Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
PACKERS 42, RAIDERS 24
Summary, box score, game report, insider, analysis
Green Bay — The Green Bay Packers gave the rest of the NFL its first true glimpse of what Matt LaFleur’s offense can look like with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.
And it was scary.
Rodgers had his best game by far under the new Packers coach, throwing for 429 yards and five touchdowns and running for another as Green Bay beat the Oakland Raiders, 42-24, on Sunday.
Rodgers completed 25 of 31 passes to eight different targets and finished with the first perfect passer rating of his career, leading LaFleur’s offense to a season high in points.
“A lot of times that ball leaves his hand, I’m always like in awe. So, yeah, he’s pretty good,” LaFleur said of the two-time MVP.
Even with top target Davante Adams sidelined for the third straight game with turf toe, Rodgers threw for his most touchdowns in a game since Sept. 28, 2015, against the Chiefs.
“Yeah, I think this was the most complete that I’ve played,” Rodgers said. “I felt good about the timing. There was a lot of balls thrown on time, and obviously the line played fantastic.”
Derek Carr finished 22 for 28 for 293 yards, two touchdowns and two costly turnovers for the Raiders (3-3), who lost their eighth straight against Green Bay, dating back to 1990. The Packers (6-1) have scored 30-plus points in each of their last five games against the Raiders.
“Carr was rolling,” Oakland coach Jon Gruden said. “We were rolling offensively today. It was an offensive game. We just had a couple turnovers and they finished some drives.”
Green Bay took the lead for good on a 2-yard touchdown from Rodgers to Jamaal Williams with 3:27 to go in the first half. The score capped an 11-play, 82yard drive that took up 8:06 – the Packers’ longest drive of the season – and made it 14-10.
Carr put the Raiders in position to retake the lead with a 48-yard completion down the middle to Waller, giving Oakland first and goal at the 3. On second down, as Carr scrambled for the pylon, Blake Martinez forced a fumble and the ball went through the end zone for a touchback.
“I’ll have to look at it again. I think he’s trying to give a great effort, trying to lay out for the score,” Gruden said of Carr on the play. “I think the ball slipped out of his hands. If he would have scored, we would have felt pretty good. But, unfortunately, after that play, the next time we got the ball we were down 28-10. We were going in to make it 17-14 Raiders. That was a big play in the game.”
Rodgers made Oakland pay, finding Jake Kumerow for a 37-yard touchdown to make it 21-10 at halftime.
The Raiders had seven penalties for 87 yards in the first half. They finished with eight penalties for 97 yards.
Rodgers opened the second half with a 59-yard completion to Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Four plays later, Rodgers crossed the goal line on a 3-yard run.
“Collectively, we didn’t get enough push up front,” Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “We didn’t get in (Rodgers’) face enough. We have to get to the quarterback to help our guys out on the back end.”
Crosby had Oakland’s lone sack on the day.
Carr and Waller connected on a 7yard score to cut the Green Bay lead to 28-17.
Jimmy Graham got into the action, scoring his third touchdown of the season on a 3-yard pass from Rodgers before the end of the third.
Kevin King picked off Carr in the end zone with 8:09 to play. That led to Rodgers’ sixth score of the day, a 74-yard pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who finished with the two catches for 133 yards. Valdes-Scantling was a game-time decision after suffering knee and ankle injuries on Monday night against the Lions. Geronimo Allison, who was also listed as questionable, had four catches for 33 yards.
“We had a lot of guys step up, specifically Marquez and G-mo,” LaFleur said. “Shoot, two days ago, we didn’t even know if they were going to play, and I thought those guys came and put together gritty performances.”
Mike Glennon relieved Carr late in the fourth and found Waller for a 17-yard score for the Raiders, whose winning streak ended at two games. Oakland fell to 3-14 following a bye since 2003.
Homecoming: Raiders rookie fullback Alec Ingold, a Green Bay native, returned home. Ingold played his college ball at Wisconsin and is a 2014 graduate of nearby Bay Port High School.
“It is pretty special,” Ingold said. “The one thing about coming back home is that I hope to inspire some kids that are going through the same thing I was going through. Not a lot of people make it from Green Bay, so if there are some kids that push a little bit harder and follow their dreams a little bit more, then that is what it is all about.”
Injuries: Packers: DL Kenny Clark left the game in the second quarter with a shin injury but returned shortly after.
Offensive Player of the Game
Aaron Rodgers, quarterback, Packers
Sometimes there just aren’t enough superlatives to describe Rodgers’ play — and that was true Sunday. Rodgers was back in vintage form and accomplished something he’s not done in his illustrious career: a perfect 158.3 passer rating. New offense, new head coach, backup receivers — no matter. Rodgers showed the potential of Matt LaFleur’s system, completing 25 of 31 passes to eight different receivers for 429 yards and five touchdowns. To top it off, the 36-yearold also ran for a 3-yard touchdown. “A lot of times that ball leaves his hand, I’m always like, in awe,” La Fleur said. “So yeah, he’s pretty good.”
Defensive Player of the Game
Blake Martinez, middle linebacker, Packers
He’s one of the NFL’s leading tacklers, and he was a machine Sunday against the Raiders, racking up 16 total tackles. But his hustle play at the end of the second quarter was the turning point in the game. With Green Bay leading 14-10 and Oakland at the Packers 3yard line, Martinez hit quarterback Derek Carr as he dove for the pylon, causing a fumble through the end zone that resulted in a touchback. Rodgers then finished off a seven-play, 80-yard drive with a 37-yard pass to Jake Kumerow for a 21-10 lead going into intermission.
Special Teams Player of the Game
JK Scott, punter, Packers
Scott have proven to be a consistent special teams weapon in his second season, and he continued his superb kicking Sunday against the Raiders. With the offense rolling, Scott punted just three times for a 55.3 gross average. He booted a 52-yarder in the first quarter and a pair of 57-yarders in the fourth quarter to flip the field position in Green Bay’s favor.