The Packers elevated Corey Ballentine from the practice squad for the third time.  The team will have to sign him to the 53-man roster or release him and then re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers if they want to keep him available for regular season games.  They also signed Patrick Taylor to the 53-man roster as he was out of elevations.  The Packers released LB Justin Hollins to make room.  The inactive players were Aaron Jones (hamstring), Devondre Campbell (ankle), Zayne Anderson (hamstring but he probably would have been a healthy scratch, anyway), Caleb Jones, Anthony Johnson, and Malik Heath.

The Packers' weak run-blocking offensive line met the Raiders' weak run defense and the result was a modest running game.  The running backs gained 78 yards on 22 carries for a 3.55-yard average and 1 touchdown.   Jordan Love scrambled twice for 37 yards to bring the Pack up to 4.4-yards per carry for the game.  The running backs gained just 25 yards on 9 carries in the first half.  

The pass protection was decent.  The Raiders only had 2 quarterback hits, both of which were sacks.  However, I think the statistics are misleading.  The Raiders generated consistent pressure, including multiple pressures from the menace that is Maxx Crosby.  Love had to get the ball out quickly to counteract the pressure, and that resulted in a lot of check downs and very little offensive production, particularly in the first half.  

Love completed 16 of 30 passes (53.3%) for 182 yards (6.07 yards/attempt) with no touchdowns and 3 interceptions.  Love had a passer rating of 32 and a QBR of 13.2.  Love apparently didn't see LB Robert Spillane in the thorwing lane since he threw it directly to Spillane, who returned it to the Green Bay 24 yard line.  The defense held, allowing minus one yard on 3 plays.  The Raiders kicked a field goal.  Another interception was simply thrown too late.  Watson was open on a go route but Love rolled out from the pocket instead of taking a big hit in the pocket and then threw it to into the end zone.  Unfortunately, Watson had run out of real estate and the DB had time to catch up and intercept that pass.  You can see LaFleur jumping up and down in excitement on the sidelines when Watson comes open in this video clip but the pass was thrown too late.  The other interception was due to having to throw into a tight window: the DB deflected the pass intended for Watson and Spillane intercepted it.  The defense held again, this time pushing the Raiders back 3 yards on 3 plays to force a punt.

This was a forgettable day for Jordan Love.  His offensive line and his receivers did him no favors, and he had some breakdowns in his decision-making at times.  

With Aaron Jones unavailable, the Packers gave Dillon the lead role, but Taylor played quite a few snaps, mostly on passing downs.  Dillon gained 76 yards on 20 carries (3.8-yard average) with 1 touchdown.  He hit the hole hard and kept his legs churning.  He even made a nice cutback to turn a small gain into an 11-yard run.  Per PFF, Dillon ran 12 routes and was targeted once, but Dillon had no receptions.  Taylor carried the ball twice for 2 yards with a long of 5 yards.  He ran 17 routes and was targeted 4 times, catching 2 for 5 yards.  Emanuel Wilson did not play and appears to be active only because Jones was out.

Musgrave caught 6 of his 7 targets for 34 yards (5.7-yard average) with a long of 8.  It would be nice to see him run some vertical routes, break some tackles, and have better contact balance.  Musgrave ran 23 routes (1.48 yards per route).  Musgrave played all 8 snaps on the Packers' first drive, but following a chewing out by Lafleur on the sidelines, he missed all the snaps on the next drive (7 snaps) and half of the snaps (2 snaps) on the Packers' third possession, but then returned to the lineup shortly after Sims caught a 12 yard pass.  Deguara caught his only target for 19 yards.  He only ran 5 routes (3.8 yards/route).  Deguara was put into motion to block several times.  Sims ran 3 routes in his stint and caught his only target for 12 yards.  Tucker Kraft played a lot of snaps (40%) but he had no statistics, though he make a nice tackle: unfortunately, he was blocking at the time and thus was penalized.

This group is not doing Jordan Love many favors.  Watson caught 3 of 7 targets for 91 yards (30.3 yards per rec and 13 yard per target).  He ran 29 routes (3.14 yards/route).  Those are big numbers.  Watson is very valuable as the big-play option.  So far, he has not shown that he is a move-the-chains type of receiver, but that might come.  His numbers could have been even bigger.  Watson couldn't come up with a long pass that hit one of his hands.  He had the defensive back shielded off, but just couldn't come up with it.  And he might have had 2 touchdowns on the day if Love had hit him a little bit more in stride on his 77-yard reception and if on the last offensive snap if Love had thrown the ball a little earlier.  I would also like to have seen Watson contest that last intercepted pass which sealed the game for the Raiders.

Doubs ran 33 routes and caught 1 of 4 targets for 4 yards (0.12 yards/route).  He also had a drop.  His only reception was on a quick out that was designed to get the ball to him.  Otherwise, he contributed little.  Reed ran 20 routes while catching 1 of 2 targets for 7 yards (0.35 yards/route).  Wicks ran 8 routes and caught his only target for 10 yards (1.25 yards/route).  Toure played 1 snap but did not run a route, and thus had no receptions.

The receivers (including the tight ends and running backs) need to do better.  Love is too often throwing into tight windows even for intermediate passes, or is forced into check downs.  The receivers have to get more separation and LaFleur needs to design more plays that give Love some easy completions.  Love's check downs sometimes are a little awkward, but some of them need to be turned into bigger gainers.  And when Love goes deep, he has not been terribly accurate, so the Packers do not have enough to show for taking their shots.  Brad Spielberger of PFF has the Packers as catching just 6 of 24 deep passes for zero touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

The Packers held the Raiders to 3.3-yards per carry despite playing just 2.375 true defensive linemen per play on average.  Clark had 5 tackles (2 solo) and a sack.  Clark's sacks seem to come early in games.  I have been opposed to playing him fewer snaps, but perhaps that would keep Clark from wearing down over the course of the game.  Clark had a neutral zone penalty.  Slaton had 2 tackles (1 solo).  Wyatt had 1 assisted tackle.  Brooks had 2 assisted tackles and Wooden had 1 assisted tackle.  The line did a pretty good job of clogging up the running lanes.  Josh Jacob did have a 24-yard scamper but finished averaging just 3.5 yards per carry.  Gadget guy Tre Tucker had a 16 yard carry.

McDuffie led the team with 10 tackles (6 solo), 1 of which was a tackle for loss.  Eric Wilson added 7 tackles (3 solo) and had a quarterback hit.  Walker had 4 tackles (3 solo), one of which was a tackle for loss.  Walker left with an injury and did not return.  The Raiders seem to run a lot of slants.  The Packers ILBs generally kept those under control and provided good run support.  Gary had 4 tackles (2 solo), including a tackle for loss and a sack.  Preston Smith had 3 tackles (2 solo), one of which was a sack and he had 2 QB hits and he tipped a pass.  Enagbare, who had been quiet recently, had 3 tackles (2 solo and both were tackles for loss), and a sack.  Van Ness had 2 tackles (1 solo).  The Packers had 6 QB hits and 4 sacks.  The pressure was adequate, especially since Garappolo is known for getting the ball out quickly.

Ford had 9 tackles (5 solo) and an interception.  Ford played well.  I assume that on 2nd and 6 from the GB 9-yard line Ford is coached to stand on the goal line.  That led to an easy pitch and catch on a little slant right in front of Ford for a touchdown.  Nixon had 6 tackles (5 solo).  Douglas had 4 solo tackles and 2 passes defensed.  He also sniffed out a flea flicker and prevented Josh Jacobs from throwing it back to Garapollo; Jacobs ran it but was tackled for was considered a sack.  Savage had 4 tackles (1 solo).  Alexander had 3 tackles (1 solo).  Jonathan Owens played a lot of snaps after Savage came up limping.  Owens had one tackle for loss.  

Jakobi Meyers wore the Packers out with slants.  He caught 7 of 10 targets for 75 yards with a long of 18.  The Packers held Davante Adams to 45 yards on 4 receptions (4 targets) with a long of 21.  The Raiders' got Adams matched up on McDuffie for a 7-yard gain and later on Preston Smith.  They held Garopollo to an 86.3 passer rating.  The defense gave up 17 points, 14 if one deducts the field goal due to a short field.  The Raiders returned an interception to the Green Bay 24, then ran 3 plays, losing a net of one yard.  That forced a short field goal.  That is a winning performance.

Special Teams:

Whelan punted for a 46-yard average (44.5 net average).  He landed one inside the 20.  Carlson made both of his field goals with a long of 37 and he made his only extra point attempt.  Nixon returned a punt for 2 yards and had no kickoff returns.  Yes, Nixon ran backwards on that punt return, but given the offensive production, trying to make something happen on special teams seems pretty reasonable to me.  

WR: 2.48

RB: 1.02

TE: 1.50 (higher than normal for the Packers)

DE: 2.375

ILB: 1.89

OLB: 2.00

DB: 4,73

Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, USA Today Sports