The Green Bay Packers are facing surprising resistance from their NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings this season, but with three games to go, they are a game up in the division and currently slotted in as the third seed in the NFC. Only the undefeated Carolina Panthers and the 11-2 Arizona Cardinals have punched their ticket into the postseason in the conference.
Packers vs. Raiders 2015 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are fighting for the NFC North and seeding, while the Raiders are hoping to stay alive in the wild card race Sunday.
With current records, if the Packers stayed a game up on the Seattle Seahawks, they would take the fifth seed in the conference if the Vikings managed to battle back and take the division lead. So much of the NFC playoff picture depends on the next couple weeks given the fact that the Packers will play both the Cardinals and the Vikings before the regular season is over.
The first of those two is against the Cardinals, and it could be huge when it comes to seeding, as the Packers trail them by two games. The second game, the finale, is against the Vikings, and it could be the difference between a top three seed and a wild card spot for both teams.
But first, the Packers have a potentially tough road game against Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders.
The butt of many jokes over the years, the Raiders haven't fielded a competent team in some time, but with Carr leading a young core that also includes Amari Cooper and defensive stalwart Khalil Mack, they are a dangerous opponent every week.
Oakland is 6-7 on the season, still in the playoff race but needing some misfortune to visit some of the teams vying for a wild card spot ahead of them. The Denver Broncos have yet to clinch the AFC West, but with a 10-3 record, the Raiders cannot catch them. Going into Week 15, the Raiders come in ranked eighth in the AFC when it comes to seeding, with three teams above them in the running for a wild card spot.
The Raiders are two games behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs, but hold a tiebreak over the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans, both at 6-7 as well, due to a better win percentage in conference games. Currently, the rival Chiefs and Jets hold the two wild card spots in the conference.
Kansas City will host the Raiders in Week 17, a game that could be huge in the wild card race, but first the Raiders need to get past the Packers.
On paper, the Packers are the better team. Aaron Rodgers leads the league's 18th most productive offense and the Packers rank 17th in the league in yards allowed on defense. Those numbers are paltry by Green Bay's standards over recent years, but not surprising given the fact that the Packers lost four of their first five games after their Week 7 bye. They have won their last two outings, though.
The Raiders looked good to start the year, but have fallen far in recent weeks. They rank 20th in the league in total offense, and 22nd in the league in points allowed on defense. They are coming off a big win over the rival Broncos in Week 14.
How to watch
When: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where: O.co Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
TV: FOX
Announcers: Chris Myers, Ronde Barber
Online: NFL Game Pass
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