The Raiders might be the worst 2-4 team in the NFL in recent memory. Offensively and defensively, the team lacks consistency. In their losses, they tend to look as bad as anyone in the league. In their most recent win, they somehow slid past the Jets despite allowing more than 400 yards of total offense and more than 200 yards rushing. The team’s strongest unit is probably their special teams, anchored by (former 1st round draft pick…) kicker Sebastian Janikowski. Punter Shane Lechler isn’t too shabby either, averaging nearly 50 yards per kick and putting 14 inside the opponents 20 so far this year.

But that might be where praise for the Raiders stops… they have struggled on both offense and defense in a number of respects and are still trying to establish their identity as a unit.

Come Sunday, here are two match-ups that will be critcal in either team’s success.

Ravens’ Offense vs. Raiders’ Defense

QB Joe Flacco vs. Oakland’s Secondary

The Raiders defense is far from the league’s strongest. They allow 136 yards per game rushing and more than 220 per game passing. Those numbers rank 24th and 22nd in the league respectively, leaving the Raiders at 26th overall.

That said, the unit still does its fair share in protecting against the pass. The Raiders are in the league’s top 10 in both interceptions (7) and sacks (16). They have also allowed just 8 passing touchdowns so far this season.

Now, none of these numbers are jumping off the page at you, I know. The Raiders, with Rob Ryan (brother of Raven’s Rex) at the helm of the defense, are still just plain average. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be a major factor in this game. The secondary is more than capable as a unit, especially in the hands of DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson. Both are known for being prone to mental lapses, but both have the ability to change games when they need to.

On the Ravens side of the ball, it’s all about Joe Flacco this weekend. Flacco has been mistake-prone himself in the Ravens biggest games this year - he’s taken hits and given the ball up too often. Against the Raiders, the Ravens could probably win the game by simply running the ball and keeping Joe on his training wheels. But following his successful performance against Miami, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh really test Joe’s limits.

“Opening up the offense” and letting Flacco throw the ball more often and with more freedom are not unpopular ideas in Baltimore. But the more Flacco throws, the more fans need to worry about mistakes. Especially with a few playmakers on the other side of the field.

Put it this way: Joe Flacco is, in all likelihood, not going to win this game for the Ravens. If he breaks out and dominates the Raiders secondary, it would just be a bonus for a Ravens team that should be able to move the ball anyway. However, Flacco certainly could lose the game for the Ravens. If he puts the ball in the hands of Wilson or Hall, this game could be far closer than it should be - just like we saw with the Jets and Raiders on Sunday. [Channel Trent Dilfer]

It certainly is time that Flacco be pushed. And what better time than with the league’s 26th ranked defense in town? Just don’t underestimate the unit’s game-changing ability.

No pressure, Joe.

Raiders’ Offense vs. Ravens’ Defense

QB JaMarcus Russell vs. Ravens’ Front Four

The Raiders offense is an interesting beast. It features a multi-back running attack, similar to the Ravens. The current centerpiece is Justin Fargas, but rookie Darren McFadden has seen his share of carries and big plays. Wide out Javon Walker and tight end Zach Miller are plenty capable in their positions as well.  But all told, they are nothing the Ravens haven’t seen already this year.

But quarterback JaMarcus Russell, in his second year out of LSU, is something new - at least this season - for the Ravens.  At 6′6, 260lbs, Russell is one of the league’s biggest quarterbacks, if not the biggest.

The Ravens are already having trouble getting to quarterbacks. It’s been widely reported that to get to the quarterback, the Ravens need to blitz. Their front-four are just not built to attack quarterbacks, they are built to stop the run. Despite having the league’s second-ranked defense by yardage, the Ravens have only sacked opposing quarterbacks 12 times this season.

The real challenge the Ravens will have with Russell though is his mobility. Russell might not be Michael Vick, but for his size he is very athletic and agile. The Ravens defensive front has already had trouble wrapping up quarterbacks, and now they will have to deal with a very, very big boy who knows how to move.

Consider how often Ben Roethlisberger is magically able to shake a pass-rusher and then take a few steps to find an open receiver in a broken play. To most Ravens fans, that kind of things happens far too often. Russell and the Raiders are by no means on the same level as Big Ben and the Steelers, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have some success running similar schemes.

The key for the Ravens defensive front is going to be to stay honest. If they overpursue Russell, it will leave the entire defense exposed - either to Russell’s feet or his arm. But if the Ravens front can treat Russell like a big running back, containing him from the outside and not worrying about the big hit, the entire unit will be better off.

Similar to Flacco, Russell is almost trying to avoid messing things up, rather than trying to make plays with the Raiders. In six games, Russell has thrown just two interceptions and has fumbled just once. But he’s averaging less than 200 yards passing per game and has just five touchdowns.

Russell will not win this game for the Raiders so long as the Ravens avoid giving him big-play opportunities.