The Green Bay Packers visit the Oakland Alameda Stadium to face the Oakland Raiders in Week 3 of the 2018 NFL preseason.
Green Bay won its first two preseason games at home and they did so by putting plenty of points on the board. Meanwhile, Oakland dropped to 1-1 in their preseason campaign after a loss in week 2. With the regular season just around the corner, both teams look to kick it up to another gear as the NFL’s preseason games continue.
The Green Bay Packers have been pouring it on, offensively in the preseason. After scoring 31 games against the Tennessee Titans in their opening preseason game, the Packers registered a mammoth 51 point scoring game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday night.
Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers went 2-4 for 39 yards with one touchdown during his lone series of the game during the first half of action. Packers’ back up quarterback DeShone Kizer threw for two touchdowns and a total of 149 yards while fellow back-up quarterback Brett Hundley went 6-9 for 77 yards in two drives.
Jimmy Graham made his debut in a Green Bay uniform last week and immediately made his presence felt after connecting with Aaron Rodgers for a touchdown on the Packers’ opening drive. Joel Bouagnon led the Packers with 41 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Lance Kendricks and Jake Kumerow combined for 142 receiving yards on five receptions with one touchdown.
Oren Burks led the Green Bay defense with 10 tackles while Regie Gilbert had 2.5 sacks and Tramon Williams recorded one interception.However, Green Bay’s win last week came at a cost as running back Jamaal Williams suffered an ankle sprain and did not return to the game. Although the injury isn’t considered to be serious, there is no timetable yet on when he is going to return.
The Raiders have kept their stars in the sidelines more than we expected. Quarterback Derek Carr played in just a single series during week one and didn’t see action last week. Meanwhile, Marshawn Lynch and Amari Cooper have yet to see action for the Oakland Raiders.
Oakland fell to 1-1 in the preseason after last week’s 15-19 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. In that contest, back up quarterback EJ Manuel threw 10-16 for 89 yards with one touchdown while Connor Cook went 6-12 for 49 yards passing. Manuel and Cook are battling for the 2nd stringer job in Oakland.
Rookie running back Chris Warren III impressed with a total of 110 rushing yards on 18 carries with one touchdown. Meanwhile, Paul Butler and Jaylen Richard combined for 6 receptions and a total of 70 receiving yards.
On defense, it was Jason Cabinda who led the Raiders with six tackles. Shilique Calhoun added two tackles while James Cowser had one interception for Oakland. Defensive end Khalil Mack, the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has yet to report to the Raiders’ camp due to a contract issue.
It’s usually in the third preseason game where we see the teams starters play for a full half. If that’s the case then how can the Packers lose this game with Rodgers calling the plays? But even if Green Bay decides to keep Rodgers’ minutes at a minimum, DeShone Kizer and Brett Hundley have done a terrific job with the Packers’ offense.
Green Bay has piled up the points in their first two preseason games, scoring a total of 82 points against the Titans and Steelers combined. Kizer and Hundley have combined for three touchdowns against one interception. Even 4th stringer Tim Boyle has thrown for two touchdowns in the preseason. When you put Kizer and Hundley against EJ Manuel and Connor Cook, picking the former should be a given.
The Raiders gave the Detroit Lions every opportunity to beat them in their preseason debut and they barely did anything against the Rams last week. The Raiders are at an even 1-1 in the preseason but if you compare the quality of play, you’ve got to give it to the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay has won five out of its last six preseason games. In contrast, Oakland has lost five out of its last six preseason appearances. Green Bay has won the last five overall meetings between these two teams. We’re picking the Green Bay Packers to beat the Oakland Raiders on 8/24/18.
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