3 things we learned about the Packers

The Green Bay Packers take on the Oakland Raiders today in a game on the NFL football schedule which sees one perennial contender on its way to bouncing back from a midseason lull, and the other team trying to hang in there in the wildcard race, with each team coming off a key victory. On the next play, Carr hit WR Amari Cooper for a 19-yard touchdown, and Janikowski’s extra point pulled the Raiders within 14-13 with 20 seconds left in the half.

“The team has gotten better”, he said. A neck injury took him out of that game, and is expected to prevent him from playing the next one. Crabtree was temporarily sidelined with concussion like symptoms but returned in the third.

James Starks fumbled the ball on the 21-yard line, which was recovered by Oakland’s Charles Woodson. Carr scrambled for 17-yards setting up his 19-yard touchdown pass to Cooper making it a 14-13 game to end the half.

“I love when it matters”, Carr said. “We wanted to win the division”.

“It’s always hard to know this early you’re not in”, Woodson said. “We gave ourselves a chance”. That happened because Carr threw interceptions on consecutive passes. The first person to reach the end zone in the game was the fullback, John Kuhn, as he would rush it in from five yards out to get the first points of the game.

This week? Lacy’s rollercoaster season continued, finishing with 23 yards on 11 carries.

Oakland’s defense was still outstanding despite the team’s 10 penalties resulting in 95 yards.

So the starting point after the Packers’ win Sunday is that they’re in the playoffs.

The Raiders rallied with a pair of field goals in the second quarter, but the Packers still looked to be in control as they drove into scoring range late in the half.

With the Raiders officially eliminated from the playoffs, the remaining two games have less spark to them but there are still achievements to be had.

“I can’t really tell you anything there, ” Del Rio said. Midway through the second quarter, the Packers had just 12 net yards of offense – but had a 14-6 lead thanks to Micah Hyde and Damarious Randall intercepting a pair of Derek Carr passes.

Green Bay quickly got the lead back, marching 53 yards in three plays as Rodgers threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jones. The NFL’s all-time leader in passer rating, this would be Rodgers’ second-lowest-rated season, better only than his first year as a starter in 2008 (93.8). He’s just looking ahead to another postseason.

Green Bay was up 7-0, and would pad that lead exactly one scrimmage play later when Carr threw high to Seth Roberts and the ball nestled in the arms of rookie cornerback Damarious Randall, who returned his interception 43 yards for a touchdown.

“I guess it’s a good thing to do”, Cooper said.

Basically, the Packers’ best hope for a little more bounce on offense is the possible return of receiver Ty Montgomery (ankle) and more of second-year pro Jared Abbrederis. The Raiders just need to bring in a few more players that can produce like that to have a winning season in 2016. The running game struggled so mightily in the first half that Randall Cobb became the primary rusher during their 92-yard drive in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

The Raiders now have a quick turnaround, with a Christmas Eve date against the San Diego Chargers this Thursday night at O.co Coliseum (5:25 p.m. kickoff).

“Certainly I’m proud of that fact, but I can tell you that our goal is contending and playing for championships”, Del Rio said. “That was our goal, and we didn’t do that”. Tonight didn’t help with Adams dropping a ball in the endzone and Janis letting a pass (even though it was a slippery ball) go right through his hands on an endzone slant route.