Packers vs. Raiders preview: Get to know Green Bay’s Week 5 opponent
The Green Bay Packers (2-2) and Las Vegas Raiders (1-3) will face off on “Monday Night Football” to finish off Week 5 in the NFL. Both teams are coming off losses in Week 4 and need to get back on track during a primetime showdown in Vegas.
Can the Packers hit jackpot and beat old friend Davante Adams in the team’s first matchup against the All-Pro receiver? Or will Green Bay go broke in its first trip to Las Vegas to play at Allegiant Stadium?
First things first: Let’s get to know the Raiders, an uncommon opponent who plays the Packers once every four years and have lost eight straight games in the series dating back to 1990.
Here’s a look at the Raiders entering Week 5, with help from Raiders Wire editor Marcus Mosher:
Season recap
The Raiders have lost three straight games after beating the Denver Broncos in Week 1 and now sit in a tie for last place in the AFC West at 1-3. Since winning the opener, the Raiders have been outscored by 40 points, including a 28-point loss to the Buffalo Bills on the road. The team’s only home game ended in a five-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in primetime in Week 3. The Raiders have trailed by at least 16 points in three straight games. Can Josh McDaniels pull his team out of this early season spiral or are the Raiders headed for a top draft pick in 2024?
Week 4 recap (Los 24-17 to Chargers)
The Raiders turned the ball over three times and rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell took seven sacks — including six by Khalil Mack — during a 24-17 defeat to the Chargers in Los Angeles. Josh McDaniels’ team fell behind 24-7 at halftime and only got within one score on Josh Jacobs’ short touchdown run with just under four minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The Chargers rushed for 155 yards, and two explosive plays of 51 yards (Derius Davis, Josh Palmer) helped Los Angeles take an early lead and then seal the deal late. Davante Adams caught eight passes, Jacobs produced 139 total yards, Maxx Crosby created two sacks and Tre’von Moehrig intercepted Justin Herbert in a losing effort. The Raiders were without starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who remained in the league’s concussion protocol. O’Connell, a fourth-rounder out of Purdue, threw an interception and lost two fumbles in his first NFL start.
Biggest strength
The Raiders rank 25th in points scored, 24th in points allowed, 27th in point differential, 30th in giveaways and 31st in takeaways through four weeks. But former Packers receiver Davante Adams is still playing at an elite level for Las Vegas and presents a big challenge for the Packers secondary entering Monday night.
Mosher: WR Davante Adams – He is somehow playing the best football of his career. He is getting open more than ever and has been nearly unstoppable. He deserves 12+ targets every game because he is open all the time.
Biggest weakness
The Raiders defense has allowed scores on 45.0 percent of drives (sixth-worst) with just one takeaway in four games this season. Can the Packers keep Maxx Crosby from taking over the game at the line of scrimmage?
Mosher: Defense. Outside of Maxx Crosby, it’s one of the worst defensive personnel groups you will ever see. They lack quality starters on IDL, LB, CB, and S. If you can block Crosby, you can score 30+ points a game. But Crosby is so good by himself that he can keep the Raiders in games.
Best player
Running back Josh Jacobs produced over 2,000 total yards and won the rushing crown last season, but the Raiders are led by edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who is tied for the NFL lead in pressures with 27, and Davante Adams, a three-time All-Pro who is averaging 99.3 receiving yards per game to start 2023.
Mosher: Maxx Crosby or Davante Adams – Pick one. Both are having All-Pro years. And both play so hard on every single snap. It’s honestly amazing how hard they play despite the rest of the team not being good.
Quarterback breakdown
The Raiders will start either Jimmy Garoppolo or rookie Aidan O’Connell at quarterback. Garoppolo threw six interceptions in his first three games, while O’Connell turned the ball over three times in Week 4. Overall, the Raiders quarterbacks have a passer rating of 77.5 (26th in NFL) this season. The seven interceptions thrown by Raiders quarterbacks leads the league.
Mosher: If Jimmy Garoppolo plays, watch for him to get rid of the ball quickly and to throw over the middle of the field. He doesn’t take any chances down the field and that has killed the offense of the Raiders. But he is very accurate on underneath stuff and still can have success on play action.
Stats to know
Packers04 28
The Raiders average 3.0 yards per carry and 4.9 yards per play while ranking 32nd in Offense DVOA and 32nd in Rushing Offense DVOA. Although Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs provide star power, the Raiders are really struggling and still lack an identity on offense. Overall, the Raiders are turning the ball over on over 25 percent of drives and rank near the bottom of the NFL on third down and in the red zone. This should be an opportunity for Joe Barry’s defense to rebound in a big way against a team with issues at quarterback and no ability to run the football.
Week 4 standouts to know
Left tackle Kolton Miller gave up a sack but was otherwise excellent as a blocker over 72 offensive snaps vs. the Chargers. Pressure came mostly against right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor gave up three sacks and seven total pressures, mostly to Khalil Mack, per PFF. On the other side, defensive back Tre’von Moehrig, a 2021 second-round pick, produced six tackles without a miss and intercepted the only pass against his coverage. He is a lone bright spot in a shaky secondary.
