The Seattle Seahawks will be coming to Allegiant Stadium to face the Las Vegas Raiders without their starting quarterback. Sam Darnold is out with a quad injury and a cracked rib. Drew Lock is expected to start instead, even after picking up an oblique injury in last week's win over Arizona.

Seattle has won both of Lock's starts, though, so nobody should treat this as a free pass. Here are three keys for the Raiders to get back to .500.

1. Win early downs against Seattle's run game

Seattle runs the ball a lot, with 258 carries through nine games, 36 more than the Raiders. Running back Emanuel Wilson has 111 of them at 3.6 yards per carry. A backup quarterback under center only gives the Seahawks more reason to keep feeding him.

The Raiders have allowed 1,361 rushing yards, the most in the NFL, at 5.0 per carry. Stuffing Wilson on first and second down would put Lock in third-and-long, the one spot where a game manager has to start making plays on his own.

2. Make Drew Lock uncomfortable

Lock has been efficient this season, with five touchdowns, no interceptions and a 116.0 passer rating. He has thrown 76 passes without a pick, so the Raiders can't sit back and wait for a gift. Clean pockets make those numbers easy. A quarterback playing through an oblique injury is a different story once he starts taking hits.

Seattle's line has allowed 19 sacks, which puts it right in the middle of the league, so it can be beaten. The Raiders have 19 sacks of their own, and Maxx Crosby and company adding a few more on Sunday would test how much Lock can handle.

3. Respect the NFL's stingiest pass defense

Seattle allows 5.5 yards per pass attempt, the lowest mark in the league, and has given up only 14 completions of 20-plus yards, tied for the fewest. Opposing quarterbacks own a 77.3 passer rating against Seattle, so big plays won't come cheap.

The Raiders have thrown eight interceptions, and the Seahawks have eight picks as a defense, with safety Julian Love and cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett grabbing two apiece. Las Vegas has 20 touchdown passes this season, but rookie starter Fernando Mendoza doesn't need to force anything. Taking the short completions, leaning on the tight ends underneath and punting when needed won't look pretty, but it keeps the Raiders within striking distance for the fourth quarter.