Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans: Keys to the game, matchups to watch and prediction

OAKLAND RAIDERS AT TENNESSEE TITANS

KICKOFF: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Nissan Stadium. TV: CBS, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson.

SERIES HISTORY: 46th regular-season meeting. Raiders lead series, 25-20. The Raiders have won the last two meetings, both in Nashville, 17-10 last season and 24-21 in 2015. The Titans' last win was 23-19 in Oakland in 2013. The Raiders sat on a 17-3 halftime lead and held on to win in Week 3 last year. Quarterback Derek Carr was 21 of 35 for 249 yards including a 19-yard touchdown pass to Seth Roberts. The Raiders held on with the Titans deep in Raiders territory. DeMarco Murray had 114 yards and Derrick Henry 45 as the Titans rushed for 181 yards.

KEYS TO THE GAME: Although last year's meeting turned out to be a defensive struggle, with 27 points combined, it could be twice that this year. The Raiders were humming on offense with the first unit, Marshawn Lynch looked fresh in his comeback and Derek Carr was at the peak of his game. Expect them to attack through the air and feed Lynch on second-and-long early and then on short yardage late.

Defensively, the Raiders' matchup issues in the secondary are such they'll hope to avoid all throws over the top and force Tennessee to drive the length of the field to avoid big plays.

The Titans knew last year they would have to somehow try and contain the high-powered passing game of the Raiders, with Carr throwing to Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Now, the Raiders have added the running of Lynch to the mix.

The Titans' best defense might be an offense that hopes to run the football with DeMarco Murray and keep the Raiders' pass rush off Marcus Mariota. If the Titans have their way, they will win time of possession with that run game, to help keep the defense fresh, and hope to use a solid pass rush to compensate for a rebuilt secondary that still showed some holes in the opener.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH:

--Titans LT Taylor Lewan vs. Raiders DE Khalil Mack. It's no secret the Titans want to run the football, but they also have to protect Marcus Mariota. That means that Lewan & Co. will have to keep Mack and the Raiders' pass rush at bay. Lewan especially wants to atone for his costly penalty last season.

--Raiders LT Donald Penn vs. Titans ROLB Brian Orakpo. Orakpo had 10.5 sacks last year and keys the Titans pass rush from his position at right outside linebacker. Penn held out in training camp for a better contract and hasn't gotten it yet, but looked solid in his first game back with very little practice time. But lining up in a preseason game isn't the same as dealing with Orakpo, who seems to be improving with age.

RAIDERS NOTABLE ROOKIE: Defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes. A third-round pick out of UCLA, Vanderdoes got himself in good shape after a difficult final year at UCLA and impressed Carr and Khalil Mack with a quick first step and ability to penetrate inside.

TITANS NOTABLE ROOKIE: Cornerback Adoree' Jackson. A first-round pick, he appears to be the rookie most likely to contribute right away, both in the revamped secondary and as a punt returner (and perhaps a kickoff returner). Jackson may be best as a nickel back, but could wind up on the outside, where he is battling second-year vet LeShaun Sims.

FAST FACTS: Among the many similarities between Oakland QB Derek Carr and Tennessee QB Marcus Mariota: Their teams' records when they were rookie starters. The Raiders were 3-13 in 2014 and the Titans duplicated the mark in 2015. ... Oakland OLB Shilique Calhoun, a third-round pick last year from Michigan State, didn't survive cutdown day and was signed to the practice squad. ... Titans TE Delanie Walker has caught 282 passes for 3,349 yards and 23 TDs over the last four years, second only to Frank Wycheck among TEs in franchise history. ... The Raiders and Tennessee combined for a 1-7 record in preseason games.

PREDICTION: CBS thinks enough of this game that it's sending its top announcing crew to Nashville for the first time in five years. The Titans give them reason to perhaps book a return trip later this year by winning their season opener in a thriller.

OUR PICK: Titans, 27-24.

--Bucky Dent