OAKLAND, California (Ticker) -- The Baltimore Ravens have fond memories of their last trip to Network Associates Coliseum.
On Sunday, the Ravens look to inch closer to winning the AFC North Division title when they meet the reeling Oakland Raiders.
Baltimore is making its first trip back to Oakland since the 2000 season when it posted a 16-6 victory in the AFC championship game. The Ravens then went on to win Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants.
This season, the Ravens appear to be headed back to the postseason. They own a one-game lead over Cincinnati in the division with three games left.
And starting with this contest, things would seem to favor the Ravens, whose last three games are against teams with a combined record of 12-27.
Last Sunday, the Ravens won their showdown with the Bengals as they rolled to a 31-13 victory. Jamal Lewis led the way by rushing for 180 yards and three touchdowns.
Lewis is a legitimate MVP candidate and leads the league with 1,622 yards rushing. He needs to average 126 yards over the last three games to become the fourth player in league history and first since Terrell Davis in 1998 to rush for 2,000 yards.
This week, Lewis gets a crack at the NFL's 31st-ranked rush defense that is allowing an average of 149.4 yards per game.
After reaching the Super Bowl last season, the Raiders have endured a disastrous season and are tied for the NFL's worst record.
Oakland has lost three straight games, including last Sunday's 27-7 debacle at Pittsburgh. The once high-powered offense of the Raiders managed just nine first downs and 161 total yards.
The Raiders have scored just 15 points over the last two games and things could get tougher against the Ravens, who feature one of the NFL's top defenses with inside linebacker Ray Lewis leading the way.
Baltimore leads the series, 3-0, including playoffs.
