The Green Bay Packers return to the road for a matchup in Oakland against the Raiders.
The Packers recorded the 750th total victory in franchise history last week (750-565-37), joining the Chicago Bears (757-571-42) as the only teams in NFL history to reach 750 total wins.
Green Bay has won three of its last four games, including two road contests.
The Packers have won six consecutive games against the Raiders, including two on the road. In those six games, Green Bay has outscored the Raiders, 210-70, scoring 28-plus points in each contest (29, 28, 28, 41, 38, 46).
Green Bay is playing Raiders in Oakland for only the third time in franchise history. The Packers’ first trip came in 1972, a 20-14 Raiders victory. Green Bay last played at the Raiders in 2003, winning 41-7.
Since 1990, the Packers are 10-2 during the regular season in California (49ers / Raiders / Chargers / Rams), including 3-1 under McCarthy. This is the second game Green Bay will play in California this season, previously beating the San Francisco 49ers, 17-3, in Week 4.
Sunday will be the second of two games this season against a franchise the Packers faced in the Super Bowl. In Week 3, Green Bay beat Kansas City, 38-28, at home in a rematch of Super Bowl I. This week the Packers play the Raiders, who they faced in Super Bowl II.
Green Bay stays on the road for a game at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. The Packers have won seven of the last eight regular-season matchups against the Cardinals, including each of the past three.
ON THE ROAD
Dating back to 2014, the Packers have won five of their last seven road games during the regular season.
With a 4-2 road record so far this season, Green Bay has secured at least a .500 record away from Lambeau Field for the eighth time in 10 regular seasons under Head Coach Mike McCarthy.
A win would give the Packers five-plus regular-season road wins for the fifth time since 2006 (7-1 in 2011 / 6-2 in 2007 / 5-3 in 2006 and 2009).
Green Bay is 44-34 in regular-season away games during the McCarthy era. Its .564 road winning percentage since 2006 ranks No. 2 in the NFC and No. 4 in the NFL over that span (New England: 55-23, .705 / Dallas and Indianapolis: 45-34, .570).
The defense has played a key role in the Packers’ success on the road this season, ranking No. 3 in the NFL by allowing just 16.7 points per game.
Green Bay’s offense has only turned the ball over three times in road games this season, the fewest in the NFL.
Dating back to 2008 when he became the starter, QB Aaron Rodgers has recorded a passer rating of 100.2 in regular-season road games, No. 1 in the NFL over that span (min. 200 pass att.).
WITH THE CALL
FOX Sports, now in its 22nd season as an NFL network television partner, will broadcast the game to a regional audience.
Play-by-play man Chris Myers joins color commentator Ronde Barber and sideline reporter Jennifer Hale.
Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in five states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (color) call the action. McCarren first joined the team’s broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 21st season calling Packers’ games. McCarren has four times been voted Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 17th season of broadcasts together.
The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed).
DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on channel 713.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
If Green Bay wins it would clinch their seventh consecutive playoff berth, a franchise record.
If the Packers win, it will mark the seventh time under Head Coach Mike McCarthy that Green Bay has won 10 or more regular-season games (2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007), passing Curly Lambeau (six) for most 10-win seasons by a Green Bay head coach since they joined the NFL in 1921.
Green Bay has posted eight zero-turnover games this season, tied for No. 1 (2009) in franchise history (since 1933).
Dating back to 1963, the Packers’ three six-plus sack games ties a single-season franchise record (1966, 1978, 1991).
The Packers have won eight of the last 10 games they have played in the month of December, including four a row.
OFFENSE
If QB Aaron Rodgers throws for 300-plus yards, it will be the 44th 300-yard passing game of his career during the regular season.
Rodgers looks to throw for multiple touchdowns for the 11th time this season. It would mark the fourth time in his career he has recorded 11 or more games with multiple touchdowns in a single regular season (14 in 2011 / 11 in 2012 and 2014).
Rodgers is two touchdowns away from his fifth season with 30-plus passing touchdowns. He ranks second in team history behind Brett Favre's eight. Rodgers’ four 30-plus passing touchdown seasons since 2009 are the fourth most in the NFL over that time span (NE Tom Brady and IND/DEN Peyton Manning, five / NO Drew Brees, six)
Rodgers ranks No. 2 in the NFL with seven games this season with two-plus touchdown passes and zero INTs (New England QB Tom Brady, eight).
Dating back to 2014, Rodgers has not thrown an interception in 22 of the last 29 regular-season games, including 11 of the last 15. The Packers are 19-3 in those games.
Since the start of the 2014 season, Rodgers has thrown 66 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
WR Randall Cobb needs one catch to extend his streak of consecutive regular-season games with a reception to 54, the fifth-longest streak in franchise history. He trails WR James Lofton (58, 1979-83) for fourth place in team history.
WR James Jones is 35 yards away from becoming the 12th player in franchise history to reach 5,000 career receiving yards as a Packer.
TE Richard Rodgers has five touchdowns in the last six games, tied for the fifth most in the NFL since Week 9.
RB Eddie Lacy has three 100-yard rushing games in the past four weeks.
Lacy’s 333 rushing yards since Week 11 are the fourth most in the NFL over that span.
Lacy is one 100-yard rushing game away from tying his single-season career high of four (2013).
RB James Starks has set new career bests in receptions (39), receiving yards (369) and receiving touchdowns (three) this season.
Starks has recorded 100-plus yards from scrimmage four times this season, including 103 yards in the Week 14 win over Dallas. His 884 yards from scrimmage are a new career high, surpassing the 794 yards in 2011.
Starks is 64 yards away from surpassing his single-season career high of 578 rushing yards from 2011.
DEFENSE
Over the last five games, S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has 43 tackles (37 solo), an interception and two sacks.
LB Clay Matthews has 13 career games with two or more sacks. He is one shy of tying Tim Harris (14, 1986-90) for No. 3 in team history (Reggie White, 16; Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, 15).
LB Julius Peppers leads the team with 7.0 sacks this season. Dating back to last season (including playoffs), Peppers has 11.5 sacks in the last 16 games.
Peppers needs a half a sack to pass New York Giants LB Lawrence Taylor and San Diego/St. Louis/Kansas City DE Leslie O’Neal (132.5) for 12th most in NFL history (since 1982).
In Week 13 at Detroit, LB Jake Ryan started the first game of his career and led the Packers in both total tackles (nine) and solo tackles (eight) while also registering the first fumble recovery of his career. He started his second career game last week versus Dallas and finished second on the team in tackles with six.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Mason Crosby is 11 points shy of 100 for the season, which would mark his ninth 100-point season and pass K Ryan Longwell for the franchise record.
Over the last two weeks, P Tim Masthay became the first Packers punter to post a net average of 44-plus yards (min. four punts) in back-to-back games since net punting average was first tracked in 1976 (according to the Elias Sports Bureau).
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Raiders:
Regular season, all-time: 6-5
All-time, at Oakland: 2-2
Streaks: The Packers have won each of the last six regular-season meetings.
Last meeting, regular season: Dec. 11, 2011, at Lambeau Field; Packers won, 46-16
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 110-59-1, .647, (incl. 7-6 postseason); 10th NFL season
Jack Del Rio: 75-80, .484, (incl. 1-2 postseason); 10th NFL season
Head to Head: Del Rio 1-0
vs. Opponent: McCarthy 2-0 vs. Raiders; Del Rio 2-0 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his 10th year as the Packers’ 14th head coach.
Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
Led the Packers to their sixth consecutive playoff appearance last season, joining New England as the only two NFL teams to do so over that span. Has also led the team to seven playoff appearances in the last eight years (2007, 2009-14).
Has guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring each of the past eight seasons (2007-14), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat; Packers finished first overall in scoring in 2014.
His .657 winning percentage during the regular season (102-53-1) is ranked third among active NFL coaches (min. 50 games).
Was named Packers head coach on Jan. 12, 2006, his first head-coaching job after 13 years as an NFL assistant.
JACK DEL RIO…Is in his first year as the Raiders’ 19th head coach.
Served as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos the past three seasons (2012-2014), helping earn three straight AFC West titles, an AFC Championship and an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.
Prior to Denver, he served as head coach in Jacksonville (2003-2011)and led the Jaguars to two playoff appearances in 2005 and 2007, including the team’s first postseason win in eight seasons with a 31-29 road victory against the Steelers in the 2007 AFC Wild Card Game.
While in Jacksonville, the club ranked sixth in the NFL in yards per game allowed (317.3) and eighth in points per game allowed (20.3).
Led defenses that have ranked in the top six in the NFL in yards per game allowed in 10 of his 17 seasons as a position coach, coordinator or head coach. During that time, he has coached 18 players to a total of 27 Pro Bowl selections.
Selected in the third round (68th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft by New Orleans and went on to play 11 seasons as an NFL linebacker.
THE PACKERS-RAIDERS SERIES
These clubs first met in Super Bowl II, a Packers 33-14 victory to make Green Bay back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
The regular-season series started in 1972 and the Raiders won each of the first five matchups. The Packers’ first victory against the Raiders during the regular season came in 1990 and Green Bay has not lost to the Raiders since.
In the last six regular-season contests, the Packers have outscored the Raiders 210-70, including scoring at least 35 points in each of the last three games (41, 38, 46).
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Packers assoc. HC/LBs Winston Moss played LB for the Raiders for four seasons (1991-94)…Packers West regional scout Sam Seale played for the Raiders for five seasons (1984-87, 1992)…Packers secondary-safeties coach Darren Perry coached DBs for the Raiders for two seasons (2007-08) before coming to Green Bay in ’09…Packers WR James Jones spent the 2014 season in Oakland, serving as one of the team’s top receiving threats…Raiders S Charles Woodson was selected to the Pro Bowl four times (2008-11) and named AP Defensive Player of the Year (2009) when he played for the Packers (2006-12)…Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie worked in the Green Bay personnel department from 1994-2011, including serving as the director of pro personnel from 1997-2007 and the director of football operations from 2008-11…Raiders director-college scouting Shaun Herock spent 19 years with the Packers, including 11 as the assistant director of college scouting…Raiders college scout Raleigh McKenzie played guard for the Packers from 1999-2000…Raiders WR Jeremy Ross played for Green Bay in 2012...Players with connections to California include QB Aaron Rodgers (Chico, University of California), WR Davante Adams (Palo Alto, Fresno State), WR James Jones (San Jose State), T David Bakhtiari (San Mateo), DE Datone Jones (Compton, UCLA), LB Clay Matthews (Aguora Hills, USC), LB Nick Perry (USC), TE Richard Rodgers (University of California), WR Ty Montgomery (Stanford) and QB Brett Hundley (Brentwood, UCLA)…California natives on the coaching staff include OL coach James Campen (Sacramento), def. quality control coach John Rushing (Merced), asst. OL coach Mike Solari (Daly City) and asst. special teams coach Jason Simmons (Inglewood)…Packers DC Dom Capers coached at San Jose State (1977) and the University of California (1978-79)…Raiders DE Shelby Harris is a native of Milwaukee, Wis. ...Raiders asst. LBs coach Brent Vieselmeyer is a native of Wauwatosa, Wis. and went to Concordia University in Mequon, Wis. …Raiders DL coach Jethro Franklin served in the same role with the Packers from 2000-04…Franklin was also able to work with Matthews and Perry during his time at Southern California…Simmons played DB for the Texans while Franklin coached the DL…Raiders HC Jack Del Rio played for the Saints while Capers coached DBs…Del Rio and Packers senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith were teammates in Dallas from 1990-91…Packers assoc. HC/offense Tom Clements and Del Rio coached together in New Orleans from 1997-98…Del Rio was the DC and LBs coach Sal Sunseri coached the DL in Carolina while Packers DL coach Mike Trgovac and LB Julius Peppers were with the team…Sunseri coached Packers S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and RB Eddie Lacy during his time at Alabama from 2009-11…Raiders OC Bill Musgrave also played alongside Highsmith in Dallas in 1991 and played in San Francisco while Solari was the TEs/asst. OL coach…Musgrave served as an off. asst./OC in Philadelphia in 2008 while Trgovac was the DL coach…Packers secondary-cornerbacks coach Joe Whitt Jr. served as the asst. DBs coach in Atlanta in 2007 while Musgrave was the QBs coach…Raiders DC Ken Norton Jr. played in Dallas and San Francisco while Solari was on both coaching staffs…Norton Jr. also coached Matthews and Perry during his time at Southern California…Raiders special teams coord. Brad Seely served in the same role with the Panthers from 1995-98 while Capers was the HC…Seely and Capers also coached alongside one another in New England in 2008…Seely and Solari were on the same staff in San Francisco from 2011-14…Raiders asst. DBs coach Rod Woodson played for the Steelers from 1987-96 while Capers was the DC (1992-94) and special teams coord. Ron Zook (1996) served in the same position…Rod Woodson played alongside Packers RBs coach Sam Gash from 2000-01 in Baltimore…Gash and Raiders QBs coach Todd Downing coached alongside one another in Detroit from 2009-12…Packers EVP/General Manager/Director of Football Operations Ted Thompson was the VP of football operations for the Seahawks while Raiders DBs coach Marcus Robertson played there in 2001-02…Former college teammates include Adams and Raiders QB Derek Carr (Fresno State), Clinton-Dix and Lacy and Raiders WR Amari Cooper (Alabama), Matthews and Perry and Raiders S Taylor Mays and LB Malcolm Smith (Southern California), QB Aaron Rodgers and Raiders LB Lorenzo Alexander (California), and TE Richard Rodgers and Raiders WR Jeremy Ross (California).
LAST MEETING, REGULAR SEASON
Dec. 11, 2011, at Lambeau Field, Packers won, 46-16
QB Aaron Rodgers threw for 281 yards, two TDs and one INT on 17-of-30 passing (96.7 passer rating).
RB Ryan Grant rushed for 85 yards and two TDs on only 10 carries (8.5 avg.)
QB Carson Palmer threw for 247 yards, one TD and four INTs on 24-of-42 passing (42.6 passer rating).
Read more: http://www.packers.com/news-and-eve...58d-3724-43b0-96fd-4f03e33abdbe#ixzz3uRJw1QpC
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