Detroit Lions Face Raiders and Controversy

-S Don Carey (back) missed practice Wednesday, and his status is unclear.

OUT: LB Neiron Ball (knee).

DOUBTFUL: TE Lee Smith (wrist). Double teams will certainly be required, with safety Charles Woodson providing support over the top.

Fresh off a world-shocking victory at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, the Detroit Lions are going through final preparations to prepare for the Oakland Raiders, as they visit Ford Field this Sunday.

Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. Sunday. The good news is that the Raiders will get a chance to argue their case, with two games against Kansas City to come. But for the team with the worst record in the NFC and a GM search ongoing, another home loss could be devastating.

This weekend’s matchup against the Lions favors the Raiders.

Lions are dead last in rushing this season.

“The goal is to stack wins, ” Lions cornerback Darius Slay said Wednesday. I say no. I still don’t trust this team and this Raiders team is not the same bad Raiders team that’s been around for the last few years. “It’s going to be a heck of a challenge for us to keep a lid on it”. The combination of Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Latavius Murray will be too much for Stafford and Megatron to overcome.

Last game: Loss, 30-14 to Minnesota Vikings. Final score: Raiders 27 Detroit 28. Defensively, Oakland hasn’t been almost as effective. For one, he is on the road against a Minnesota Vikings team that now sits atop the NFL North. The Packers also haven’t looked anything like themselves in the past three weeks, and they’re coming off a huge upset in which they let the last-place Lions beat them at home for the first time since 1991!

It was Adrian Peterson’s turn the next week. Abdullah is the biggest playmaker of the bunch and could see an uptick in his workload as the Lions try to attack the perimeter of the field. Only a few weeks ago the Raiders were holding teams under 100 yards rushing, and were sporting the #2 run defense.

You can talk about the gut-punch kickoff return touchdown the Raiders allowed at the end of the first half, right after they’d rallied back to take the lead. Oakland’s young stars will step up to avoid a three-game skid.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers, $7,500 – Unlike Tom Brady, starting Aaron Rodgers this week comes with a good amount of risk.

Gabe Jackson is a bulldozer at left guard, and Rodney Hudson is one of the best centers in the league, though he’s questionable to play Sunday because of an ankle injury.

The Raiders have also turned the ball over six times in the last two games.

DE Ziggy Ansah (Toe) – It’s a toe. If the Raiders don’t want to watch their playoff hopes completely slip away, they’d do well to learn from Green Bay’s mistake – not to mention their own mistakes this season – and avoid the trap the Lions are setting.

This week, Derek Carr will look to bounce back from his somewhat lackluster performance against the Vikings where he threw two costly interceptions and go back to the stellar quarterback that he has been all season.

Lately, Oakland has done a poor job defending screen passes and shedding blocks to make a play on quick-twitch receivers like Tate. Crabtree is a solid fantasy option against the Lions in Week 11. And while they’re tied in terms of record with the 4-5 Chiefs, both FPI and DVOA see the Chiefs as one of the 10 best teams in the league, which isn’t the case for Oakland.

Check out more staff predictions here.

So there’s no reason for the Raiders to douse the season, and that was the locker room mood Sunday.