Live Updates: Rodgers, Packers Destroy Raiders
Who needs practice?
Aaron Rodgers had a monster day in leading the Green Bay Packers past the Oakland Raiders 42-24 on Sunday. Rodgers had five touchdown passes and one touchdown run, giving him six total touchdowns compared to six incompletions. The player with the highest passer rating in NFL history recorded his first max rating of 158.3. He did it without Davante Adams (toe) and with Marquez Valdes-Scantling (knee and ankle) and Geronimo Allison (cleared from the concussion protocol on Saturday) not practicing all week.
The Packers are 6-1 under Matt LaFleur, the best start for a coach in Packers history.
Valdes-Scantling, Jake Kumerow, Jimmy Graham and running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams caught the touchdown passes from Rodgers.
Here are our in-game updates.
PREGAME
CBS did a pregame feature on the first Lambeau Leap, with LeRoy Butler making history vs. the Raiders 26 years ago.
Inactives
The Green Bay Packers’ inactives list did not include receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison, a potential boost to the offense against the Raiders.
Neither player practiced all week. On Friday, Valdes-Scantling was questionable and Allison was doubtful; Allison was upgraded to questionable on Saturday, a sign he had passed through the concussion protocol.
“I’ve got two days to get it going,” Valdes-Scantling said on Friday. “I’ve gotten better every single day. Obviously, I won’t go out there if I can’t help this team out. I don’t want to be a detriment to the team. That’s the focus. If I can go, I’ll go. If I can’t, I can’t.”
Davante Adams, who coach Matt LaFleur ruled out on Friday, and Ryan Grant, who the Packers signed this week, are inactive. That leaves the Packers with Valdes-Scantling, Allison, Jake Kumerow, Allen Lazard and Darrius Shepherd as their receivers.
Here’s the seven-man list: receiver Davante Adams (toe), Grant, offensive linemen Cole Madison and Adam Pankey, safety Darnell Savage (ankle), tight end Robert Tonyan (hip) and outside linebacker Tim Williams.
The Raiders will be down three starters: right tackle Trent Brown, receiver Tyrell Williams and outside linebacker Arden Key are inactive. Former Packers quarterback DeShone Kizer also is inactive.
MONEY MEN
In an extra point to the World’s Best Preview, the Packers have nine sacks on third down – tied for second in the league behind New England’s 11. Preston Smith has 4.0 sacks – second in the league only to Oakland’s Benson Mayowa’s 4.5 – and Za’Darius Smith has 3.0.
“In this league, they call that the money down,” Preston Smith said.
“The money down,” Za’Darius Smith interjected.
“If you’re trying to get off the field,” Preston Smith continued, “that’s where you’ve got a chance to go out there and make some money and make some big plays and help the defense. If it’s third, if it’s a third-and-(long) situation for us, good enough for the quarterback to hold the ball, we have to affect him and prevent them from getting a first down, ending that drive, getting the ball back in our offense’s hands. Of course, if we get a good third down, third-and-long or third-and-medium or a situation where the quarterback gets to hold the ball, it’s one of those money downs, we get a chance to have fun and pin our ears back and be ready to go.”
THE FULL WORLD’S BEST PREVIEW
LaFleur and Gruden lead the Two-Minute Drill (with Woodson videos)
Limited sacks show Rodgers’ comfort
Inside the Raiders: Carr, Jacobs and more
FIRST QUARTER
Raiders 3, Packers 0, 12:21 remaining
Daniel Carlson, the former Vikings kicker who missed a game-winning kick here in Week 2 of last season, booted a 45-yard field goal to cap the game’s opening drive.
Key play: Rookie running back Josh Jacobs, who was among the league leaders in forcing missed tackles entering the game, evaded linebacker Blake Martinez in the hole and stiff-armed safety Will Redmond on his way to a 48-yard run.
Packers 7, Raiders 3, 9:42 remaining
Running back Aaron Jones dropped the easiest touchdown catch in the world last week against Detroit. He made a much more difficult catch to get the Packers on the board, with Jones running toward the corner and twisting back inside to make a 21-yard touchdown catch. Jones beat Raiders linebacker Nicholas Morrow.
Key play: Aaron Rodgers had all day to hit Jones, and he had all day the previous play, when he found tight end Jimmy Graham for a gain of 29 to the Raiders’ 21. On the next play, Jones scored his ninth touchdown of the season – tying his career high.
The Packers led 7-3 after the first quarter, with running back Aaron Jones running three times for 20 yards and catching two passes for 28 yards and the touchdown. With Oakland on the move to start the second quarter, it held a 135-94 advantage in yards. Running back Josh Jacobs had 64 rushing yards.
SECOND QUARTER
Raiders 10, Packers 7, 11:33 remaining
The score: On third-and-3, quarterback Derek Carr hit rookie tight end Foster Moreau for a 10-yard touchdown. The score came on a slant against Jaire Alexander, with Moreau plowing through cornerback Kevin King near the goal line.
Key plays: On the 14-play drive, the Raiders converted four third-down plays – third-and-6 with a 10-yard completion to Trevor Davis, third-and-11 with an 18-yard gain to Keelan Doss, third-and-3 with a 4-yard completion to Hunter Renfrow and the touchdown. The Raiders overcame a pair of holding calls on right tackle David Sharpe, who was starting for injured Trent Brown.
Packers 14, Raiders 10, 3:27 remaining
The score: Aaron Rodgers had the easiest touchdown throw of the season, a 2-yarder to running back Jamaal Williams who was wide open in the flat on second-and-goal. After the play, Rodgers pointed toward coach Matt LaFleur, probably acknowledging the coach’s call.
Key play: On second-and-6 from the 25, Rodgers fired a ball into the back of the end zone in the direction of tight end Jimmy Graham. Safety Erik Harris was flagged for pass interference, giving the Packers a first-and-goal at the 3. Oakland coach Jon Gruden went ballistic, his face beet red while making the obvious point that the ball was so far over Graham’s head that the pass was uncatchable. Having already lost a challenge for an offensive pass-interference call on Trevor Davis, Gruden kept his red flag in his pocket.
Packers 14, Raiders 10, 1:49 remaining
Key play: After a 16-yard completion to star tight end Darren Waller at the sideline, Derek Carr found Waller streaking up the seam. Waller ran right past inside linebacker B.J. Goodson, caught Carr’s pass in stride inside the Packers’ 30 and was stopped at the 3 by safety Will Redmond. Instead of scoring the go-ahead touchdown just before halftime, the Raiders turned over the ball. On second-and-goal, Carr scrambled and dove toward the goal line with the ball extended. The ball slipped out of his hand and went out of bounds in the end zone. Initially, Carr was ruled down at the 1 but Packers coach Matt LaFleur won the challenge. By a quirky NFL rule, Green Bay was awarded the ball at the 20 in what would be a huge moment in the game.
Packers 21, Raiders 10, 12 seconds remaining
The score: Aaron Rodgers threw a dart to Jake Kumerow over cornerback Daryl Worley, with Kumerow tiptoeing up the sideline for the final 11 yards. The play withstood a lengthy review, with one of the officials slowly walking up the field and inspecting the white sideline boundary to see if Kumerow had left any footsteps.
Key play: On third-and-3, Rodgers threw a deep incompletion to tight end Marcedes Lewis but defensive end Benson Mayowa was flagged for roughing the passer after diving at Rodgers’ right knee.
Aaron Rodgers was 15-for-19 passing for 201 yards and three touchdowns in the first half as the Packers led 21-10. In a potential 14-point swing late in the half, Oakland quarterback Derek Carr fumbles away the ball near the goal line and Rodgers hit Jake Kumerow for a 37-yard touchdown. It was Rodgers’ first three-touchdown game – let alone half – since Oct. 7, 2018, at Detroit.
THIRD QUARTER
Packers 28, Raiders 10. 12:04 remaining.
The score: Aaron Rodgers faked the handoff to Aaron Jones, booted to his right and scored on a 3-yard run. It was Rodgers’ fourth touchdown of the day since he threw for four touchdowns vs. Chicago on Sept. 28, 2017.
Key play: The Packers went for the kill. On the first play after halftime, Rodgers dialed up play-action and hit receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a gain of 59 yards to the Raiders’ 19.
Packers 28, Raiders 17. 6:41 remaining.
The score: On third-and-2, Derek Carr looped a pass over safety Adrian Amos to tight end Darren Waller for the touchdown. It appeared linebacker B.J. Goodson was in coverage. Waller had three catches on the drive and five catches for 101 yards on the day.
Key play: On third-and-5, Carr hit rookie receiver Hunter Renfrow on a slant against cornerback Jaire Alexander. The 10-yard gain gave the Raiders a first down at Green Bay’s 15.
Packers 35, Raiders 17. 2:06 remaining.
The score: Aaron Rodgers continued his monster day with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham. It was Rodgers’ fourth touchdown pass of the day – a first since Sept. 28, 2017, vs. Chicago. Including a rushing touchdown, Rodgers had his first five-touchdown day since Christmas Eve 2016 against Minnesota. The touchdown gave Rodgers a 157.3 passer rating, just less than the 158.3 max.
Key play: The drive started with a catch-and-run gain of 25 by Graham, and Allen Lazard made a leaping grab for a gain of 26.
FOURTH QUARTER
Packers 42, Raiders 17. 6:28 remaining.
The score: Aaron Rodgers threw an out to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who slipped a tackle at the 31 and went the distance for a 74-yard touchdown.
Key play: That did it for Rodgers, who finished 25-of-31 passing for 429 yards and five touchdowns. His perfect 158.3 passer rating was the best of his career.
