The Oakland Raiders will be coming out of their bye week to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 7. The Raiders own a 3-2 record while Green Bay sits atop the NFC North with a 5-1 record.
Unlike the Packers, no one expected Oakland to be a formidable team heading into the season. Especially with the Antonio Brown saga being drawn out during training camp and the preseason.
Currently, Jon Gruden has the Raiders playing winning football and is on a two-game winning streak over the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears—two teams who were in the postseason last year. But when they square off against the Packers on the road on Sunday, two key X-Factors will need to perform well in Week 7
Josh Jacobs
When facing the revamped defense of the Packers, teams have begun to attack their front seven on defense on the ground. At this moment, Green Bay has the 23rd ranked run defense in the NFL (124.5 yards per game).
In light of that, Gruden has to give Josh Jacobs a large workload on Sunday to take advantage of Green Bay's weakness. Over the course of the first three weeks of the season, the rookie rusher carried it 45 times for 228 yards (5.07 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns.
Additionally, Jacobs only had one reception for 28 yards in the Raiders' first three contests. Then, in their last two games, Oakland has made a concerted effort to get him involved in the passing game.
As a result, the Alabama product has been given 43 rushing attempts for 202 yards and two touchdowns; while also catching five passes for 49 yards. This week, the game-plan should remain the same for the Raiders when it comes to Jacobs.
There's no doubt that Gruden was scheming ways for his first-year running back to be effective against the Packers. One of the best ways to defeat the Packers is to keep Aaron Rodgers on the sideline as much as possible.
Darren Waller
Just six weeks into the season, one of the standout players for the Raiders has been Darren Waller. Waller has played well enough that Oakland has already handed him an extension that is worth $9 million annually and keeps him with the franchise through 2023.
Despite not scoring a touchdown yet this season, the pass-catching tight end has been a focal point of Oakland's offense. In just five games, Waller leads the Raiders in receptions (37) and receiving yards (359).
As much as Green Bay's run defense has struggled, their pass defense has been much-improved this season. During the offseason, the Packers spent $48 million in guaranteed money to bolster their defense with Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Adrian Amos.
Due to those additions, the Packers boast the 13th ranked pass defense with Jaire Alexander showing he can be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. With Green Bay's pass rush and secondary working in tandem, Derek Carr is going to have to get the ball out fast and efficiently.
That makes Waller a vital player for the Raiders in Week 7, as Carr will look to connect with his go-to offensive weapon. The Raiders aren't favored to win this game but Jacobs and Waller can help them upset the Packers in Week 7.
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