Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
Before entertaining the thought of going 16-0, the Green Bay Packers have a short list of other goals to attain.
The Packers achieved their first goal last week, clinching the NFC North title, and they’ll look to secure their next - a first-round playoff bye - Sunday when they host the Oakland Raiders.
Green Bay became the first defending Super Bowl champion to start the following season 12-0 since the 1998 Denver Broncos with last Sunday’s 38-35 road win over the New York Giants. It was the Packers’ 18th straight victory - tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history behind New England’s 21-game run in 2003-04.
On the flight home, Green Bay found out that it won the division with Detroit’s loss in New Orleans, but the Packers weren’t in the mood to celebrate.
“It’s just the first goal,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s the first mile marker that we set out to hit on this journey, and now we’re on to the next one.”
The next goal is a first-round bye, which can be attained with a win or a Saints loss in Tennessee, and the following is home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. After those two goals are met, McCarthy said his team will be ready to talk about the perfect season.
“I’m not going to talk about 16-0 or anything,” said Aaron Rodgers(notes), who is one of three quarterbacks - Johnny Unitas (1959) and Peyton Manning(notes) (2004) - to throw multiple touchdown passes in each of a team’s first 12 games. “We got the playoff spot, division, hopefully getting the first-round bye and then fortunate enough to be undefeated and I want to talk about something else.”
First, however, Rodgers and the Packers are focused on beating the Raiders for the sixth straight time since a 20-0 loss in 1987.
Rodgers is enjoying an MVP-caliber season with a remarkable 37 touchdown passes to only five interceptions. He is third in the league with 3,844 passing yards and owns an NFL-best 70.6 completion percentage.
With Rodgers leading the way, the Packers are averaging a league-best 35.0 points and are 42 shy of breaking the single-season franchise record of 461 in 2009.
That doesn’t bode well for Oakland, which is 27th in scoring defense allowing 25.7 points per game.
The Raiders (7-5) had trouble slowing down Miami’s offense in last Sunday’s 34-14 loss, snapping a three-game winning streak. Oakland, tied with Denver atop the AFC West, doesn’t have time to dwell on the loss with a game at Lambeau Field, where the Packers have won 10 in a row.
“They’re the team to beat,” coach Hue Jackson said. “It’s going to be a great challenge but that’s what the NFL is all about. I mean these challenges don’t get any easier, they get harder and the teams you play are better and that’s why we need to make sure we become better and accept these challenges and go play well.”
The Packers were faced with quite a challenge last Sunday, and they didn’t seem fazed.
Tied with the Giants and starting at their own 20-yard line with 58 seconds left, Rodgers engineered a five-play drive to set up Mason Crosby’s(notes) 31-yard field goal as time expired. Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards on the drive and extended his NFL record to 12 straight games of a QB rating of 100 or better.
“We needed that as an offense,” McCarthy said. “We needed that opportunity. It was great for us to do that, especially in that environment. That’s something we can definitely draw from.”
While Green Bay displayed poise down the stretch last week, the Raiders’ offense struggled from the start.
Oakland punted on eight of its first nine possessions and had 133 yards through three quarters before showing some signs of life in the final period when trailing 34-0. Playing their fifth straight game without Darren McFadden(notes) (right foot), the Raiders were limited to a season-low 46 rushing yards.
“We’re going to let it go but we ain’t going to forget,” Jackson said.
Carson Palmer(notes) threw for 153 of his 273 yards in the fourth quarter but could fare a bit better against Green Bay, which is 31st in pass defense allowing 292.8 yards per game.
The Packers could have even bigger problems defending the pass if cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) has to sit out after suffering a concussion last week, but they’re hopeful the former Raider will play.
The status of leading rusher James Starks(notes) is more unclear, however, after he sustained another ankle injury last Sunday.
If Starks can’t go, backup Ryan Grant(notes) could get some more carries. Grant rushed for a career-high 156 yards with a touchdown in the last meeting with the Raiders, a 38-7 victory in 2007.
The Packers achieved their first goal last week, clinching the NFC North title, and they’ll look to secure their next - a first-round playoff bye - Sunday when they host the Oakland Raiders.
Green Bay became the first defending Super Bowl champion to start the following season 12-0 since the 1998 Denver Broncos with last Sunday’s 38-35 road win over the New York Giants. It was the Packers’ 18th straight victory - tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history behind New England’s 21-game run in 2003-04.
On the flight home, Green Bay found out that it won the division with Detroit’s loss in New Orleans, but the Packers weren’t in the mood to celebrate.
“It’s just the first goal,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s the first mile marker that we set out to hit on this journey, and now we’re on to the next one.”
The next goal is a first-round bye, which can be attained with a win or a Saints loss in Tennessee, and the following is home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. After those two goals are met, McCarthy said his team will be ready to talk about the perfect season.
“I’m not going to talk about 16-0 or anything,” said Aaron Rodgers(notes), who is one of three quarterbacks - Johnny Unitas (1959) and Peyton Manning(notes) (2004) - to throw multiple touchdown passes in each of a team’s first 12 games. “We got the playoff spot, division, hopefully getting the first-round bye and then fortunate enough to be undefeated and I want to talk about something else.”
First, however, Rodgers and the Packers are focused on beating the Raiders for the sixth straight time since a 20-0 loss in 1987.
Rodgers is enjoying an MVP-caliber season with a remarkable 37 touchdown passes to only five interceptions. He is third in the league with 3,844 passing yards and owns an NFL-best 70.6 completion percentage.
With Rodgers leading the way, the Packers are averaging a league-best 35.0 points and are 42 shy of breaking the single-season franchise record of 461 in 2009.
That doesn’t bode well for Oakland, which is 27th in scoring defense allowing 25.7 points per game.
The Raiders (7-5) had trouble slowing down Miami’s offense in last Sunday’s 34-14 loss, snapping a three-game winning streak. Oakland, tied with Denver atop the AFC West, doesn’t have time to dwell on the loss with a game at Lambeau Field, where the Packers have won 10 in a row.
“They’re the team to beat,” coach Hue Jackson said. “It’s going to be a great challenge but that’s what the NFL is all about. I mean these challenges don’t get any easier, they get harder and the teams you play are better and that’s why we need to make sure we become better and accept these challenges and go play well.”
The Packers were faced with quite a challenge last Sunday, and they didn’t seem fazed.
Tied with the Giants and starting at their own 20-yard line with 58 seconds left, Rodgers engineered a five-play drive to set up Mason Crosby’s(notes) 31-yard field goal as time expired. Rodgers completed passes of 24, 27 and 18 yards on the drive and extended his NFL record to 12 straight games of a QB rating of 100 or better.
“We needed that as an offense,” McCarthy said. “We needed that opportunity. It was great for us to do that, especially in that environment. That’s something we can definitely draw from.”
While Green Bay displayed poise down the stretch last week, the Raiders’ offense struggled from the start.
Oakland punted on eight of its first nine possessions and had 133 yards through three quarters before showing some signs of life in the final period when trailing 34-0. Playing their fifth straight game without Darren McFadden(notes) (right foot), the Raiders were limited to a season-low 46 rushing yards.
“We’re going to let it go but we ain’t going to forget,” Jackson said.
Carson Palmer(notes) threw for 153 of his 273 yards in the fourth quarter but could fare a bit better against Green Bay, which is 31st in pass defense allowing 292.8 yards per game.
The Packers could have even bigger problems defending the pass if cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) has to sit out after suffering a concussion last week, but they’re hopeful the former Raider will play.
The status of leading rusher James Starks(notes) is more unclear, however, after he sustained another ankle injury last Sunday.
If Starks can’t go, backup Ryan Grant(notes) could get some more carries. Grant rushed for a career-high 156 yards with a touchdown in the last meeting with the Raiders, a 38-7 victory in 2007.
