The Oakland Raiders will return home this weekend to face the Baltimore Ravens at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1:05 p.m. PT. Sunday's game will be the first of three straight home games for the Silver and Black, as they host the Los Angeles Chargers next weekend and the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. This will mark the third straight year that the Raiders and Ravens have squared off, with the two teams meeting in Oakland in 2015 and in Baltimore last year. The Raiders have won each of those two meetings, both one-score games.
Here is the Game Preview, presented by 95.7 The GAME.
THE SETTING
Date: Sunday, October 8, 2017Kickoff: 1:05 p.m. PTSite: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (1966)Capacity/Surface: 56,057/Overseeded BermudaRegular Season: Ravens lead, 6-3
Postseason: Ravens lead, 1-0
Last week, the Raiders fell to the Broncos in Denver by a final score of 10-16 in their first divisional contest of the year. The defense led the way for the Silver and Black, limiting the Broncos to 298 total yards and just 155 net passing yards. The unit posted four sacks on the day, led by DE Khalil Mack's two. Mack finished the contest with a dominant seven tackles and two sacks. DE Mario Edwards Jr. and LB Bruce Irvin also got in on the action, each recording one sack apiece. QB EJ Manuel came on in the second half in relief of an injured QB Derek Carr and threw for 106 yards on 11-of-17 passing. WR Johnny Holton made his presence known, hauling in his first pass of the season and recording his first career touchdown, a 64-yarder from Carr, in the first half. WR Cordarelle Patterson led the team with six receptions. P Marquette King was effective throughout, pinning the Broncos inside their own 20-yard line twice on the day.
Next week, the Raiders will host the Los Angeles Chargers in a divisional matchup for the first time in 2017. In Week 7, the Raiders will turn around on a short week and host the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time this season. Next Sunday, the Ravens will return home to host the Chicago Bears.
PRESSURING THE QB
So far this season, the Raiders have stepped up their ability to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, led by the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year DE Khalil Mack. Oakland has posted 10 sacks through four games in 2017, double what it had compiled through the first four weeks in 2016.
After taking down Broncos QB Trevor Siemian twice last week, Mack now has four sacks on the year, the most he has had through the season's first quarter in his career. Additionally, dating back to Week 6 of last year, Mack leads the NFL with 14 sacks. Third-year DE Mario Edwards Jr. has already set a career high this season, totaling three sacks. LB Bruce Irvin recorded his first sack of the year last Sunday and S Karl Joseph registered his first career sack back in Week 2. DL Denico Autry and DT Justin Ellis have also each contributed a half-sack.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION
CBS
Play-by-play: Greg Gumbel
Color Analyst: Trent Green
Sideline:Jamie Erdahl
RADIO
Flagship: 95.7 The Game
Play-by-play: Greg Papa
Color Analyst: Tom Flores
Sideline: Lincoln Kennedy
Spanish Radio
Spanish Flagship: KIQI 1010
Play-by-play: Fernando Arias
Color Analyst: Ambrosio Rico
RAVENS SNAPSHOT
Overview: The Baltimore Ravens are led by Head Coach John Harbaugh, now in his 10th season at the helm of the Ravens. After a strong start to the season, Harbaugh and his team are currently suffering a two-game skid and will enter their Week 5 matchup against the Raiders with a 2-2 record. In 2016, the Ravens finished with a record of 8-8, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Harbaugh has led the Ravens to the postseason in six of his first nine seasons with the team, including a Super Bowl XLVII title.
Offense: QB Joe Flacco enters his 10th season in the NFL, which includes seven 3,000-yard passing seasons. Newcomer WR Jeremy Maclin leads the team in receiving touchdowns, having recorded two of their five total. Additionally, Maclin ranks second in receiving yards with 116 on 10 catches (11.6 avg.). After finishing 2016 as the Ravens' top rusher, RB Terrance West continues to pace the team in rushing touchdowns with two this season. Baltimore's running game, which ranks ninth in the NFL with 127.3 yards per game, features three backs who have rushed for 100-plus yards through Week 4 and one rusher with 200-plus yards in second-year RB Alex Collins.
Defense: The Ravens enter Week 5 with one of the most dangerous secondaries in the league, as they lead the NFL with nine interceptions this season. CB Brandon Carr, DB Lardarius Webb and S Eric Weddle pace the unit with two interceptions apiece. Baltimore continues to be stout on third-down defense, ranking third with an opponent third-down percentage of 30.8. OLB Terrell Suggs, now in his 15th season, leads the team and is tied for 13th in the league with three sacks.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS
Pro Connections
• Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio was the linebackers coach for Baltimore from 1999-2001, helping the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV.
• Raiders assistant defensive backs coach Rod Woodson played three seasons with the Ravens from 1999-2001, helping the Ravens win Super Bowl XXXV.
• Raiders G/T Kelechi Osemele was originally selected by the Ravens in the second round (60th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. Osemele spent four years in Baltimore, starting all 51 games he played with the team. • Ravens linebackers coach Don Martindale got his start in the NFL as the linebackers coach in Oakland from 2004-08.
• Ravens G Tony Bergstrom was originally selected by the Raiders in the third round (95th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. Bergstrom appeared in 40 contests with four starts for Oakland.
• Ravens T Austin Howard spent three seasons in Oakland (2014-16), appearing in 40 games over his tenure.
• Ravens CB Tony McRae originally signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
• Ravens defensive line coach Joe Cullen (defensive line) worked with Raiders Head Coach Jack Del Rio (Head Coach), Raiders tight ends coach Bobby Johnson (tight ends), Raiders quarterbacks coach Jake Peetz (offensive analyst/assistant quarterbacks/scout) during his three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2010-12).
• Raiders special teams coordinator Brad Seely (special teams coach) coached with Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees (linebackers/ defensive coordinator) from 2005-2008 in New England.
• Raiders assistant head coach – defense John Pagano worked with Ravens S Eric Weddle from 2012-15 as the defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers.
College Connections
• Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh (tight ends) and Raiders linebackers coach Sal Sunseri (defensive line/assistant head coach) coached together at Pittsburgh in 1987.
• Raiders offensive line coach Mike Tice played collegiately at Maryland from 1977-80 as a quarterback, starting two seasons.
• Ravens ILB C.J. Mosley and Raiders WR Amari Cooper were teammates at Alabama for two years (2012-13), where the two helped Alabama win a BCS National Championship in 2012.
• Before entering the league with Baltimore, Ravens offensive assistant Matt Weiss spent four years (2005-08) with Stanford as a graduate assistant from 2005-07 and defensive and special teams assistant in 2008.
• Raiders LS Jon Condo played four years at Maryland (2001-04) appearing in 38 straight games as the team's primary long snapper.
Hometown Connections
• Ravens quarterbacks coach Marty Mornhinweg attended Oak Grove High School in San Jose, Calif., where he earned Northern California High School Player of the Year honors as a senior.
• Ravens TE Vince Mayle attended Inderkum High School in Sacramento, Calif., where he was named first-team All-Metro League at running back after tallying 14 touchdowns as a senior.
• Raiders LB Marquel Lee is a native of Waldorf, Md., where he attended Westlake High School and was named first-team AllSouthern Maryland Athletic Conference.
• Raiders WR Cordarrelle Patterson and Ravens TE Benjamin Watson are both natives of Rock Hill, S.C., and both attended Northwestern High School.
