The Raiders are off to Baltimore to face the Ravens in their second game of the season Sunday.
Here are three things to know about their AFC North opponent:
1. Reigning MVP
The face of the Ravens is quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won his second NFL MVP trophy last season. He’s one of the most electrifying player in league history.
Jackson is a handful for each defense he faces because he’s a threat with both his arm and his legs. He’s close to as good as it gets as a passer and a runner.
Jackson forces opponents to pick their poison. If they sit back and try to keep him contained in the pocket, he can move the ball through the air. If defenses instead try to attack him with pressure, he can escape to throw the ball downfield or pick up yards as a runner.
Jackson’s impact as a dual threat almost powered his team to a win in its season opener against the Chiefs. He threw for 273 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 122 yards on 16 carries in a 27-20 loss in Kansas City on Sept. 5 that came down to the final play.
The Raiders are well aware of the kind of challenge they’ll be facing.
“In my opinion, he’s the best ball carrier ever, no matter what position you want to talk about,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “I don’t think anybody’s as big of a threat to carry the football. And obviously he’s worked really hard to develop in the other parts of his game as well. And you’ve seen that come a long way, too. So, he’s a huge threat, somebody you got to be accountable for out there and make sure you know what he’s doing and getting on the film of that.”
2. Strong organization
The Ravens are one of the NFL’s model franchises.
They draft and develop well by putting an emphasis on players who are tough, physical and intelligent. It’s a blueprint the Raiders would do well to emulate.
Baltimore’s on-field success speaks for itself. The team is 160-100 under coach John Harbaugh, who has led the Ravens since 2008. They have made the playoffs 11 times in that span and won Super Bowl 47 in 2013. They always seem to be in contention and rarely take a step backwards.
Their consistency forces their opponents to be at their best to beat them.
“They play football the right way,” Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. “And we want to play football the right way, and it’s going to be fun. They got good players. They got good coaches. The fans are wild and crazy.”
3. Standout safety
The Raiders must be aware of Baltimore’s last line of defense Sunday. Third-year safety Kyle Hamilton, a first-team All Pro last season, is one of the best in the business. He’ll also be motivated to make up for a poor game against the Chiefs.
Hamilton said Kansas City rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy’s 35-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter was “on me, 100 percent.” He wasn’t happy with his performance overall.
An angry Hamilton could be bad news for the Raiders. The 23-year-old had three sacks, four interceptions and 83 tackles in 15 games last season. He’s someone the offense has to account for on every play.
“It’s a week-to-week league,” Hamilton said. “I’m excited to go back out there this weekend and make up for it.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.