Raiders look for first back-to-back wins of 2018 Sunday in Cincinnati

The Oakland Raiders make their way East to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in what will be the club's final contest against the AFC North this season. The club holds a 2-1 record against the opposing division this season, as this will mark the team's first matchup with the Bengals since 2015 and first visit to Paul Brown Stadium since 2012. The contest will be the 29th matchup in the all-time regular seasons series between the teams, with the Raiders leading, 18- 10, and the Bengals currently holding a two-game winning streak over the Silver and Black. Week 15 is set to kick off live from Cincinnati on CBS at 10:00 a.m. PT.

The Raiders play the AFC North for the second consecutive week this Sunday after a thrilling 24-21 come-from-behind victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Led by QB Derek Carr, the Raiders cruised down the field in the final frame by way of an 8-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to TE Derek Carrier that would stand as the game-winning score following a Steelers' missed field goal as time expired. Carr posted a 122.4 passer rating on 25-of34 attempts, tallying 322 yards through the air and adding two scores en route to his 16th career fourth quarter comeback. No player in the NFL has more comebacks since 2014. Making crucial plays in the passing game all day was TE Jared Cook, who tallied his fourth 100-yard game of the season, totaling 116 yards on seven catches. His four 100-yard performances this season are tied for second-most among all NFL tight ends. Cook's big day earned him new single-season career highs in both receptions (61) and receiving yards (825). No Raider tight end has accumulated more receiving yards in a season since Todd Christensen's 1,153 in 1986. On the defensive side of the ball, LB Tahir Whitehead recorded his first INT as a Raider and added 10 tackles (six solo), giving him 103 on the year to mark his third consecutive season with at least 100 stops. Whitehead is tied for third in the NFL since 2016 with 346 tackles.

Here are some notable connections between the AFC opponents:

• Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther spent the previous 13 years coaching in various roles with the Bengals, including the last four as defensive coordinator. 
• Raiders linebackers coach David Lippincott spent 10 seasons with the Bengals, most recently as the assistant linebackers/quality con- trol coach, where he worked on the same staff with current Bengals linebackers coach Jim Haslett in 2016.
• Bengals special assistant to the head coach Hue Jackson was the head coach of the Raiders in 2011, guiding the team to an 8-8 record, after spending the 2010 season as Oakland's offensive coordinator. 
• Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack held the same position for the Raiders in 2012. 
• Raiders CB Leon Hall [Reserve/Injured List] was originally selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round (18th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft. Hall played for the Bengals from 2007-14 and his 26 INTs rank fourth in team history. 
• Raiders LB Emmanuel Lamur signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent and spent four seasons in Cincinnati from 2012-15, where he posted a career-high 90 tackles (52 solo), two INTs and five passes defensed in 2014. 
• Raiders S Reggie Nelson [Reserve/Injured List] played six seasons in Cincinnati from 2010-15, where he set a career-high with 102 tackles in 2011 and led the NFL with eight INTs, earning his first Pro Bowl honors in 2015. 
• Bengals DB Tony McRae was originally signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2016. McRae was also a teammate of Raiders T Brandon Parker at North Carolina A&T. 
• Bengals RB Joe Mixon is a native of Oakley, Calif., where he attended Freedom High School and rushed for 1,704 yards and 23 TDs his senior year. 
• Raiders QB AJ McCarron originally entered the NFL in 2014 as a sixth-round pick (164th overall) of the Bengals. McCarron spent four seasons with the club and appeared in 11 contests, making three starts and one postseason appearance. 
• Raiders DE Frostee Rucker was originally selected by the Bengals in the third round (91st overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, where he appeared in 53 games with 19 starts over six seasons (2006-11).

The Bengals host the Silver and Black following a 21-26 defeat in Los Angeles at the hands of the Chargers. The Bengals currently own an 0-3 record against the AFC West division this year. Sunday's contest will mark the Bengals' home finale, as the club with finish their 2018 schedule on the road against the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Raiders return home for their Christmas Eve primetime tilt against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, before concluding their season on the road at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 17 against the Kansas City Chiefs.