TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return home for the first time in nearly a month Sunday to take on the Oakland Raiders, who are 4-0 on the road this season, 5-2 overall and first in the AFC West. The Bucs are 3-3 and have won two in a row, but have yet to win at home.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have already made themselves at home in Florida. After playing the Jaguars last week in Jacksonville, they're practicing in nearby Sarasota, which is about an hour outside of Tampa. That means they won't have any problems adjusting to a different time zone. In fact, the Raiders are already 2-0 this season in the Eastern time zone.
ESPN Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez is on the ground in Sarasota, and he gives us an inside look at some key Raiders:
OFFENSE
QB Derek Carr -- He was far from pleased after beating the Jaguars on Sunday, saying the Raiders left too many touchdowns on the field in kicking four field goals, two from inside the red zone. But Carr has been especially efficient on his deep throws, completing 60 percent of his passes that have gone at least 20 yards downfield, per Pro Football Focus. That ranks third in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 10 deep attempts.
WR Michael Crabtree -- And whenever Carr needs a big play, he turns to his veteran wideout. Crabtree’s six touchdown catches are tied for the league lead, and his six TD receptions are a career best through the first seven games of a season. But refs are not keen on his Kenny Powers finger-sniff celebration, saying it looks too similar to a throat slash. So unless the eighth-year pro wants to tempt fate and 15-yard penalties, he needs a celebratory gesture.
LT Donald Penn -- Protecting Carr’s blindside is just part of Penn’s job description, though a major cog. In the Jacksonville game, the veteran left tackle allowed only one QB hurry and no sacks in 38 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF, and his grade of 83.8 was the highest on the offense. He is the ninth-highest-graded offensive tackle in the NFL, at 85.8 this season, according to PFF.
DEFENSE
DE/OLB Khalil Mack -- Don’t look now, but the All-Pro is starting to find his groove again as a pass rusher -- yes, even with all of the holding going on but not being called. Mack has sacks in consecutive games and three in the past four games after getting shut out in the season’s first three games. Mack and Bruce Irvin each had four pressures as the Raiders got pressure on nine of 13 blitzes they dialed up on Jacksonville’s 55 pass plays, per PFF. Jameis Winston, beware.
OLB Bruce Irvin -- Signed to be Mack’s bookend as a pass rusher, Irvin is also becoming more disruptive, as evidenced by his four pressures against the Jags and his taking to Twitter to say he should have had a sack. He also had a personal dance party every time a call or play went the Raiders’ way in Jacksonville. Then there’s this: Irvin’s four forced fumbles lead the NFL, and the 10 forced by the Raiders are tied for the league lead as a unit.
CB David Amerson -- The Jaguars essentially stayed away from him, targeting Amerson four times, and he allowed three catches for 31 yards. His end-zone interception of Blake Bortles, who inexplicably threw into triple coverage, was especially crucial considering how early in the game it came. So do the Buccaneers run Mike Evans at Amerson, whose PFF grade of 88.4 this season is the second-highest among cornerbacks in the NFL?