Packers 38, Raiders 7: Favre Works His Magic

Sure, there were several factors that contributed to Green Bay's convincing win over the Raiders Sunday, but it was Brett Favre's performance that was paramount to me. How often do you see a quarterback bounce back from a separated shoulder and injured throwing arm one week, only to throw for over 250 yards and two touchdowns in freezing cold weather the next? Not too often, which is why Brett Favre is a special player.

Favre led a Green Bay offense that racked up 445 total yards, including 156 and a touchdown on the ground from Ryan Grant, who has emerged as an elite ball carrier this year. Not only did the Packers offense dominate the Raiders, but their special teams also lit up the scoreboard. Will Blackmon returned a punt for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter, and followed that up by returning a Tim Dwight fumbled punt for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Those mistakes put the game out of reach for Oakland, as the Raiders could only muster 233 total yards.

Both Justin Fargas and Josh McCown were replaced late in the game for Oakland. Andrew Walter came in to take the snaps with the Raider offense that was too ineffective for Lane Kiffin to throw JaMarcus Russell in the mix. The Raiders, who showed promise by winning back-to-back games in weeks 12 and 13, were put back in their place, showing how far they have to go to compete with the NFL's elite. Green Bay on the other hand, completely outclassed the Raiders, proving that with key defensive players Charles Woodson and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamilia back healthy, they can dominate on both sides of the ball.