The Oakland Raiders traveled across the country to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 7 of the 2019 NFL season. Here are highlights from the game.
The Green Bay Packers, led by future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, torched the Raiders at home this past Sunday, winning 42-24 in an out-of-conference game. Rodgers carved up the Raiders’ defense for 429 yards and five passing touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. On the other hand, the Raiders did not play horribly, but their struggles on the defensive end prevented them from making a comeback. The Packers move to 6-1, still sitting atop the NFC North division. Meanwhile, the Raiders move to 3-3; losses from both the Chargers and Broncos keep them in second place in the AFC West.
First Quarter
The Raiders started the game with a solid drive down the field and quickly tacked on three points. However, the Packers responded as Rodgers hit running back Aaron Jones for a 22-yard touchdown on Green Bay’s opening possession. The Green Bay running game wasn’t needed much throughout the game but their backs did capitalize on their limited touches. Jones and backup Jamaal Williams combined for 114 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns. The Packers were off to a great start.
Packers 7, Raiders 3
Second Quarter
A long, 14-play drive continued for the Raiders at the beginning of the quarter and they were able to find the end zone to retake the lead on a 10-yard pass to tight end Foster Moreau. At this point in the game, fans were feeling like a fantastic finish was in store at Lambeau.
Aaron Rodgers marched down the field and hit Jamaal Williams for a touchdown. Then, Oakland running back Josh Jacobs coughed up the football, instantly putting the Packers in the red zone. Rodgers would proceed to hit wide receiver Jake Kumerow for a 37-yard touchdown. Kumerow showed off his footwork as he walked the tightrope on the sideline and dove for the pylon. The Packers were now in control heading into the half.
Packers 21, Raiders 10
Third Quarter
The second half started to get out of hand for the Raiders. The Packers got the ball first and a long drive ended in a three-yard Rodgers rushing touchdown to put the packers up by three scores. The Raiders excel when they can run the ball and drain the clock. So, being down by multiple possessions forced them to throw the ball a lot. One beneficiary of this was tight end Darren Waller. He finished with 7 catches for 126 yards to go along with two touchdowns. One of his scores came in the third quarter on a pass from Derek Carr. Despite the exceptional performance for Waller, the Packers put on a clinic and could not be stopped. Rodgers connected with tight end Jimmy Graham to end the quarter. The once good game was heading towards a nasty blow out.
Packers 35, Raiders 17
Fourth Quarter
The fourth quarter featured a single touchdown by both teams, keeping the difference at 18 points. First came the Packers, as Aaron Rodgers padded his already-insane stat line when he found wide receiver Marques Valdez-Scantling all alone on the left side of the field. Valdez-Scantling did the rest as he out-ran the defense en route to a 74-yard touchdown, which pretty much sealed the Packers’ win over the Raiders. On the other side, Darren Waller was able to continue his dominant day by catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Mike Glennon, who came in due to the blowout.
The Packers’ win puts them in third place in the NFC playoff picture. Green Bay will face two other AFC West teams (the Chiefs and Chargers) over the next two weeks. Meanwhile, the Raiders fall out of the AFC playoff picture and have to take on the Houston Texans this Sunday. A win would be huge for Oakland.
