16

 

Here’s a look at their 2007 match-up with game images:

A Look Back: Raiders at Packers (2007)

And a look at how Charles Woodson revitalized his career in Green Bay, from January, 2011:

Woodson masterful in Green Bay, revitalized after career in Oakland

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