Good afternoon, everyone. On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers will be taking on the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field. I am here to give my thoughts on what the Packers need to do to win the game. Let’s get started.
On offense, the Packers could be without Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who are all dealing with injuries. If all three can’t go on Sunday, then the only healthy receivers are the following: Allen Lazard, Jake Kumerow, Darrius Shepherd, and Ryan Grant (who was signed on Wednesday). Any of these 4 guys need to step up in a big way. Last week, Lazard stepped up by getting clutch catches that helped Green Bay win against the Lions. I am sure that the tight ends and running backs will also be used in the passing game to help QB Aaron Rodgers spread the ball around. For Rodgers, it is up to him to throw to his receivers accurately without any errors. For the receivers, it’s up to them to catch every single pass and not have drops. Last week, there were 6 drops by Green Bay, including two that would have been touchdowns. It’s also important for the Packers to run the ball extremely well in order to keep the Raiders’ defense honest. Running the ball well can help set up the play-action passing game, which should confuse the defenders if it‘s executed well. As always, it’s up to the offensive line to make it all happen. They need to create the holes for Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams to run through the defense. They also need to protect QB Aaron Rodgers from any sacks or pressures by Oakland. One thing that the Packers can’t do is to have a slow start like they had against the Lions. They can avoid this by getting a score on their first couple of possessions. This can help the Packers take care of business at home. The Packers also need to convert third downs (especially short ones) to sustain drives and win the time of possession battle. In the red zone, they need to score touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. Doing all of these things on offense will put more pressure on the Raiders to catch up.
That is where the Packers defense comes into play. It all starts with shutting down the rushing attack, which is led by rookie RB Josh Jacobs (who played for Alabama in his college years). The defensive line (including Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry) needs to shed the blocks and plug up any holes that Jacobs can run through. If the defense can keep the running game in check, then they can make life miserable for QB Derek Carr. This part will be a bit easier since Trent Brown (who is the Raiders’ highest-paid offensive lineman) could be out due to injury. If this is the case, then there should be plenty of sacks by the Packers defenders, including Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. For the Raiders, their top target is tight end Darren Waller. Trevor Davis returns to Green Bay after spending his first 3 years there. Any receivers need to be covered well by the defensive backs, who include Jaire Alexander and Kevin King. Unfortunately, Darnell Savage is out with a high ankle sprain, which was suffered against the Cowboys. Whoever is there for the defense needs to step up and not make any mistakes. The defense can‘t allow too many chunk plays that could be touchdowns for the Raiders. They need to stop the Raiders on third down to force the punt unit to come onto the field. In the red zone, it’s important for the defense to limit Oakland to settle for field goals. After getting zero turnovers against the Lions, I think that the Packers will get a few of them against Oakland. Whether they are interceptions or strip-sacks, any takeaway will give the Packers more chances to score on offense. Doing all of these things on defense will increase Green Bay‘s chances of winning on Sunday.
On Special Teams, the Packers need to avoid turning the ball over and silly penalties that put the offense in a bad field position. Last week, Darrius Shepherd didn‘t call for a fair catch on a punt. When he caught the ball, he got hit immediately and fumbled it. The fumble was recovered by the Lions. Mistakes like that can help the Raiders by giving them a short field to drive for a score. It is important for the Packers to make sure that the kick and punt returns for the Raiders are covered well. On the other side, there might be an opportunity for a long kickoff or punt return for a touchdown. In most cases, the returners for Green Bay need to avoid any mistakes, including fumbling the football. Mason Crosby needs to make all of his kicks, including field goals and extra points. JK Scott needs to continue flipping the field with his punts. As always, it’s up to Hunter Bradley to snap the ball with precision and accuracy. This will ensure that the field goals and punts are executed by the Packers. I am still hopeful that the Packers will get a blocked field goal or punt at some point in 2019. If it happens on Sunday, then that will help Green Bay win, along with everything else on Special Teams.
If the Packers do these things, then they will win against the Raiders and improve to 6-1 on the season. Even though this game is at home, the Packers can’t take this game for granted. It is important for Green Bay to stay focused on beating the Raiders on Sunday. Stay tuned for my post-game thoughts on either Sunday night or Monday morning. Have a great day, everyone. Go Pack Go!
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