Jon Kitna takes aim on the Raiders' stellar secondary.

Raiders (2-1) at Seahawks (2-1)
8:20 p.m. ET, ESPN
Line: Seahawks by 3½
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Why to watch:
The Broncos' awful start has left the AFC West throne up for grabs, and these two teams are probably the top contenders to end Denver's reign as division champion. Oakland opened its season with an impressive run against three NFC Central opponents, beating the Bears last week in Oakland after stunning the Vikings in Minneapolis and nearly beating the Packers in Green Bay. The Seahawks are coming off their first impressive victory of the Mike Holmgren era, a 29-10 thumping of the Steelers at Pittsburgh. Holmgren says his team is improving every week, and Seattle can make a big statement on the national stage here. This game also features two teams that are running the West Coast Offense, so the ball should be in the air a lot.

Who to watch:
Raiders CBs Charles Woodson and Eric Allen will try to shut down Seahawks WRs Sean Dawkins and Mike Pritchard, who both had big days last week in Pittsburgh. Raiders RB Tyrone Wheatley is averaging 4.3 yards per carry, and fellow RB Napoleon Kaufman provides the home-run threat. Raiders QB Rich Gannon is completing nearly 64 percent of his passes. Seahawks QB Jon Kitna is just as accurate, hitting 64.4 percent. Seahawks RB Ricky Watters, who has run for 98 and 99 yards the last two weeks, will challenge Raiders DT Darrell Russell and a stout interior defense. Seahawks CB Shawn Springs will try to stop Raiders WR Tim Brown in a matchup of Pro Bowlers.

Raiders' numbers to know:
Oakland has emerged victorious in seven of its last nine trips to the Kingdome. The Raiders swept the season series last year after getting swept by the Seahawks in 1997.

Seahawks' numbers to know:
Seattle was a dismal 12-20 against AFC West opponents in Dennis Erickson's four seasons as head coach. That's the biggest reason why the Seahawks haven't made the playoffs since 1988, the longest current drought in the NFL. Holmgren clearly will want to establish a new tone in his first divisional contest.

What it means:
Along with Kansas City, these two share the lead in the AFC West. The winner will emerge with at least a share of first place and a minimum two-game lead over the Broncos. The Raiders are already playing their third road game of the season and own the NFL's toughest schedule, so a 3-1 start would be a big boost for Oakland. The Seahawks looked terrible in their home opener, a 28-20 loss to Detroit, but they can enliven their fan base with a victory over the rival Raiders.

Sean Salisbury's breakdown
Raiders' game plan:
I love the way Rich Gannon is playing. He was a great offseason addition for the Raiders. With Gannon at quarterback, the Raiders are winning with heart. Gannon needs to be patient against the Seahawks and get tight end Rickey Dudley involved. Dudley will be a big factor toward how far the Raiders go this season. Gannon understands the use of the tight end, and Dudley can be the player who gets the best mismatch against the Seattle defense.

The defensive strategy is to be aggressive. The Raiders will attack and pressure Seattle's Jon Kitna. The Raiders have some strong players on the defensive line, such as Darrell Russell and Lance Johnstone. But the key is cornerbacks Eric Allen and Charles Woodson, two players who can play man-to-man coverage on the outside and allow the Raiders to send more players after Kitna.

The Seahawks don't have Joey Galloway to stretch the field and force the Raiders out of man-to-man coverage. Seattle's other receivers, Mike Pritchard, Derrick Mayes and Sean Dawkins, aren't deep threats like Galloway.

I expect the Raiders to feel a lot faster on the artificial surface in Seattle and apply a fierce pass rush. They are good enough up front to rush the passer with four or five lineman, which frees up other defenders to take away other parts of Seattle's passing game.

Seahawks' game plan:
The Seahawks need to manufacture some big plays because they won't be able to grind out yards on the ground against the Raiders. Most teams aren't patient enough. I like Kitna's toughness and believe he can make some good intermediate decisions -- but I don't know where the big plays are coming from on offense. Maybe it will come from the defense -- cornerback Shawn Springs making an interception and running it back for a touchdown, or Cortez Kennedy forcing fumble.

If the Raiders are playing overly aggressive defense, it might open things up for the Seahawks offense to make some big plays. Without Galloway, it could be a screen pass to Ricky Watters for 40 yards. Whatever it is, the Seahawks need a couple of offensive home runs to beat the Raiders.

Seattle has a good, young defense that will make plays, like it did last week when Merton Hanks returned an interception for a touchdown. The Seahawks' focus will be on containing Gannon. But Gannon can beat them ugly. He is a consistent passer who can also make plays with his feet if he holds onto the football. He has an amazing sense about him.

I don't think the Seahawks can break Gannon's will because he is a tough competitor. What will cause problems, though, is pressure, forcing him to throw prematurely. The Seahawks should force Gannon to make big plays and see what he does under adverse conditions. Kennedy needs to have a big game inside for Seattle. The Seahawks must not allow the Raiders to get their running game going. That's not the strength of their team, but if they are allowed to run, the Raiders can make a lot of plays through the air.