'MNF' preview: Raiders' Davante Adams not concerned about emotions against Packers

The Green Bay Packers (2-2) travel to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders (1-3) on "Monday Night Football" in a game where both teams are striving to stay alive in their respective division races. Here's what to watch for each team: 

Which Jordan Love will Green Bay get?: Love has shown flashes through his first month as a full-time starter but has struggled to stay consistent. Although he has thrown for 901 yards and eight touchdowns, Love has completed just 56.1% of his passes (34th in the NFL) while posting a 50.1 QBR, which ranks 20th among signal-callers.

As Green Bay's skill position players continue to return to full health, Love should be a more productive passer. Not to mention, the Packers offensive line will get a boost from the return of guards Elgton Jenkins and Jon Runyan, which should help Love rebound from last week's 34-20 loss to Detroit.   

Will WR Christian Watson be on the field more?:  Watson, Green Bay's presumed No. 1 wideout entering 2023, made his season debut last week after a hamstring injury kept him out of the team's first three games. Despite being on a snap count, Watson hauled in two of his four targets for 25 yards and one touchdown. 

The Packers didn't list Watson on the injury report for Monday's game, which suggests Watson will see an expanded role against Las Vegas.

Can the Packers' rushing attack finally find its stride?: The Packers haven't run the ball effectively this season, as their 298 rushing yards are the third-fewest among teams entering Week 5. Las Vegas, which allows 134.3 rushing yards per game, presents a favorable situation to turn things around. 

Even so, it's worth noting that running back Aaron Jones has been nursing a hamstring injury and is listed as questionable, though since he played in limited fashion last week, he should be active Monday. 

In the event Jones is unavailable, A.J. Dillon should get most, if not all, of the carries. In the two games Jones missed earlier this season, Dillon logged 26 carries for 88 yards. 

Is the Raiders defense starting to turn the corner?: While the Raiders defense allowed 24 points in last week's loss to the Chargers, it was still the unit's best performance of the season and is an encouraging sign heading into Monday. Las Vegas forced its first turnover of the season and shut out Los Angeles in the second half, which put rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell in a strong position to attempt a comeback win.

Love has thrown three interceptions over the last two games, so it’s possible that the Raiders defense will be able to capitalize on his inexperience to start a turnover streak of their own.

When the Raiders are on offense

QB Jimmy Garoppolo is back in action: Garoppolo will start Monday after clearing the concussion protocol that forced him to miss Las Vegas' last game. In three games this season, Garoppolo has thrown for 709 yards, five touchdowns and a league-leading six interceptions.

He hasn't been and probably won't end up being worth the three-year, $67.5M deal he signed in free agency, but Garoppolo has had success facing Green Bay despite posting lackluster stats. The 31-year-old boasts a 3-1 record, including the playoffs, against the Packers. 

WR Davante Adams' first game against a familiar opponent: Adams, listed as questionable with a shoulder injury, is expected to be in the lineup to face the Packers for the first time since they traded him to Las Vegas in 2022. Across his eight seasons with Green Bay, the three-time first-team All-Pro selection recorded 669 receptions for 8,121 yards and 73 touchdowns.

Even though the game already lacks the same sentimental significance since it won't be played at Lambeau Field, Adams isn't concerned about emotions having an impact on his performance.

“Once the game starts, it’s just like every other game," Adams told reporters on Thursday via ProFootballTalk. "It’s not gonna be a lot of emotion and that other stuff tied up in it once the clock is ticking.”

RB Josh Jacobs aims to build on last week's promising showing: Last season's leader in rushing yards has been disappointing this season, racking up 166 yards through four games on an inefficient 2.7 yards per carry. Nevertheless, Jacobs is coming off his finest outing of the year, where he totaled 139 all-purpose yards and one touchdown. 

Considering that Green Bay allowed 121 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Lions running back David Montgomery last week, Jacobs could be in line for another productive game. 

Can the Packers defense bounce back?: Speaking of the Packers defense, the unit allowed a season-high 34 points to Detroit, and the pass-rushing unit needs to dominate at the line of scrimmage against an offensive line that surrendered seven sacks to the Chargers. 

Perhaps more importantly, Green Bay will need cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has missed the last two games with a back injury, on the field to ensure Adams won't dominate against his former team.