Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders: Green Bay Grades, Notes and Quotes
On the day they clinched a spot in the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders, 30-20, in this Week 15 matchup of nonconference opponents.
The Packers (10-4) sealed a franchise-record seventh straight playoff berth following the New York Giants' loss to the Carolina Panthers—which went final just nine minutes into the first quarter Sunday.
Still, Green Bay did its job in getting a much-needed victory on the road over the Raiders (6-8) and staying one game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC North standings.
Sunday's contest was one that tilted in Green Bay's favor early after Oakland quarterback Derek Carr's two first-quarter interceptions led to a 14-0 lead. Yet, the Raiders kept the game close and even took a lead in the third quarter after an impressive 81-yard drive that culminated in Amari Cooper's second touchdown reception of the day.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense responded right away on a three-play, 53-yard scoring drive of their own that took back the lead for good. Although the unit struggled to move the ball throughout on a rainy day in Oakland, it was a big game behind veteran receiver James Jones against his former team that made the difference. Jones finished with six receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Let's now get to some position grades and the important notes and quotes from the Packers' Sunday win over the Raiders.
Position Grades for Packers
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| Position | Grade |
| Quarterback | B- |
| Running Back | C+ |
| Wide Receiver | B |
| Tight End | D |
| Offensive Line | C- |
| Defensive Line | B |
| Linebacker | A+ |
| Defensive Back | B- |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | B |
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers didn't have his best statistical game—22-of-39 for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception—but he made some clutch third-down conversions in the second half to preserve the Packers' victory. His fourth-quarter pick came on a poor decision to throw into double coverage in the end zone on a drive that could have sealed a win earlier with a field goal.
Running Back
You'd think a wet day would force the Packers to run the ball more often, but the Green Bay tailbacks were never a factor Sunday in the offense. James Starks averaged 5.7 yards a carry but saw just nine rushes, while Eddie Lacy had another down game with his 23 yards on 11 carries. Fullback John Kuhn surprised many when he ran over a defender on his first-quarter touchdown run.
Wide Receiver
It was an up-and-down day for the Packers wideouts. On a wet day, Davante Adams and Jeff Janis both dropped passes in the first half that could've went for touchdowns. On the other hand, James Jones responded with a big game of his own after such an inconsistent season statistically. Jones, playing against a Raiders team that cut him this past offseason, had six catches for 82 yards and a score on a team-high nine targets.
Tight End
The Packers tight ends didn't contribute at all in either the passing or running game. Richard Rodgers and Justin Perillo each had just one reception and didn't offer much blocking for the running backs on the ground.
Offensive Line
The offensive line not only had trouble blocking for the run, but the unit also allowed Rodgers to get sacked twice early as the Packers offense struggled to find a rhythm in the first half.
Defensive Line
The Packers' big men up front did well to limit Raiders star tailback Latavius Murray to just 78 yards on 21 carries. The run game has been an effective weapon all season long for Oakland's offense, but Green Bay's D-line virtually took that aspect off the table Sunday.
Linebacker
Julius Peppers disrupted Derek Carr all night, finishing with 2.5 sacks to give him 9.5 on the year—his most in a single season since 2012. Peppers also had three other quarterback hurries. Clay Matthews and Jake Ryan also played nicely up the middle as they helped bottle up Murray in the run game.
Defensive Back
Outside of Damarious Randall's pick-six on a Derek Carr overthrow, the rookie corner had a rough day going head-to-head against fellow rookie Amari Cooper. The Raiders receiver had his way with Randall all over the field, finishing with six catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns. On the other hand, rookie Quinten Rollins did well defending against Michael Crabtree as the rest of the secondary made completions tough to come by for Carr and Co.
Special Teams
Jeff Janis continues to contribute on special teams. His 47-yard kickoff return right after the Raiders took the lead in the third quarter would lead to a short touchdown drive for the Packers. He also made a few big tackles as a gunner on the punt team—a scene Packers fans are getting used to with Janis.
Coaching
Mike McCarthy made a great call to give fullback John Kuhn the goal-line carry on the Packers' first touchdown of the day. The formation—three wideouts and Randall Cobb in the backfield—spread the defense out and forced Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack to respect a fake pitch to Cobb.
Later in the game, though, McCarthy made a few questionable play calls when the Packers failed to get in the end zone on three straight plays following a 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Dom Capers ordered up the right number of blitzes throughout the game and dropped eight in coverage—with just three pass-rushers—on obvious passing downs so as to make Oakland quarterback Derek Carr beat them through the air.
James Jones Returns to Oakland in a Big Way
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Before Sunday's game, James Jones scoffed at the idea he wanted to exact revenge on his former team. To him, it's all about winning and playing well no matter the opponent.
Still, things ended sourly for Jones when the Raiders cut him in May with two years left on his contract following a season where he led the team in receptions. Instead, they opted to go a fresher, younger route and drafted rookie standout Amari Cooper with the fourth overall pick and signed Michael Crabtree.
In his first game back in Oakland, Jones finished with six receptions on nine targets for 82 yards and a touchdown—all team-highs for the day—en route to the Packers win.
The 31-year-old wideout nearly had a second touchdown in the fourth quarter but an offensive pass- interference call wiped the points off the board.
Jones has been good but inconsistent this season as the secondary receiver opposite Randall Cobb. On Sunday, he looked as good as he has all year—and possibly reminded the Raiders why they shouldn't have parted ways in the first place.
Jones, Rodgers on the Revenge Game
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You'd think James Jones would be especially excited following a big performance Sunday against his former team, but after the game, the former Raider shrugged off the notion of having any extra motivation.
"That wasn't even on my mind," Jones said when asked about his "revenge game," via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "I tried not to get all my emotions built up in this game...I don't hold no grudges for nobody. I just go out there every game and try to play well."
Jones, who finished with six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown, put his game in perspective.
"It feels good whenever you come out and play well," he said, via Wood. "I'm sure [the Raiders have] seen some of the good games I've had on TV and stuff. So coming back here and doing it in front of them is not a big deal to me. I try to play good football every day. I'm on a one-year deal, and I’m trying to give my family a little bit more money."
On the other hand, Aaron Rodgers admitted he looked in Jones' direction "a little bit extra" on Sunday.
"He was consistently winning outside," Rodgers said of his veteran wideout, via Woods. "We've had a good on-the-field rapport for years. He did a good job of adjusting to some back-shoulder stuff, and other than a real bad call at the end there in the end zone that was double-clutched and way late, he played really good. Should have had a couple touchdowns."
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Turnovers Give Packers an Early Lead
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Two early interceptions—one of which was returned for a touchdown—allowed the Packers to move out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Micah Hyde came down with the first pick on a throw over the middle and promptly returned it to the Raiders' 2-yard line. A penalty and four plays later and Green Bay found the end zone for their first points of the game.
Then on Oakland quarterback Derek Carr's very next pass, rookie corner Damarious Randall intercepted a poor overthrow and ran untouched 43 yards to put the Packers up two scores in the span of 15 seconds of game time.
"It's huge," Hyde said of the two first-quarter turnovers, via Mike Spofford of Packers.com. "We came into this game trying to score on defense, and we did. That's big to get going on defense."
The two straight turnovers not only gave the Green Bay defense some breathing room against a dangerous Raiders passing attack, but it also provided a cushion for Aaron Rodgers and the offense who got off to a slow start with three-and-outs on their first two possessions.
Randall Loses Rookie Battle to Cooper
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Packers rookie cornerback Damarious Randall was thrust into the spotlight Sunday when he was tasked with stopping Raiders standout rookie receiver Amari Cooper. Although he had an interception return for a touchdown, Randall struggled all night in his one-on-one matchup with Cooper.
Cooper finished with six receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns as he repeatedly burnt his fellow rookie downfield throughout the game. He could've had more if not for a pass-interference call on Randall on a long throw down the sideline.
Cooper's two touchdown catches also gave Oakland its first lead in the third quarter and mounds of momentum on the offensive side of the ball.
Randall—Green Bay's first-round pick back in May—drew the responsibility of covering Cooper partly because starter Sam Shields sat out with a concussion. Usually, Shields has gone head-to-head with opposing No. 1 wideouts, but his injury forced the Packers to go with a pair of rookies on Cooper and Michael Crabtree.
Despite Cooper's big day, Randall held on to make a few plays in the final stretch of the game. In the fourth quarter Sunday, Cooper was held to just one catch for six yards as the Raiders tried to muster a comeback.
Randall, Hyde on Facing Cooper
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Randall knew he had a tough task coming into Sunday's game as he'd be matched up with fellow rookie and first-round draft pick Amari Cooper for much of the day.
Cooper ended up getting the best of Randall as he caught six passes for 120 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Still the Packers corner tried to stay positive afterward and use his matchup with one of the NFL's best young pass-catchers as a learning experience.
"Corner is basically, you're assigned man to man," Randall said, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "It's just mano-a-mano out there. Guys are going to make plays, and you're going to make plays. I'm just glad that we got the win, and to just keep on pushing forward."
Safety Micah Hyde, who had the Packers' other interception in the game, praised Randall for sticking with Cooper despite his teammates' struggles.
"That's a huge challenge," Hyde said, via Mike Spofford of Packers.com. "He accepted the challenge coming in. We know what Randall is capable of doing. He's a big-time player. [Number] 89 is a big-time player, too, but Randall accepted the challenge and played his heart out."
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