Packers vs. Raiders Preseason Prediction

The reunion between Jordy Nelson and Aaron Rodgers will be all the talks before this game, but really this game is all about Jon Gruden in his return to the NFL after a decade away from coaching.

Aaron Rodgers has already been ruled out for this contest and will not throw more than his existing four passes this offseason. A commodity like Rodgers is worth protecting, especially after a year including his second collarbone injury, which sidelined him for several games and kept the Packers from making a real push for the playoffs.

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Raiders are Full of Drama

The Raiders are still dealing with the mess of drama from the contract talks, or lack thereof, between the team brass and standout defensive star, Khalil Mack. Mack insists on an extension, but the Raiders are apparently unwilling to pay what will likely end up being one of the top five defensive players in the game for the foreseeable future.

Off-field distractions like contracts, discipline, front office and player interactions such as name calling or just general unfriendliness, can be terrible for any team, but especially so to a team that is trying to make efforts to change the culture for the better, or in this case, do so while implementing a new offensive strategy.

Packers Looking to Get the Ball Rolling

While the Raiders are dealing with internal disruptions, the Packers are steady as she goes with Joe Philbin back calling plays for the Packers. His last stint went so well, he earned himself a head coaching gig. We won’t be bringing that up, Joe, but let’s just say not all coordinators are cut out for the corner office. Either way, this move is great for the Packers. Adding coaches that have head coaching experience is always a plus, especially when they were great coordinators before they gave head coaching a try.

On the defensive side, Mike Pettine offers that same experience for the Packers. He was an outstanding defensive coordinator and got a shot with the Browns. Even though that didn’t work out so well for him, finding himself on this coaching staff will do wonders for rebuilding his reputation as a defensive genius.

In short, the Packers have one of the best coordinator groups in the league and one of the best quarterbacks in the game. The latter will not be much of a factor in this game as he will likely only be suiting up with a headset, but still do not undervalue these two coordinators in the matchup.

Pick and Prediction

.Take the Packers +6 at YouWager on FridayI expect the Packers to out-coach the Raiders in the contest, but the Raiders will have more starting caliber players on the field and for longer periods, so this one should be quite interesting. My bet is on the Packers to outscore the Raiders 17-10.