Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders: Full Oakland Game Preview
The Oakland Raiders officially turned the page on their Week 1 loss with Wednesday’s practice and preparation for the Baltimore Ravens.
Head coach Jack Del Rio spoke to the media after Wednesday’s practice with a calm demeanor. He answered questions with straightforward answers and cracked a few smiles in the process of addressing his team as he set his sights on the Ravens.
The temperament from the fanbase ranges from panic to a numb, apathetic feeling thanks to more than a decade of losing. However, this Raiders team won’t carry the burden of the past into this brand-new season.
Del Rio didn’t say it directly, but he views last week as one game and not indicative of this team’s season outlook.
There’s encouraging news surrounding quarterback Derek Carr’s hand, and the team will get another shot at righting the ship with a complete starting offense.
The safety position will likely see two new starters, but the Ravens come in with limited weapons on offense. On paper, the matchup projects to become a defensive and gritty type of game. We’ll take an initial dig into the tale of the tape for Raiders vs. Ravens.
Location: O.co Coliseum; Oakland, California
Date: Sunday, Sept. 20
Time: 1:05 p.m. PT / 4:05 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Week 1 Results and Recap
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| AFC West Standings | ||
| Team | Wins | Losses |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 1 | 0 |
| Denver Broncos | 1 | 0 |
| San Diego Chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Oakland Raiders | 0 | 1 |
Here’s one final mention of the Bengals loss before moving on completely. Every team in the AFC West won its season opener. The standings won’t show the fact that the Denver Broncos offense looked terrible in a win over the Ravens last week.
The Ravens defense kept quarterback Peyton Manning out of the end zone. In fact, neither team scored an offensive touchdown last week in matching sloppy performances. Wins and losses provide the bottom line in sports, but the Raiders weren’t the only team that struggled last week.
Baltimore lacks explosiveness on offense but fields a solid defense. This week’s matchup will provide an early barometer on the Raiders' young and talented but still developing offense.
News and Notes
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New-look Ravens team
We all know the most recognizable Baltimore Raven, linebacker Ray Lewis, retired after the team’s Super Bowl win three seasons ago. Retired safety Ed Reed no longer roams the secondary snatching interceptions out of thin air.
In the offseason, Baltimore traded defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who plugged the middle as a stout component within the run defense. Last week, linebacker Terrell Suggs tore his ACL, ending his 2015 season.
The Ravens are 18-15 since winning the Super Bowl. Offensive coordinator Marc Trestman counts as quarterback Joe Flacco’s third coordinator in three years. Baltimore doesn’t register as the AFC powerhouse of year’s past.
Safety Shuffle
Oakland re-signed Taylor Mays and promoted Tevin McDonald from the practice squad to fill in the gaps at safety due to injuries.
Mays signed with the team on August 26 but didn’t make the cut for the 53-man roster deadline. The veteran safety played two preseason games with the team. Mays will likely step into the starting lineup alongside Larry Asante.
McDonald played all four preseason games with the Raiders and earned a spot on the practice squad. The undrafted rookie flashed in training camp and in exhibition. He will serve as a reserve safety with Keenan Lambert.
More Carries for Murray
Del Rio expressed interest in allotting more carries for running back Latavius Murray. The Bengals game spiraled out of control very early, which forced the Raiders to rely heavily on the passing attack while playing from behind.
According to Del Rio’s response to a reporter's question concerning the rushing attack, it’s clear that Murray will see more than 11 carries this week, barring an early blast from the Ravens offense.
Latest Injury News
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| Oakland Raiders Injury Report | |||
| Player | Position | Injury | Practice |
| Justin Tuck | DE | Knee | DNP |
| Benson Mayowa | DE | Knee | DNP |
| Justin Ellis | DT | Ankle | DNP |
| Charles Woodson | S | Shoulder | DNP |
| Olawale Jamize | FB | Ankle | LP |
*DNP = Did not practice *Limited = Limited participation in practice *FP = Full participation in practice | |||
Derek Carr
All indications point to Carr starting on Sunday. He went through a full practice on Wednesday.
According to his presser, he took 99 percent of the snaps with the starting unit and played without protective gear on his hand, as noted by ESPN’s Bill Williamson. Del Rio also put his vote of confidence in Carr when speaking to the media after Wednesday’s practice.
Charles Woodson
San Jose Mercury News writer Jimmy Durkin caught a glimpse of safety Charles Woodson stretching with the team during practice, despite dislocating his shoulder, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Don’t let Woodson fool you. He’s a tough 38-year-old football player, but he’s not going to play this week.
Justin Ellis
Defensive tackle Justin Ellis told reporters that he continues to receive treatment for his left ankle two-to-three times a day.
Ellis’ ankle injury went unnoticed with all the major injury news concerning Carr, Woodson and Nate Allen.
The second-year defensive tackle didn’t practice but seems optimistic about his chances of playing on Sunday.
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Key Matchups
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Steve Smith Sr. vs. T.J. Carrie
The Raiders must shut down wide receiver Steve Smith Sr., the Ravens' key weapon on offense. He’s 36 years old, but the 15-year veteran can still play this game at a high level—much higher than any other Ravens wide receiver.
Cornerback T.J. Carrie held his own against four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green last week. Green recorded five catches for 63 yards but didn’t score a touchdown.
No disrespect to Smith, but he’s not a 6’4”, 207-pound wide receiver in his prime. Carrie has the potential to slow down or limit Smith’s production as the main threat of the Ravens offense. Smith caught two passes for eight yards against two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib last week.
Justin Forsett vs. Raiders defensive line
Running back Justin Forsett registers as the only other proven threat in the Ravens offense.
Forsett earned his first Pro Bowl selection last season on a one-year contract. The 29-year-old running back played for four teams in backup roles prior to his breakout season in 2014.
The Ravens failed to establish the rushing attack behind a weak effort in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. He averaged 3.1 yards per carry on 14 carries for 43 rushing yards against the Broncos defense in Week 1.
Defensive tackles Dan Williams and Justin Ellis could earn their moniker "Meat and Potatoes" by stuffing the run and holding Forsett to a minimum on Sunday.
Matchup X-Factors
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Raiders X-Factor: Mychal Rivera
The Raiders must utilize two-tight end sets to open up the offense. The Ravens have solid cornerback play, and Carr has yet to show his willingness to test a decent pass coverage this year.
Carr hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in 113 snaps from the preseason into the regular season.
In fairness, he’s played in snippets of each game. Carr acknowledged that his nerves got the best of him in the regular-season opener in Wednesday’s presser.
Carr can settle his nerves by finding big, easy targets on Sunday. Tight end Mychal Rivera ranked second on the team in receptions (58) in 2014. He quietly served as one of Carr’s most reliable targets, dropping only five passes for the entire season.
Now that the early jitters have subsided, the second-year quarterback can settle down and find a familiar face within the offense.
The absence of Suggs in the linebacker corps forces changes in the middle of the field, which creates a perfect opportunity to test the Ravens' adjustments in short coverage.
Game Prediction: Raiders 17, Ravens 16
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This sounds crazy, especially after a blowout loss where the Raiders looked awful, but there’s a legitimate opportunity to win this game.
The Raiders must limit a 36-year-old wide receiver and an older running back (by NFL standards) who just found his mojo last season. That’s a feasible opportunity to beat a team on the decline.
Flacco leans heavily on his tight ends in the passing attack, but none of the Ravens' healthy tight ends have proved themselves on the NFL level. Baltimore’s second-round pick, tight end Maxx Williams, and 2014 third-round pick, tight end Crockett Gillmore, combined for three catches and 38 receiving yards in Week 1.
Most importantly, Suggs will watch from the sideline instead of making Carr’s life difficult on the field.
The Raiders can win an ugly defensive battle with the Ravens, especially with Carrie matched against Smith. The Ravens don’t have an established No. 2 wide receiver capable of embarrassing cornerback D.J. Hayden, which opens the playbook for more blitz packages.
In Week 1, Flacco completed one of eight passes for 22 yards and threw two interceptions—one for a pick-six—when facing a blitz, as noted by PFF.
The Raiders should gouge the Ravens offensive line with edge-rushers Aldon Smith and Khalil Mack to pressure Flacco, who will have few weapons at his disposal.
Prediction: Raiders 17, Ravens 16
Follow Maurice Moton on Twitter for news, updates and intriguing discussion about the Oakland Raiders.
All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted. Raiders' injury report and roster transactions provided by Raiders.com. Preseason game statistics provided by NFL.com.
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