With Daunte Culpepper still slowed by a quadriceps injury, and the coaches not inclined to expose rookie quarterback JaMarcus Russell to potential poor weather, Josh McCown will start for the Oakland Raiders again when they travel to Green Bay on Sunday.
The six-year veteran will make his seventh start of the season, and second straight, and is coming off one of his best performances, a three-touchdown pass effort in last Sunday's victory over the Denver Broncos.
McCown, 28, took most of the snaps with the first-unit during the week. Culpepper, who has started six games in 2007, was very limited during the week of preparation.
In last week's win, McCown completed 14 of 21 passes for 141 yards, with the three scoring passes, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 125.2. He mixed his plays well, managed the game nicely and directed a balanced attack.
For the season, McCown is 2-4 as a starter and has completed 85 of 143 passes for 901 yards, with eight touchdown passes and nine interceptions. McCown opened the season atop the depth chart, and started the first three games before suffering a toe injury that sidelined him for nearly a month.
A former Sam Houston State standout, McCown was acquired from the Detroit Lions on the second day of this year's draft, along with wide receiver Mike Williams, for a middle-round choice. Williams, a former first-round pick, was waived by the Raiders last month.
McCown has a strong enough arm and is viewed as a good fit in the offense that coach Lane Kiffin has installed.
Russell, the top overall choice in the draft, made his regular-season debut last week, relieving McCown for a stretch, but has yet to make his first start. Kiffin said he would prefer not to play the former LSU star in adverse conditions, so Russell might be relegated to the No. 3 spot this week.
There is a chance, with Culpepper ailing, that third-year veteran Andrew Walter, the fourth quarterback on the roster, will fill the No. 2 slot. Walter started eight games in 2006, but has yet to make an appearance this season.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.