The Oakland Raiders hit the road last week, flying to Colorado and toppling the division-leading Denver Broncos 15-12 to improve their overall record to 6-7 with three games left on the schedule.
Head Coach Jack Del Rio's team returns home this weekend to play host to the Green Bay Packers, in another must-win game for the Silver and Black to keep their postseason hopes alive.
However, before Aaron Rodgers and Co., come to town, let's double-check our matchups of the week, brought to you by State Farm.
Cornerback TJ Carrie vs. Wide Receiver James Jones
What a homecoming it's set up to be for Packers wide receiver James Jones.
After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Packers, the Bay Area-native returned home in 2014, signing with the Oakland Raiders.
In his lone season in Oakland, Jones hauled in 73 passes for 666 yards and led the team with 6 receiving touchdowns.
Jones returned to Green Bay this offseason and has enjoyed a career resurgence, already tallying 660 yards and 7 receiving touchdowns through 13 games.
He along with Randall Cobb provide one of the more formidable receiving duos in the NFL, and shutting down Jones would pay huge dividends for the Raiders Sunday afternoon.
Quarterback Derek Carr vs. Packers Defense Coordinator Dom Capers
Somehow, someway, the Raiders managed to pull out a big win last week against the Denver Broncos.
Carr completed just 12 passes for 135 yards Sunday in Denver, and although it was far from his most dominant performance of the season, he and the Raiders offense took advantage of their opportunities and found the end zone twice.
If the Raiders want to take down the Packers for the first time since 1987, they'll need a big game from their second-year signal caller.
In 2015, Carr has routinely demonstrated the ability to come through for the Raiders when they need it the most, and they'll definitely need the Fresno State-product to come up big Sunday afternoon at O.co Coliseum.
Linebacker Malcolm Smith vs. Tight End Richard Rodgers
Head Coach Del Rio said earlier in the week that Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense like to utilize the tight end, and he's right.
Richard Rodgers, the Packers starting tight end, is the team's third-leading receiver with 442 receiving yards, but more impressively, he's tied for the team lead with 7 touchdowns.
Earlier in the season, the Raiders trouble with covering opposing team's tight ends was well-chronicled, but in recent weeks, the issue seems to have been remedied.
Aaron Rodgers' desire to spread the ball out to myriad of his receivers is something he's been known for since entering the NFL out of the University of California, and if Ken Norton, Jr.'s defense can successfully limit Richard Rodgers production, it would bode well for the Silver and Black's chances against the Pack.
