While much of the focus has been on the running game, the passing attack hasn't gotten in rhythm either. Joe Flacco's 21 consecutive completions last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars were impressive, but the Ravens are still not stretching the field and taking advantage of the team's myriad receiving options. Flacco has one more interception than he has touchdown passes. Raiders star pass rusher Khalil Mack moves around, so the entire offensive line will have to account for him.

After splitting carries and snaps pretty evenly through the first two games, Justin Forsett outsnapped Terrance West 43-17 last week. That was primarily because Flacco was dropping back a lot and the Ravens trust Forsett more in pass protection. Forsett is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry and struggling to make anybody miss. West has been only slightly better. With the running game struggling, this could be the week Buck Allen gets involved.

The Ravens controlled the line of scrimmage last week against the Jaguars, holding them to 48 rushing yards on 21?carries. This unit will be tested more this week against the Raiders, who have one of the top running games in the league. The Ravens run defense ranks eighth, but the group has been dominant, apart from Browns running back Isaiah Crowell's 85-yard touchdown run in Week 2. Zachary Orr leads the Ravens with 24 tackles.

An offseason spent focusing on finding ways to get to the quarterback and create turnovers has paid off so far as the Ravens are tied for second in the league in interceptions (five) and tied for seventh in sacks (nine). A pass defense that Carr picked apart last year ranks third in the NFL, surrendering just 168.3 yards per game through the air. The Ravens need to get to Carr, and Jimmy Smith will have to do a better job on Cooper than he did last year.

As other units have struggled to find consistency, kicker Justin Tucker has been a rock for the Ravens. He's 9-for-9 on field-goal attempts, including 3-for-3 from 50 yards or more. He had been just 8-for-19 from long distance over the previous two seasons. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has had little patience for muffed kicks or punts in the past, so Devin Hester Sr. needs to protect the ball better.

The Ravens are looking to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2006. They continue to be one of the league's healthier teams, and they are gaining confidence, with an ability to find ways to win games late. They would like to get off to much quicker starts. The Ravens have been outscored 20-12 in first quarters this season. Under Harbaugh, the Ravens are 49-16 at M&T Bank Stadium since 2008, the third-best home record in the league during that span.

The Derek Carr-led offense presents a lot of challenges and is easily the toughest the Ravens have faced this season. Carr has been sacked only twice because he plays behind a very good offensive lineand gets the ball out quickly. Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are big-play threats, and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave does a nice job of getting them the ball in space. Carr has completions to 12 players, and four Raiders have touchdown receptions.

Starting left guard Kelechi Osemele won't have to do much campaigning for the Raiders to run the football. They've done it often, averaging 148.3 yards per game on the ground. That's the second-highest total in the NFL. They lead the league with a 5.9-yard-per-carry average, and they are tied for third with five rushing touchdowns. Latavius Murray is the lead back, but rookies Jalen Richard and De'Andre Washington get carries as well.

The Raiders have struggled to deal with two-headed rushing attacks. In Week 2, the Atlanta Falcons' Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman were part of a 139-yard rushing game against Oakland. Last week, the Raiders allowed 181 yards to the Tennessee Titans, with DeMarcus Murray and Derrick Henry providing the bulk of the yardage. Oakland is focused on fixing a run defense that ranks 29th in the NFL. Safety Reggie Nelson is the team's leading tackler.

The Raiders enter the game with the league's worst-ranked pass defense after they gave up more than 1,000 yards of total offense over the first two weeks. Oakland did slow Tennessee last week, holding the Titans to 10?points. In his first career start, rookie first-round safety Karl Joseph had 10 tackles. Mack was second in the NFL with 15 sacks last season, but he's looking for his first this year. Three of the Raiders' four starters in the secondary were offseason additions.

Oakland's kicking battery rivals the Ravens' in terms of longevity and success. Longtime kicker Sebastian Janikowski became the NFL's all-time record holder last week in field goals over 50 yards. Punter Marquette King was second in the NFL last year with punts placed inside the opponents' 20. Jon Condo (Maryland) has been the team's long snapper for the past 10 seasons. Richard and Taiwan Jones handle return duties.

The belief is that West Coast teams struggle when they travel to the East Coast, but the Raiders have become a good road team. They are off to their first 2-0 road start since 2002, when they made it to the Super Bowl. They also have won four of their past five road games dating to last year, including a victory in Denver over the eventual Super Bowl champs. Oakland is the most-penalized team in the NFL, but its plus-four turnover ratio is tied for the fifth best in the NFL.