The Oakland Raiders (3-2) head to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers (5-1) in Week 7 NFL action. Here’s my three keys to victory for the silver and black:

START FAST

Jon Gruden is known for his “opening script” magic, as the offense usually comes out and moves the ball down the field with ease to start the game. That’s huge for the Raiders, as they’re built to play with a lead down the stretch.

First half scoring totals so far —



3 wins: Raiders 52, Opponents 10

2 losses: Opponents 49, Raiders 17 pic.twitter.com/5VSaDAKwyK — Kris Wysong (@KrisWysong) October 15, 2019

If the Raiders have a lead going into the second half, even if they temporarily lose it at some point later on in the game, it still means that it’s close enough to where they can run the football and fully wear down opposing defenses late in games. Which, ya know, keeps their best player relevant: Josh Jacobs.

FEED JOSH JACOBS

Speaking of Josh Jacobs (I nailed that segue, didn’t I?), he’s 6th in the NFL with an average of 86.0 yards rushing per game. In wins, Josh is averaging 22 rushing attempts per game, compared to just 11 in their two losses.

Jacobs is also a very capable receiver, so involving him more in the pass game is just another way to get him the football. He has 5 receptions over the last two games, compared to just 1 in the first 3 games, so it seems like that’s trending in the right direction.

EFFICIENT DEREK CARR

While many fans are irritated (even after victories) that the downfield passing game hasn’t been there, the precision-style that Gruden seems to prefer has still had an impact. Here’s some interesting splits for Derek Carr:

3 wins – 76.4 completion %, 8.28 adjusted yards per pass attempt, 3 touchdowns, zero interceptions

2 losses – 69.4 completion %, 5.07 adjusted yards per pass attempt, 3 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

When Carr’s efficiency has been good, the Raiders have won. Oakland will need him to be turnover-free and on-the-money with his passes if they want to leave Wisconsin with a 4-2 record.