Friday 8/24/18 thread for free handicapping service plays and expert predictions for MLB, CFL and NFL games.
Giants vs. Jets Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 22nd August 2018 By Charles Jay
The New York Giants and New York Jets are energized somewhat this season because of the presence of a couple of prized rookies, although only one of them is expected to make an immediate impact.
Between these teams, the Giants are the one that is settled at quarterback. And that probably makes them the more complete team offensively, because they also hope to have the most electrifying receiver in the game available to them on an extended basis.
The Jets, however, have their quarterback of the future, and that counts for something that can buy a management team and maybe even a coaching staff a little time, particularly when the chief executive (of the team, that is) is greatly enamored of him.
NFL Preseason game previews
From time to time, there's some animosity between these clubs, which spices up the proceedings. And in 2013, Rex Ryan put Mark Sanchez into this "rivalry" game, perhaps giving him an opportunity to beat out Geno Smith for the starting QB job, but Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury, which ended his career in New York (or New Jersey, as it were).
So here we go again, with these teams getting together on Friday night at 7:30 PM ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, the home venue for both clubs. For this one, the Jets are the designated home team. Last week they lost 15-13 to Washington, while the Giants beat Detroit 30-17.
TV: 7:30 PM ET, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Jets -2.5 (-115). O/U: 42
ABOUT THE GIANTS: Saquon Barkley, the first-round draft pick out of Penn State, sat out of the game against Detroit with an injury, and he is still nursing it, so action against the Jets is unlikely. The Giants would still like to get a look at some of their other running backs, so they can fill out the backfield after the top three of Barkley, Wayne Gallman and Jonathan Stewart. One of the people who will be on the spot is Robert Martin, who played his college ball around the corner at Rutgers and came to camp as an undrafted free agent. In the game against the Lions, Martin had 47 yards rushing and a touchdown. And the injury problems that have plagued the Giants' running back corps will help him, as they have been taking people from other positions to fill in during drills. Davis Webb got by far more work than the other two backup quarterbacks at Ford Field, but first-year coach Pat Shurmur says that there really isn't any depth chart beyond Eli Manning. Maybe that is a ploy so that Webb won't get too comfortable in his spot, but it probably means that additional opportunities will come to Kyle Lauletta, Alex Tanney, or both. The likelihood is that Lauletta and Tanney will compete for the third QB slot if the Giants settle on carrying three quarterbacks. The Giants did a very nice job of converting third downs against Detroit, doing so on six of 12 occasions last week. The Giants are priced at +450 to be the champions of the NFC East and +2800 to be Super Bowl champions.
ABOUT THE JETS: The original plan for the Jets was for Josh McCown to keep the seat warm at quarterback while Sam Darnold sat and learned - at least for a while. Well, a couple of things have happened. For one thing, Darnold has shown more impressive command of the offense than many expected, and he has progressed to the point where he is taking the majority of snaps in 11-on-11 drills with the first team. This is not to say that Darnold has more or less passed McCown on the list; for all we know, it may not have been all that unexpected that the USC product would benefit from a lot of work with the starters. And if McCown was really in a battle to save a starting job, maybe he may have gotten more than just one series of plays in the first two games. For what it's worth, though, McCown is indeed conceding that there may be a "competition" for the job, which he intends on winning. But as a 39-year-old, he has to be willing to accept the result. And he sounds genuinely excited to be witnessing a franchise QB emerging. But then there is the possibility of Teddy Bridgewater sneaking in there. The former Vikings QB, who is in his first full camp in three years, went 10-15 for 127 yards against Washington last week, and he is getting some practice time with the first team. He brings a lot to the table, including experience and elusiveness, provided his knee can take it. The Jets are listed at +1150 to win the AFC East and +8500 to win the Super Bowl.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Shurmur was Teddy Bridgewater's offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings and was right there when he tore the ACL. He isn't offering any predictions as to how the Jets' QB situation will turn out, but offers this: "The only thing I would say is don't sleep on Teddy because I think he's got it in him."
2. The Jets have a number of tight ends in camp, none of whom is all that accomplished. But of the five who seem to be vying for the job, Jordan Leggett, a fifth-round draft pick out of Clemson who had seven catches in the national championship game a couple of years ago, seems to be the guy in post position at the moment.
3. Shurmur was non-committal when asked about playing time for Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday. It appears he is getting quality reps in practice, and getting his timing down with Eli Manning. But everybody wants to be a little careful with him when it comes down to game situations and contact.
PREDICTION: Jets 23, Giants 19
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Giants vs. Jets Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 22nd August 2018 By Charles Jay
The New York Giants and New York Jets are energized somewhat this season because of the presence of a couple of prized rookies, although only one of them is expected to make an immediate impact.
Between these teams, the Giants are the one that is settled at quarterback. And that probably makes them the more complete team offensively, because they also hope to have the most electrifying receiver in the game available to them on an extended basis.
The Jets, however, have their quarterback of the future, and that counts for something that can buy a management team and maybe even a coaching staff a little time, particularly when the chief executive (of the team, that is) is greatly enamored of him.
NFL Preseason game previews
From time to time, there's some animosity between these clubs, which spices up the proceedings. And in 2013, Rex Ryan put Mark Sanchez into this "rivalry" game, perhaps giving him an opportunity to beat out Geno Smith for the starting QB job, but Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury, which ended his career in New York (or New Jersey, as it were).
So here we go again, with these teams getting together on Friday night at 7:30 PM ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, the home venue for both clubs. For this one, the Jets are the designated home team. Last week they lost 15-13 to Washington, while the Giants beat Detroit 30-17.
TV: 7:30 PM ET, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Jets -2.5 (-115). O/U: 42
ABOUT THE GIANTS: Saquon Barkley, the first-round draft pick out of Penn State, sat out of the game against Detroit with an injury, and he is still nursing it, so action against the Jets is unlikely. The Giants would still like to get a look at some of their other running backs, so they can fill out the backfield after the top three of Barkley, Wayne Gallman and Jonathan Stewart. One of the people who will be on the spot is Robert Martin, who played his college ball around the corner at Rutgers and came to camp as an undrafted free agent. In the game against the Lions, Martin had 47 yards rushing and a touchdown. And the injury problems that have plagued the Giants' running back corps will help him, as they have been taking people from other positions to fill in during drills. Davis Webb got by far more work than the other two backup quarterbacks at Ford Field, but first-year coach Pat Shurmur says that there really isn't any depth chart beyond Eli Manning. Maybe that is a ploy so that Webb won't get too comfortable in his spot, but it probably means that additional opportunities will come to Kyle Lauletta, Alex Tanney, or both. The likelihood is that Lauletta and Tanney will compete for the third QB slot if the Giants settle on carrying three quarterbacks. The Giants did a very nice job of converting third downs against Detroit, doing so on six of 12 occasions last week. The Giants are priced at +450 to be the champions of the NFC East and +2800 to be Super Bowl champions.
ABOUT THE JETS: The original plan for the Jets was for Josh McCown to keep the seat warm at quarterback while Sam Darnold sat and learned - at least for a while. Well, a couple of things have happened. For one thing, Darnold has shown more impressive command of the offense than many expected, and he has progressed to the point where he is taking the majority of snaps in 11-on-11 drills with the first team. This is not to say that Darnold has more or less passed McCown on the list; for all we know, it may not have been all that unexpected that the USC product would benefit from a lot of work with the starters. And if McCown was really in a battle to save a starting job, maybe he may have gotten more than just one series of plays in the first two games. For what it's worth, though, McCown is indeed conceding that there may be a "competition" for the job, which he intends on winning. But as a 39-year-old, he has to be willing to accept the result. And he sounds genuinely excited to be witnessing a franchise QB emerging. But then there is the possibility of Teddy Bridgewater sneaking in there. The former Vikings QB, who is in his first full camp in three years, went 10-15 for 127 yards against Washington last week, and he is getting some practice time with the first team. He brings a lot to the table, including experience and elusiveness, provided his knee can take it. The Jets are listed at +1150 to win the AFC East and +8500 to win the Super Bowl.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Shurmur was Teddy Bridgewater's offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings and was right there when he tore the ACL. He isn't offering any predictions as to how the Jets' QB situation will turn out, but offers this: "The only thing I would say is don't sleep on Teddy because I think he's got it in him."
2. The Jets have a number of tight ends in camp, none of whom is all that accomplished. But of the five who seem to be vying for the job, Jordan Leggett, a fifth-round draft pick out of Clemson who had seven catches in the national championship game a couple of years ago, seems to be the guy in post position at the moment.
3. Shurmur was non-committal when asked about playing time for Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday. It appears he is getting quality reps in practice, and getting his timing down with Eli Manning. But everybody wants to be a little careful with him when it comes down to game situations and contact.
PREDICTION: Jets 23, Giants 19
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Patriots vs. Panthers Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 21st August 2018 By Charles Jay
The New England Patriots hung a 37-20 loss on the Philadelphia Eagles last week, and that may have been somewhat satisfying, although they have been around the block long enough not to take a whole lot out of that "rematch" of the Super Bowl. Nonetheless, they appear to be progressing pretty well en route to making a return trip to the Big Game and are serious threats as long as Tom Brady is the quarterback.
The Carolina Panthers have a lot of the elements in place to make their own Super Bowl run, and of course, it was as recently as 2015 that the captured the NFC title. Cam Newton needs to be accurate and productive with what he has at his disposal, and he might have a little more this season. Defense is a strength, as it's often been, and this is what they'll have to rely on as they challenge the likes of New Orleans and Atlanta in the NFC South.
National Football League Previews
Coming off a 27-20 win over the Miami Dolphins, Carolina plays host to the Patriots in a Friday night game at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte.
TV: 7:30, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Pick'em O/U: 46
ABOUT THE PATRIOTS: Tom Brady looked motivated against the Eagles, hitting 19 of 26 passes for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. James White wound up on the receiving end of six passes. Remember that with Dion Lewis having left the fold, White is going to be the primary pass-catching option out of the backfield. And if his seven targets and four receptions (including a touchdown grab) are any indication, Cordarrelle Patterson, who has mostly been utilized as a kick returner in his NFL career, is going to play more of a role as a wideout. Veteran Eric Decker, the new acquisition, was targeted twice without a reception, and Julian Edelman, who has a suspension that will cause him to miss the first four games of the regular season, caught four passes. Ultimately, Brady will have enough people to throw to. Brady admits that it is difficult to replace left tackle Nate Solder, who has become a member of the New York Giants, and now the Pats' first-round draft pick, Isaiah Wynn of the University of Georgia, is out for the season with an Achilles injury, which happened when he was pushed into Brady in the game against the Eagles. Brian Flores is not officially the team's defensive coordinator, but he is making the defensive calls in wake of Matt Patricia's departure to Detroit. Bill Belichick says, “I think Brian and our defensive staff has done a good job teaching the players and installing our system,” adding that the Pats do not "game plan" for pre-season opponents.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: The Panthers realized that rookie receiver DJ Moore was fast, but they didn't realize he was THAT fast. Moore was recently ticketed for going 113 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone in his Mercedes in Charlotte, and he faces an October 2 court date to answer for it. In last week's game, he went without a reception. Christian McCaffrey, who has such a productive rookie season, had 120 yards from scrimmage against Miami - 92 on the ground (including a 71-yard touchdown) and 28 in receptions. One of the reasons Ron Rivera hired Norv Turner as offensive coordinator was to better utilize McCaffrey in the various phases of his game, including running between the tackles, so expect him to play an even more vital role this season. Cam Newton came out and moved the offense, completing nine of 12 passes for 89 yards, but he was also intercepted and sacked twice. And speaking of sacks, right now the Panthers are missing right tackle Daryl Williams, left guard Amini Silatolu and left tackle Matt Kalil on the offensive line. Kalil is "week to week," while the other two are lost for a longer period. So Carolina goes with second-team players at both tackle positions in this one. And consider that New England had eight sacks last week against Philadelphia.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Brady caught a lot of criticism when he did not shake Nick Foles' hand after the Super Bowl, but he explained that such a thing was inadvertent, and he visited with both Foles and Carson Wentz prior to warmups for last week's game.
2. Hedge fund manager David Tepper, who recently bought the Panthers from Jerry Richardson for $2.2 billion, spent his first home game as an owner by tailgating with fans. That was something Richardson, a former NFL player, never did. The purchase price for the franchise is the highest in the history of the NFL.
3. With Brian Flores taking over as a play caller, can the Patriots repeat last year's "bend but not break" defensive performance? They were only 29th best (fourth from the bottom) in yardage allowed last season but were fifth in points allowed (just 18.5 per game).
PREDICTION: Patriots 27, Panthers 17
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Seahawks vs. Vikings Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 22nd August 2018 By Charles Jay
The custom in pre-season games is that the absolute priority is to have a chance to evaluate players, and that would be the priority over the result of winning and losing. But the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks have proven to be exceptions to that rule in recent years.
Both coaches - Mike Zimmer and Pete Carroll - obviously care about the result; otherwise, they would not have built the pre-season records they've had. Sometimes this is the kind of thing that can give the handicapper an edge at this time of the year, but happens if BOTH coaches want to win?
Preseason NFL Previews
Well, you take a closer look, we guess. The Vikings actually lost 14-10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, although one might submit that they were victimized by a bad call or two by the officials. As for the Seahawks, they took it on the chin by a 24-14 count while visiting the Los Angeles Chargers, a week after falling to the Indianapolis Colts at home.
Friday night's game takes place at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
TV: 8 PM ET. Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Vikings -3.5. O/U: 38.5
ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS: With Rashaad Penny sitting out with a broken finger, Chris Carson has been called upon to do a little more, and thus he has an opportunity in a backfield that is still looking for answers. On Saturday, he had 34 yards on nine carries, with one of them a 12-yarder. But that means just 22 on his other eight carries, and he also fumbled the ball on the one-yard line, which isn't acceptable. The Seahawks finally did what some people thought would be inevitable - they cut punter Jon Ryan, a ten-year veteran who was committed to proving that the team was wrong to move in the draft to take Michael Dickson of Texas. As he had written to general manager John Schneider, "I love you. I have so much respect for you. But one way or the other, I'm going to make you look really dumb." Well, Dickson, the Ray Guy Award winner, has the ability to become one of those once-in-a-generation special teams players; one who can drastically change field position, and he was not going to wind up the odd man out. Not that head coach Pete Carroll has anything against "old legs." In fact, Sebastian Janikowski, who has been in the NFL since 2000, will be handling the placekicking duties, now that Jason Myers has been cut. Germain Ifedi has not impressed everyone with his play at right tackle, and Isaiah Battle and Jamarco Jones are out with injuries. George Fant, who is coming off ACL surgery, is ticketed to compete with him for the starting job at that position. He has been working as the backup to left tackle Duane Brown, a past Pro Bowler, who says that "I think George is ready for any challenge." Seattle is +500 to win the NFC West and +3500 to win the Super Bowl.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS: The Vikings' running backs have more yards from scrimmage during this pre-season than any other team in the NFL. And they are led in that category by Roc Thomas with 168. Thomas, of course, is the undrafted longshot candidate out of Jacksonville State who is doing enough that the Vikes can't possibly ignore him. Now you can add Mike Boone to the list of training camp surprises. Boone, who played his college ball at Cincinnati and, like Thomas, is an undrafted rookie, ran for 91 yards against the Jaguars and was praised by both head coach Mike Zimmer and quarterback Kirk Cousins for his ability in pass protection. Said Minnesota's high-priced quarterback, “Anytime you put these many good things on tape in preseason games, it’s not really a question of ‘if’ you’ll be in the league, but where." The Vikings need to get healthier up front. Only one starting offensive lineman from last season - Riley Reiff - was available for the game. Ifeadi Odenigbo, a seventh-round draft pick out of Northwestern last season, was pretty dominant against Jacksonville, with a pair of sacks and constant pressure on the quarterback. Odenigbo, who had switched from defensive end to defensive tackle, was told by D-line coach Andre Patterson to go back to defensive end on the day of the game, citing some injury absences, and he saw it as a "sign from God." It's also a sign he'll get more playing time. Minnesota is listed as the even-money favorite to win the NFC North championship and +850 to win Super Bowl 53.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Third-string quarterback Alex McGough, Seattle's sixth-round pick from Florida International, is progressing. He completed nine of 12 for 97 yards and a touchdown, for a passer rating of 126.0.
2. Minnesota failed to convert on all twelve of its third-down attempts against Jacksonville. Kirk Cousins threw for only a dozen yards.
3. Both head coaches have outstanding records in the pre-season. Pete Carroll (Seattle) is 32-19 straight-up and 31-17-3 against the spread, while Mike Zimmer (Minnesota) is 14-5 straight-up and 13-6 ATS. During this pre-season, however, the Vikings have split their two games, while Seattle has lost both of them, straight-up and against the number.
PREDICTION: Vikings 21, Seahawks 16
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Lions vs. Buccaneers Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 21st August 2018 By Charles Jay
If new Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia had his druthers, his team would be pounding the football down the other team's throat, in addition to stretching defenses behind the special arm of Matthew Stafford. And you know what? They may not be far from doing just that.
If it were up to Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter, he would have his starting quarterback available for the full regular season schedule - and he would be a little better behaved. And as for his own team's running game; well, we'll have to wait and see about that.
Preseason NFL Game Predictions
The Lions were not at all happy with last week's result - a 30-17 loss to the New York Giants in front of their home fans. The Bucs powered their way to a 30-14 win over the Tennessee Titans.
These teams will meet up on Friday night at Raymond James Stadium on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.
TV: 8 PM ET, Local Coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Bucs -3 (-120) O/U: 45
ABOUT THE LIONS: Detroit threw the ball on two-thirds of its plays against the Giants, and averaged only three yards per carry. Rookie Kerryon Johnson, the second-round pick from Auburn, had nine yards on four carries. Matthew Stafford completed two passes for 51 yards, and the Lions got on the board with a field goal in the first quarter. But they did not dent the end zone until the fourth period. Jake Rudock got extensive playing time, completing 23 of 30 passes for 171 yards and a TD. Stafford, by the way, was sacked twice in three series, and that is not what offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter was looking for out of his first-team interior line. Linebacker Jarrad Davis, who was drafted in the first round out of Florida last year, may be suffering from the same weaknesses in pass coverage that plagues him during 2017. Davis was burned badly on a play that resulted in an eight-yard TD reception by Giants' running back Wayne Gallman, and those are the kinds of assignments you just can't blow in the NFL. Defensive lineman Ziggy Ansah, who started out training camp on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, got his first action of the season against the Giants and got a couple of solo tackles. Meanwhile, defensive lineman Cornelius Washington, who counted more than $2 million against the salary cap, was cut, and this group was already not that deep. Cornerbacks Sterling Moore and Dexter McDougle, who were both with New Orleans last year, were signed.
ABOUT THE BUCS: Tampa Bay's receivers, who had been dominant in joint practices against the Titans earlier in the week, went out and had themselves a feast in Saturday's game. And they were getting the ball down the field. Mike Evans had two catches for 49 yards. DeSean Jackson caught two passes for 73. Quarterback Jameis Winston, who will be available after the first three games of the regular season (suspension) went 13 for 18 for 226 yards and two scores. Bucs fans are pleased that he is getting his reps in. Of course, there had to be some accommodation of both Winston and Ryan Fitzpatrick with the first-team offensive players. Left tackle Donovan Smith, who had played in 48 consecutive games, suffered a knee injury during Tuesday's practice and had to be removed from the field during 11-on-11 drills. As of press time, there were no more specifics on the injury, but it's a pretty good bet he won't be in action on Friday. The Bucs, who are not deep on the offensive line, may have to go "on the street" to looks for potential reinforcements. Vita Vea, the mammoth first-round draft pick out of Washington, has been dealing with a calf injury that forced him to sit out the first two pre-season games, and the Buccaneers really need him out there on the field.
EXTRA POINTS
1. T.J. Lang, Detroit's Pro Bowl guard, got hurt in the first week of training camp, hasn't practiced in over a week, and it is a foregone conclusion that he won't play in this game. In fact, there are no guarantees that he'll be ready for the season opener.
2. While the Bucs' rookie DB's have been doing a good job, cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves and Carlton Davis have returned to the practice field, and there is a chance that one or both of them can play against Detroit.
3. In addressing the competition for the backup quarterback spot between Rudock and veteran Matt Cassel, Patricia was asked if he would consider bringing in Colin Kaepernick. He did his best to avoid a real answer. "We've got 90 guys on our roster," he said. "We're just going to focus on the guys that are here."
PREDICTION: Tampa Bay 24, Detroit 19
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Packers vs. Raiders Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 22nd August 2018 By Charles Jay
The Oakland Raiders may have to go into the regular season without their best defensive player, and that wouldn't be tragic except for the fact that their stop unit is generally no stellar. Signing him, or executing some kind of satisfactory trade, is one order of business that has to be taken care of.
In a sense, the Green Bay Packers feel like they have taken care of a lot of their business, and it doesn't look like the offense is going to be much of a problem after scoring 82 points in the first two games.
The Raiders lost a rather lackluster game against the Los Angeles Rams last week (19-15), as there were only 438 yards from scrimmage. The Packers ran up a score that is very unusual for pre-season play as they beat Pittsburgh 51-34.
National Football League Game Predictions
These teams meet at the Coliseum in Oakland on Saturday night, and it is one of those games where the "ones" might be seeing considerable action against "twos," as we'll explain.
TV: 10:30 PM ET, NFL Network. LINE: Raiders -7. O/U: 41
ABOUT THE PACKERS: The Pittsburgh Steelers actually outgained the Packers by a 370-357 margin last week. But the Packers took advantage of a lot of Pittsburgh penalties and a couple of turnovers, one of which was an interception that Tramon Williams returned 25 yards for a touchdown. That pick-six was thrown by rookie Mason Rudolph, who had been pressed into a starting role when both Ben Roethlisberger and Landry Jones had been ruled out of the game. All indications out of the Green Bay camp are that Aaron Rodgers is finished for the pre-season. He had the ball in his hands for one possession last week and led the team on a seven-play touchdown drive. And now his agent is working on a contract extension that will keep him in town past 2019. Head coach Mike McCarthy may not do what most teams do in the third pre-season game, which is usually when starters play into the second half. He may have them in the game for only a series or two, or not at all. Hence the jump in the pointspread. DeShone Kizer, who is fighting to be the backup quarterback, had a big moment when he connected with Jake Kumerow on an 82-yard touchdown pass. Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones have been sidelined with injuries, and the Packers are still looking for running backs who can play a little. This week they signed LeShun Daniels, an Iowa grad who played four games with the Washington Redskins last season. And they also inked Bronson Hill, who is a journeyman, to say the least, now joining up with his ninth NFL team. The Packers are listed at +125 to win the NFC North and +1150 to win the Super Bowl.
ABOUT THE RAIDERS: Jon Gruden's team went "vanilla" for the most part on offense against the Los Angeles Rams last week, mindful of the fact that those teams are going to meet each other in the season opener. So they sat quarterback Derek Carr, leaving things up to the two guys who are dueling for the backup job - Connor Cook, who went 6 of 12 for 49 yards, and EJ Manuel, who completed ten of 16 for 89 yards and a TD. The guy who came away as most impressive, however, was running back Chris Warren, who had 110 yards on the ground and was the only Raider running back to get a carry. Undrafted out of the University of Texas, Warren is 6-2 and upwards of 245 pounds, and Gruden would love to be able to use him as a "big back" option. For wide receiver Jordy Nelson, this is sort of a bittersweet reunion with his former club. After ten years in Green Bay, Nelson was rather unceremoniously released, much to the chagrin of Rodgers, who always saw him as a dependable outlet, even if he was not always the primary target. He has played lightly in the first two games, so if Gruden is going to get him some work, this would be the opportunity to do it. Talk about teamwork - Donald Penn, coming off a foot injury, has been a Pro Bowl performer at left tackle, but he did not hesitate to move over to the left side so that the Raiders could insert rookie first-rounder Kolton Miller Offensive coordinator Greg Olson says Penn looks like "a natural" on the right side. The Raiders are priced at +300 to win the AFC West and +2800 for a Super Bowl victory.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Kevin Harlan, known to many FOX audiences, handles the telecasts for the Packers TV Network. He is very much a part of the "family" there, as his father, Bob Harlan, is the former Chairman and CEO of the franchise and currently holds the position of "Chairman Emeritus."
2. Because he can't get together with the team on a new contract, All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack has been the focus of a lot of speculation around Raider Nation, with new rumors every day. Reportedly a lot of teams have inquired about him, but Oakland has been turning down all trade offers. Ironically, the Packers are supposed to be one of those teams that is very interested.
3. Green Bay's Jamaal Williams, who contends that his ankle was injured after a Pittsburgh Steeler tackler grabbed it and twisted it, says he will retaliate the next time somebody does that to him. "If they're twisting ankles, I'm for sure kicking," he says. "I'm kicking from now on."
PREDICTION: Raiders 30, Packers 20
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