Baltimore Ravens

Raiders at Ravens: Game preview, odds, prediction

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Moving to 4-0 and taking firm control of the AFC North is the motivation for the Baltimore Ravens against the Oakland Raiders this week.

The Ravens will welcome a tricky Silver and Black team to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, still looking to prove themselves. Sure, Baltimore is undefeated, but head coach John Harbaugh’s players weren’t dominant in any of their three wins.

As if to illustrate the point, the Ravens haven’t won any game by more than six points. Still, Harbaugh’s men do have the nice habit of finding different ways to cross the line.

Against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3, those ways involved leaning on a turnover-binging defense that picked off Blake Bortles thee times. Defensive coordinator Dean Pees will want to see similar ball-hawking traits against young Raiders passer Derek Carr.

Carr has a cannon for an arm and can make all the throws at the pro level. But he can also be erratic and reckless. Pees can play on those foibles by designing a host of creative blitz pressures.

The Baltimore secondary will likely need the help against a Raiders receiving corps brimming with quality. Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper and Andre Holmes are a trio defenses should fear.

Fortunately, the Ravens have been very good bringing pressure so far this season. They’ve logged nine sacks, good for seventh-best in the NFL.

More than just the numbers though, the Ravens are creating confusion with the way they bring pressure. Pees is showing amoeba fronts with only one down lineman surrounded by multiple potential rushers standing up, cheating in and out gaps and causing doubts in the minds of blockers.

Yet while the Baltimore D is proving innovative, the offense has been anything but. Quarterback Joe Flacco has been streaky, and he’s still waiting for his running game to emerge. Justin Forsett has averaged just 3.2 yards a carry, while Terrance West has hardly been better at 3.6.

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Until the ground attack gets going, Flacco will have to lean on his veteran receiving platoon. It’s a smart ploy since Steve Smith Sr. and Mike Wallace can still stretch the field and win against most coverage. Tight end Dennis Pitta remains clutch underneath.

It’s up to Flacco to spread the ball around more and show the patience to take what a defense gives him, especially since the Raiders will surely look to limit the long ball. Former Washington Redskins cornerback David Amerson figures to be a key figure in the plan based on his performance against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, per Pro Football Focus:

#Raiders CB David Amerson today:

4 catches on 11 targets.
38 receiving yards surrendered.
8 yards after catch.
5 pass breakups.
97.9 grade. pic.twitter.com/Cxi4FLiexv

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 26, 2016

Amerson is playing well for head coach Jack Del Rio, but he was guilty of losing the ball in the air earlier in his career. Flacco, Wallace and Breshad Perriman may want to test Amerson with a few vertical strikes.

The Raiders were better defensively in Week 3, but this is still a unit struggling to get to quarterbacks and bottle up the run. With better balance, the Ravens can find their groove offensively this week.

Pick: Ravens 27, Raiders 20